How to convert an hourly wage to a salary
Multiply the hourly rate by the hours you work in a week, then by the weeks you are paid for in a year. The standard full-time schedule is 40 hours for 52 weeks, which is 2,080 paid hours, so a quick conversion is hourly rate x 2,080. Every other pay period is the annual figure divided by how many of those periods fit in a year:
annual = hourly x hours per week x weeks per year monthly = annual / 12 biweekly = annual / 26 weekly = annual / weeks per year daily = weekly / 5
Going the other way, from a salary to an hourly rate, divide the salary by the paid hours in a year: hourly = annual / (hours per week x weeks per year). Pick the direction at the top of the calculator and it labels the input accordingly.
Worked example
The form defaults are $25 an hour at 40 hours a week for 52 weeks:
annual = 25 x 40 x 52 = $52,000.00 monthly = $52,000 / 12 = $4,333.33 biweekly = $52,000 / 26 = $2,000.00 weekly = 25 x 40 = $1,000.00 daily = $1,000 / 5 = $200.00
In reverse, a $60,000 salary on the same schedule is 60,000 / 2,080 = $28.85 an hour, $1,153.85 a week, and $2,307.69 every two weeks.
Hourly rate to annual salary (40 hours, 52 weeks)
| Hourly | Weekly | Biweekly | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $400 | $800 | $1,733 | $20,800 |
| $12.00 | $480 | $960 | $2,080 | $24,960 |
| $15.00 | $600 | $1,200 | $2,600 | $31,200 |
| $18.00 | $720 | $1,440 | $3,120 | $37,440 |
| $20.00 | $800 | $1,600 | $3,467 | $41,600 |
| $22.00 | $880 | $1,760 | $3,813 | $45,760 |
| $25.00 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $4,333 | $52,000 |
| $30.00 | $1,200 | $2,400 | $5,200 | $62,400 |
| $35.00 | $1,400 | $2,800 | $6,067 | $72,800 |
| $40.00 | $1,600 | $3,200 | $6,933 | $83,200 |
| $45.00 | $1,800 | $3,600 | $7,800 | $93,600 |
| $50.00 | $2,000 | $4,000 | $8,667 | $104,000 |
| $60.00 | $2,400 | $4,800 | $10,400 | $124,800 |
| $75.00 | $3,000 | $6,000 | $13,000 | $156,000 |
| $100.00 | $4,000 | $8,000 | $17,333 | $208,000 |
Annual salary to hourly rate
| Salary | Hourly at 40 h/week | Hourly at 35 h/week | Hourly at 50 h/week |
|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $14.42 | $16.48 | $11.54 |
| $40,000 | $19.23 | $21.98 | $15.38 |
| $50,000 | $24.04 | $27.47 | $19.23 |
| $60,000 | $28.85 | $32.97 | $23.08 |
| $75,000 | $36.06 | $41.21 | $28.85 |
| $100,000 | $48.08 | $54.95 | $38.46 |
The last two columns show why the hours matter as much as the number on the offer letter. A $60,000 salary is $28.85 an hour if the week is really 40 hours, but only $23.08 if it is routinely 50.
Hours per week and weeks per year
Use your actual paid hours. A part-time job at 25 hours a week is 1,300 hours a year, so $18 an hour is $23,400, not the $37,440 a full-time schedule would give. Weeks per year should stay at 52 for salaried jobs and for hourly jobs with paid time off, because you are paid for those weeks even though you are not working. Drop it to 50 or 48 only when the time off is unpaid, which is common for hourly and seasonal work.
Pay periods: weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly
Biweekly pay (every two weeks) gives 26 paychecks a year, and two months each year contain three of them. Semimonthly pay (twice a month, often the 15th and the last day) gives 24 slightly larger checks. Both add up to the same annual total; the calculator shows each so you can compare an offer quoted one way with a budget planned the other. Monthly pay is the annual figure divided by 12, which is about 4.33 weeks of pay, not 4.
What the conversion leaves out
- Taxes: all figures are gross. Federal, state, and FICA withholding typically take 20% to 30% of a mid-range salary; the paycheck calculator shows the net amount for your state.
- Overtime: non-exempt hourly workers earn 1.5x for hours over 40 in a week, which a flat multiplication ignores.
- Benefits: employer-paid health insurance, retirement matching, and paid leave are part of total compensation but not of this number. When comparing an hourly contract with a salaried job, add a rough value for them.
- Unpaid breaks: a 9-to-5 day with an unpaid hour for lunch is 7 paid hours, or 35 a week, not 40.