How the conversion works
The calculator works out how many hours you are paid for in a year, then divides or multiplies. Unpaid weeks off reduce the paid hours, so the same salary works out to a higher hourly rate.
Paid hours a year = hours per week × (weeks per year − unpaid weeks)
Hourly = yearly salary ÷ paid hours
Yearly = hourly × paid hours
Worked example: $65,000 a year
At 40 hours a week and 52 paid weeks there are 2,080 paid hours. $65,000 ÷ 2,080 = $31.25 an hour. A working week is 40 × $31.25 = $1,250.00, a biweekly check is $2,500.00, a semimonthly check is $65,000 ÷ 24 = $2,708.33 and a month is $65,000 ÷ 12 = $5,416.67. With three unpaid weeks off the paid hours fall to 40 × 49 = 1,960, and the hourly figure rises to $33.16.
Where the 2,080 hours come from
A full-time schedule of 40 hours a week for 52 weeks is 2,080 hours, the figure most payroll and HR departments use. Paid holidays and paid vacation still count as paid hours, so leave weeks per year at 52 if your salary keeps coming while you are off. Only use unpaid weeks off for time you are not paid at all, such as a seasonal layoff or unpaid leave. If you regularly work 45 or 50 hours for the same salary, enter those hours to see what your time is really worth per hour.
What each pay period means
| Period | Paychecks a year | How it is worked out here |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Varies | One working week ÷ days per week |
| Weekly | 52 | Hourly × hours per week |
| Biweekly | 26 | Two working weeks |
| Semimonthly | 24 | Yearly ÷ 24 |
| Monthly | 12 | Yearly ÷ 12 |
Weekly and biweekly figures are what you earn in weeks you actually work. If you have unpaid weeks off, a week you do not work pays nothing, so 52 times the weekly figure will be more than your yearly total. Monthly and semimonthly figures are spread evenly over the year.
Common salaries at 2,080 hours a year
| Yearly | Hourly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $14.42 | $2,500.00 |
| $40,000 | $19.23 | $3,333.33 |
| $50,000 | $24.04 | $4,166.67 |
| $60,000 | $28.85 | $5,000.00 |
| $75,000 | $36.06 | $6,250.00 |
| $100,000 | $48.08 | $8,333.33 |
Things the numbers leave out
- All figures are gross pay before taxes. Income tax, Social Security, Medicare and benefit deductions come out of every paycheck.
- Some years have 53 weekly or 27 biweekly paydays, depending on how the calendar falls. Your yearly total for that year can be higher than this calculator shows.
- If you are a non-exempt salaried worker, you are still owed overtime past 40 hours a week. The Department of Labor's overtime page explains who is covered, and the overtime calculator works out the extra pay.
- A salary often comes with paid leave, health insurance and retirement matching that an hourly job may not, so compare total compensation, not just the hourly number.
Questions people ask
How do I convert a salary to an hourly rate?
Divide the yearly salary by the hours you are paid for in a year. A full-time year is 40 hours × 52 weeks = 2,080 hours, so $60,000 a year is $60,000 ÷ 2,080 = $28.85 an hour.
What is $50,000 a year hourly?
At 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, $50,000 a year is $24.04 an hour. That is $961.54 a week, $1,923.08 every two weeks, $2,083.33 twice a month and $4,166.67 a month, all before taxes.
What is $20 an hour per year?
At 40 hours a week for 52 paid weeks, $20.00 an hour is $41,600 a year: 20 × 2,080. If you take two unpaid weeks off, it drops to $40,000 (20 × 40 × 50).
What is the difference between biweekly and semimonthly pay?
Biweekly means every two weeks, which is 26 paychecks a year, so two months each year have three paydays. Semimonthly means twice a month, usually on the 15th and the last day, which is 24 paychecks. On the same $52,000 salary a biweekly check is $2,000.00 and a semimonthly check is $2,166.67.
Are these figures before or after tax?
Before. Everything shown is gross pay. Federal and state income tax, Social Security, Medicare, retirement contributions and health insurance premiums all come out of these amounts, so your take-home pay will be lower.