Salary ↔ Hourly Calculator
See any pay number six ways — hourly, daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly and annual — from either direction.
Comparing a $75,000 salary against a $38/hour contract, or checking what a job posting's hourly rate really adds up to over a year, means converting between pay periods — and it's easy to fumble the math on the spot. This calculator converts in both directions: enter an annual salary to see its hourly equivalent, or an hourly rate to see the annual salary, with daily, weekly, biweekly and monthly figures alongside since paychecks and budgets come in all of those flavors.
The two adjustable assumptions matter more than people expect. Hours per week defaults to 40, but if a salaried role really runs 50, its true hourly rate drops by a fifth — worth computing before comparing it to contract work. Working weeks defaults to 52; set it to 50 for unpaid time off, or lower for seasonal and freelance schedules where unbilled weeks are the norm. All figures are gross (pre-tax) pay. Once you know the monthly number, the mortgage calculator puts it against a housing payment, and the compound interest calculator shows what saving a slice of it becomes.
How to use the Salary to Hourly Calculator
- Pick the direction: salary → hourly, or hourly → salary.
- Enter the pay figure you have.
- Adjust hours per week and working weeks per year to match reality — these change the answer more than you'd think.
- Read the equivalent pay across all six periods.
Frequently asked questions
What's the quick mental shortcut for salary to hourly?
At 40 hours and 52 weeks, divide the salary by 2,080 — or roughly, knock three zeros off and halve it: $80,000 ≈ $40/hour. This calculator does it exactly and handles non-standard hours and weeks.
Is a $40/hour contract better than an $80,000 salary?
On paper they're nearly identical — but salaried roles usually include paid time off, employer-paid benefits and payroll taxes, while contractors cover their own. A common rule: a contract rate needs to be 25–40% higher than the salary-equivalent hourly to break even on benefits.
Why does the biweekly number differ from twice-monthly pay?
Biweekly means 26 paychecks a year (every two weeks); semi-monthly means 24 (twice a month). The per-check amounts differ even though the annual total matches. This calculator shows biweekly; multiply monthly by 12 and divide by 24 for semi-monthly.
Are the results before or after taxes?
Before — gross pay. Take-home depends on federal and state tax brackets, retirement contributions and benefit deductions, which vary too much per person for a single calculator to promise honestly.
How do freelancers use the working-weeks setting?
Set it to the weeks you realistically bill — often 44–48 after holidays, sick time, admin weeks and dry spells. It converts a target annual income into the hourly rate you actually need to charge, which is usually higher than first instinct.