Salary Calculator
Convert hourly wage to annual salary. Calculate take-home pay potential.
Negotiating a new job? Or just curious what your time is really worth? Use our **Salary Calculator** to instantly convert between hourly wages and annual salaries, giving you a clear picture of your true earnings.
Income Details
Equivalent Hourly Rate
Based on 40 hrs/wk for 52 weeks
Detailed Breakdown (Gross)
What is Salary Calculator?
Know Your Worth
In the US job market, offers come in two flavors: **Hourly Wage** (paid for time worked) and **Annual Salary** (paid for a completed job role).
Comparing them can be tricky. A $60,000 salary sounds great, but if it requires 60-hour weeks, you might be earning less per hour than a $25/hr job. This calculator creates an apples-to-apples comparison.
Who Should Use This?
- Job Seekers: To evaluate offer letters.
- Freelancers: To set hourly rates that match their desired annual income.
- Employees: To see how unpaid time off (vacation) impacts their yearly take-home.
Why This Tool is Useful
It reveals the **Standard Work Year**. Most full-time jobs assume 2,080 hours per year (40 hours x 52 weeks). Knowing this "magic number" makes mental math much easier.
How to Use This Calculator
Toggle your starting point:
- Input Type: Select "Hourly Wage" if you know your rate, or "Annual Salary" if you know your yearly total.
- Amount: Enter the gross number before tax.
- Hours per Week: The standard is 40. Adjust this if you work part-time (20) or overtime (50+).
- Weeks per Year: The default is 52. If you are an hourly contractor who takes 2 weeks of unpaid vacation, change this to 50.
The "2,000 Hour" Rule of Thumb
Want a quick mental estimate? Double your hourly rate and add three zeros.
$25/hr × 2 = 50 → $50,000 / year.
(The actual math is $25 × 2080 = $52,000, but the shortcut gets you close enough for conversation).
Formula & Calculation
The conversion logic relies on the total working hours in a calendar year.
Standard Assumptions:
- Full Time: 40 hours × 52 weeks = 2,080 hours
- Half Time: 20 hours × 52 weeks = 1,040 hours
- Work Day: 8 hours
- Work Month: 173.33 hours (on average)
Example Calculation
Example 1: The "Unpaid Vacation" Trap
Scenario: Alex makes $50/hour as a contractor but takes 4 weeks of unpaid time off.
$50 × 40hrs × 48wks = $96,000
Result: Even though $50/hr "feels" like a $100k job (using the 2080 rule), the unpaid time off drags it below six figures.
Example 2: Overtime Hero
Scenario: Sarah earns $20/hr but works 50 hours a week consistently (with 10 hours at 1.5x OT).
OT Pay: $30 × 10 = $300
Weekly Total: $1,100
Annual: $57,200
Result: Working that extra 10 hours boosts her income significantly above the standard $41,600 base salary.
Reference Tables
Quick Conversion Table (40hr Week)
Common wage benchmarks.
| Hourly Rate | Annual Salary | Weekly Pay |
|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $31,200 | $600 |
| $25.00 | $52,000 | $1,000 |
| $35.00 | $72,800 | $1,400 |
| $50.00 | $104,000 | $2,000 |
| $100.00 | $208,000 | $4,000 |
Why use this calculator?
- Clarity: Monthly rent/bills are fixed, but hourly income fluctuates. Converting to "Monthly" helps you budget safely.
- Benchmarking: Compare your current earnings against industry averages which are often reported as annual salaries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you include vacation time?
For salaried employees, "Paid Time Off" (PTO) means you are paid for 52 weeks regardless of working ~48. For hourly workers, you typically only get paid when you work. This calculator lets you adjust "Weeks per Year" to account for unpaid vacation.
What is 2080 hours?
It is the standard Federal work year number (40 hours x 52 weeks). However, some organizations use 2,000 hours (40 hours x 50 weeks) to account for holidays, making the math slightly different.
Gross vs Net?
This calculator shows Gross Income (before tax). To see what actually hits your bank account, take the annual number from here and plug it into our Income Tax Calculator.
Bi-Weekly vs Semi-Monthly?
Bi-Weekly means every 2 weeks (26 checks/year). Semi-Monthly means twice a month (24 checks/year). Bi-weekly paychecks are smaller, but you get 2 "bonus" checks a year.
Key Terms & Definitions
Disclaimer: This tool only provides mathematical conversions based on your inputs. It does not account for taxes, insurance, or overtime laws specific to your state.
Last Updated: January 2026