How to use the Salary Calculator
- Enter your pay and choose whether it is per hour, day, week, two weeks, half month, month or year.
- Set your usual hours per day and days per week. The defaults, 8 hours and 5 days, give a 40-hour week.
- Adjust weeks per year and add any unpaid weeks, such as unpaid leave or gaps between contracts.
- Read your yearly pay and the full table of equivalents. Pick your currency to format the amounts.
Features
- Converts between seven pay periods at once
- Custom hours per day, days per week and weeks per year
- Accounts for unpaid weeks off
- Separate bi-weekly (26) and semi-monthly (24) paychecks
- 18 currencies with local number formatting
- Remembers your settings on this device
How the conversion works
Every pay rate comes down to one number: how much you earn for each hour you are paid. The calculator first turns your input into an hourly rate, then multiplies it back out to every other period.
- Paid hours per year = hours per day × days per week × (weeks per year − unpaid weeks)
- Yearly pay = hourly rate × paid hours per year
- Daily pay = hourly rate × hours per day
- Weekly pay = daily pay × days per week
- Bi-weekly pay = weekly pay × 2
- Semi-monthly pay = yearly pay ÷ 24, and monthly pay = yearly pay ÷ 12
With the standard full-time schedule of 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and 52 paid weeks, a year has 2,080 paid hours. That is where the familiar shortcut comes from: double the hourly rate and add three zeros for a rough annual figure ($20 an hour is about $40,000 a year; the exact answer is $41,600).
Worked example: $25 an hour
| Period | Full year paid (52 weeks) | With 2 unpaid weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $25.00 | $25.00 |
| Daily (8 h) | $200.00 | $200.00 |
| Weekly (40 h) | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Bi-weekly | $2,000.00 | $2,000.00 |
| Semi-monthly | $2,166.67 | $2,083.33 |
| Monthly | $4,333.33 | $4,166.67 |
| Yearly | $52,000.00 | $50,000.00 |
Hourly, daily, weekly and bi-weekly figures describe what you earn for time actually worked, so unpaid weeks do not change them. Semi-monthly, monthly and yearly figures are totals spread over the calendar year, so unpaid weeks lower them.
Bi-weekly vs semi-monthly
These are easy to mix up. Bi-weekly means every two weeks, which gives 26 paychecks a year (occasionally 27, depending on how paydays fall). Semi-monthly means twice a month, usually on the 15th and the last day, which gives exactly 24. On the same salary, a semi-monthly paycheck is larger, but there are fewer of them.
Comparing job offers
When you compare an hourly contract with a salaried job, put both on the same basis. A contract at $40 an hour with no paid vacation might include four or more unpaid weeks a year; enter those as unpaid weeks to see the real annual figure. Then weigh benefits the salary does not show, such as health insurance, retirement contributions and paid leave. For long-term questions about what that salary can do, try the Retirement Calculator or the Savings Goal Calculator.
Part-time and irregular schedules
For part-time work, set your real hours: 6 hours a day for 4 days, for example. If your hours vary week to week, use an average from recent pay slips, or log a typical week with the Timesheet Calculator first. Overtime is not included here, because it depends on your hours in each specific week.
Results are estimates for information only and are not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert an hourly wage to an annual salary?
Multiply the hourly rate by your paid hours per year. For a 40-hour week and 52 paid weeks that is 2,080 hours, so $25 an hour equals $52,000 a year before tax.
How do I convert an annual salary to an hourly rate?
Divide the salary by your paid hours per year. On a standard 2,080-hour year, a $60,000 salary works out to about $28.85 an hour.
Does this calculator include taxes?
No. Every figure is gross pay before income tax, social security and other deductions, which vary by country, state and personal situation.
What are unpaid weeks?
Weeks in the year when you do not work and are not paid, such as unpaid leave, a gap between contracts or seasonal downtime. Paid vacation is not unpaid time, so leave it out.
Why is my monthly pay not four times my weekly pay?
Because a month is longer than four weeks. A year has 52 weeks but 12 months, so a month averages about 4.33 weeks, and monthly pay is yearly pay divided by 12.