Hourly Wage Calculator: Know What You Really Earn Per Hour
Whether you're comparing job offers, budgeting as a freelancer, or checking if a salary is fair, converting salary to an hourly rate is essential. Our free hourly wage calculator takes your annual, monthly, or weekly pay and divides it by your actual work hours—including custom hours per week and weeks per year—so you see your true hourly rate, not a rough guess.
Why Use an Hourly Wage Calculator?
Salaries are often quoted as annual or monthly amounts, which can make it hard to compare with hourly jobs or to understand the value of your time. Converting to an hourly rate helps you:
- Compare job offers: One role might offer $55,000/year and another $28/hour. Our calculator shows you the equivalent so you can compare apples to apples.
- Budget and side gigs: If you know your hourly rate, you can decide whether a side project or freelance rate is worth your time.
- Negotiate: Understanding your current hourly equivalent gives you a clear baseline when asking for a raise or evaluating a new offer.
- Part-time and freelance: When you work variable hours, converting to hourly clarifies what you're really earning.
The 2,080-Hour Standard: How the US Defines a Work Year
In the United States, a common benchmark for full-time work is 2,080 hours per year: 40 hours per week × 52 weeks. Many employers and HR tools use this when converting between salary and hourly pay. Our calculator uses this as the default, but you can change both "Hours per week" and "Weeks per year" to match your situation.
- Full-time, no unpaid time off: 40 × 52 = 2,080 hours.
- Full-time with 2 weeks unpaid vacation: 40 × 50 = 2,000 hours—your true hourly rate is higher than salary ÷ 2,080.
- Part-time 30 hours/week: 30 × 52 = 1,560 hours.
- Contractor with 46 weeks of work: 40 × 46 = 1,840 hours.
Adjusting for real hours worked gives you an honest "effective" hourly rate, which is especially important if you work more than 40 hours per week without overtime.
Salary vs. Hourly: When Each Matters
In the US, employees are typically classified as exempt (salaried) or non-exempt (hourly). Exempt employees are paid a fixed salary and are not entitled to overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Non-exempt employees are paid by the hour and must receive overtime (e.g., 1.5×) for hours over 40 per week.
- Salaried roles: Your "hourly" rate is for comparison only—you don't get paid more for extra hours. Use our calculator to see the equivalent hourly value of your salary.
- Hourly roles: Your paycheck is based on hours × rate. To compare with a salary offer, multiply your hourly rate by 2,080 (or your actual annual hours).
For take-home pay after taxes, use our US Paycheck Calculator for federal and state tax estimates.
Overtime and Effective Hourly Rate
If you are salaried and regularly work more than 40 hours per week, your effective hourly rate is lower than salary ÷ 2,080. For example, a $52,000 salary over 2,080 hours is $25/hour—but if you actually work 50 hours per week (2,600 hours per year), your effective rate is $20/hour. Our calculator lets you set "Hours per week" and "Weeks per year" so you can see the true rate based on real hours worked.
If you are non-exempt and earn overtime, your actual pay is higher than base hourly × hours. For exact take-home pay including overtime and taxes, use the Paycheck Calculator with the hourly option.
Quick Reference: Annual Salary to Hourly (40 hrs/week, 52 weeks)
Below is a quick reference for common US salaries converted to an hourly rate using 2,080 hours per year (40 × 52). Use our calculator for custom hours and weeks.
| Annual Salary | Hourly Rate (2,080 hrs) |
|---|---|
| $30,000 | ~$14.42/hr |
| $40,000 | ~$19.23/hr |
| $50,000 | ~$24.04/hr |
| $60,000 | ~$28.85/hr |
| $75,000 | ~$36.06/hr |
| $100,000 | ~$48.08/hr |
| $120,000 | ~$57.69/hr |
How We Calculate: The Formula
Our calculator uses:
- Annual pay: If you enter monthly pay, we multiply by 12. If you enter weekly pay, we multiply by your "Weeks per year" (default 52).
- Total hours per year: Hours per week × Weeks per year (e.g., 40 × 52 = 2,080).
- Hourly rate: Annual pay ÷ Total hours per year.
Example: $52,000/year, 40 hrs/week, 52 weeks → $52,000 ÷ 2,080 = $25.00/hour. For more tools, see our US Salary & Paycheck hub.