How the salary converter works
Every conversion goes through the yearly total. An hourly wage is multiplied by your hours per week and your paid weeks per year, a daily rate by your days per week and weeks, and a weekly paycheck by your weeks. From the annual salary the converter divides back down to every other period. Monthly, semimonthly and biweekly pay spread the yearly total evenly over 12, 24 and 26 paychecks.
A full-time year at 40 hours a week for 52 weeks has 2,080 paid hours (40 × 52). That number is the standard most US employers use to turn a salary into an hourly rate, and it already includes paid vacation and holidays.
Hourly wage to annual salary
Gross pay at 40 hours a week and 52 weeks a year, the usual full-time assumption.
| Hourly wage | Weekly | Biweekly | Monthly | Annual salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $15 | $600 | $1,200 | $2,600.00 | $31,200 |
| $20 | $800 | $1,600 | $3,466.67 | $41,600 |
| $25 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $4,333.33 | $52,000 |
| $30 | $1,200 | $2,400 | $5,200.00 | $62,400 |
| $40 | $1,600 | $3,200 | $6,933.33 | $83,200 |
| $50 | $2,000 | $4,000 | $8,666.67 | $104,000 |
| $75 | $3,000 | $6,000 | $13,000.00 | $156,000 |
| $100 | $4,000 | $8,000 | $17,333.33 | $208,000 |
Biweekly vs semimonthly paychecks
The two sound alike but pay a different number of times. Biweekly pay comes every other week, on the same weekday, which makes 26 paychecks a year. Most months have two paydays, and two months a year have three. Semimonthly pay comes twice a month on fixed dates, like the 1st and 15th, which makes 24 paychecks.
With a $52,000 salary, a biweekly paycheck is $2,000 and a semimonthly paycheck is $2,166.67. The yearly total is the same. If you budget by month, a semimonthly schedule is easier to plan with. On a biweekly schedule, budget with two paychecks a month and treat the two extra paychecks as a bonus for savings or bills that come once a year.
Gross pay, net pay and your paycheck
All results here are gross pay. The amount that reaches your bank account is lower after income tax, Social Security and Medicare, and deductions like health insurance or a 401(k). When you compare job offers, compare gross salaries with the same hours per week, and look at benefits separately: paid time off, health coverage and retirement matching can be worth thousands a year.
How to use the salary converter
- 1Enter your pay and pick how often you get it: per hour, day, week, two weeks, half month, month or year.
- 2Check the hours per week, days per week and paid weeks per year. The defaults match a full-time job.
- 3Read your pay for every period in the table. The row you entered is highlighted. Copy the result or a link to compare offers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert an hourly wage to an annual salary?
Multiply the hourly wage by the hours you work per week and by the weeks you are paid per year. At 40 hours and 52 weeks that is 2,080 hours, so a quick rule is hourly wage × 2,080. $25 an hour × 2,080 = $52,000 a year.
How do I convert an annual salary to an hourly wage?
Divide the yearly salary by your paid hours per year. For a full-time job that is 2,080 hours, so $60,000 a year works out to $28.85 an hour. A rough shortcut is to halve the salary and drop the thousands: $60,000 is about $30 an hour.
What is the difference between biweekly and semimonthly pay?
Biweekly means every two weeks, which gives 26 paychecks a year and twice a year a month with three paydays. Semimonthly means twice a month, often on the 15th and the last day, which gives 24 paychecks. With the same salary, each semimonthly paycheck is a little larger.
Are these amounts before or after taxes?
Before taxes. The converter shows gross pay. Your take-home pay is lower after federal and state income tax, Social Security, Medicare and deductions like health insurance or retirement contributions.
What should I enter for weeks per year?
Use 52 if you are paid all year, including paid vacation and holidays. If you take unpaid time off, for example as a contractor or hourly worker who is not paid for two weeks over the holidays, enter 50 so the yearly totals only count the weeks you are paid.