Explain it like I’m 5
Imagine you get a sticker for every hour you work. Work 40 hours a week for 52 weeks and you collect 2,080 stickers in a year.
If your whole year pays $60,000, each sticker is worth $60,000 ÷ 2,080 ≈ $28.85. That’s your hourly rate.
It works the other way, too: multiply your hourly rate by 2,080 to see your yearly pay. Then divide by 12 for a month, or by 26 for a paycheck every two weeks.
Words you’ll see, in plain English
- Gross pay
- Your pay before anything is taken out — before taxes, insurance or retirement savings. What lands in your bank account (net pay) is smaller.
- Take-home pay (net pay)
- The money that actually lands in your bank account after taxes and other deductions come out of your paycheck. It’s always smaller than your gross pay.
- Pay period
- How often you get paid. Weekly is 52 paychecks a year, biweekly (every two weeks) is 26, semimonthly (twice a month) is 24, and monthly is 12.
- Overtime
- Hours you work beyond the normal limit — in the US, more than 40 hours in one week. Most hourly workers must be paid extra for them.
More money words explained simply in our glossary.
How to use the salary to hourly calculator
- Enter your pay and how often you get it — per hour, week, month, year and so on.
- Enter your usual hours and days per week.
- Set paid weeks per year. Keep 52 if your holidays and vacation are paid.
- Read your pay in every period, all before tax.
The formulas
Hourly = yearly pay ÷ (hours per week × paid weeks)
Yearly = hourly × hours per week × paid weeks
Monthly = yearly ÷ 12 · Twice a month = yearly ÷ 24 · Every two weeks = yearly ÷ 26 (with 52 paid weeks).
Mental shortcut: halve the salary and drop the last three zeros. $60,000 → about $30 an hour (the exact answer is $28.85).
Salary to hourly table
40 hours a week, 52 paid weeks, before tax.
| Salary | Hourly | Monthly | Every 2 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $14.42 | $2,500 | $1,154 |
| $40,000 | $19.23 | $3,333 | $1,538 |
| $50,000 | $24.04 | $4,167 | $1,923 |
| $60,000 | $28.85 | $5,000 | $2,308 |
| $70,000 | $33.65 | $5,833 | $2,692 |
| $80,000 | $38.46 | $6,667 | $3,077 |
| $90,000 | $43.27 | $7,500 | $3,462 |
| $100,000 | $48.08 | $8,333 | $3,846 |
| $120,000 | $57.69 | $10,000 | $4,615 |
| $150,000 | $72.12 | $12,500 | $5,769 |
Going the other way? See hourly to salary for a table from $15 to $50 an hour.
Comparing a salaried job with an hourly one
- Overtime: hourly (non-exempt) workers usually get 1.5× pay over 40 hours — see the time and a half calculator. Many salaried workers don’t.
- Benefits: health insurance, a 401(k) match and paid time off can be worth thousands a year.
- Real hours: if a salaried job really takes 50 hours a week, enter 50 to see your true hourly rate.
Common mistakes
- Using 4 weeks per month. A month averages 4.33 weeks, so hourly × 160 understates monthly pay.
- Mixing up biweekly and semimonthly — 26 vs. 24 paychecks a year.
- Comparing before-tax and after-tax numbers. Everything here is before tax.
Learn more
- Gross Pay vs. Net Pay, Explained Simply — Gross pay is what you earn before anything comes out. Net pay — your take-home — is what actually lands in your account. On a $60,000 salary, the gap is often $10,000 or more a year. Here’s where it goes.
- Hourly to Salary: How Much Is Your Hourly Pay Per Year? — Multiply your hourly rate by 2,080 — that’s 40 hours a week for 52 weeks — to get your yearly pay. $25 an hour is $52,000 a year. Here’s a full table, the shortcut to do it in your head, and what changes the number.
- Salary vs. Hourly: Which Pays More? — A salaried job pays a fixed amount no matter how many hours you work; an hourly job pays for every hour, often with overtime. Which is better depends on your real hours and the benefits. Here’s how to compare.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert my salary to an hourly rate?
Divide your yearly salary by the hours you’re paid for in a year. For a full-time job that’s 40 hours × 52 weeks = 2,080 hours. A $60,000 salary is $60,000 ÷ 2,080 = $28.85 an hour.
How much is $50,000 a year per hour?
About $24.04 an hour, working 40 hours a week for 52 weeks. That’s $4,167 a month or $1,923 every two weeks, before tax.
How much is $100,000 a year per hour?
About $48.08 an hour at 2,080 hours a year — $8,333 a month before tax.
What is the difference between biweekly and semimonthly pay?
Biweekly means every two weeks — 26 paychecks a year, and two months a year have three paydays. Semimonthly means twice a month, usually on fixed dates like the 1st and 15th — 24 paychecks a year. On the same salary, each semimonthly paycheck is a little larger.
Should I count vacation and holidays?
If they’re paid, yes — keep 52 weeks, because you earn your salary over the whole year. If you take unpaid time off, lower the paid weeks. Contractors and freelancers often use 48 to 50 weeks to allow for time off and gaps between jobs.
These results are estimates for education only, based on the assumptions you enter. They are not financial, investment or tax advice. Real returns, rates and taxes vary. See our methodology anddisclaimer.