How it works
To convert a salary to an hourly rate, divide it by the hours you work in a year. A full-time schedule of 40 hours for 52 weeks is 2,080 hours, so a $60,000 salary is about $28.85 an hour.
A quick rule of thumb: double the hourly wage and add three zeros to approximate the annual salary ($25/hour ≈ $50,000/year).
If you take unpaid time off, reduce the paid weeks. For salaried roles with paid vacation, keep 52 weeks.
Formula
Hourly = salary ÷ (hours per week × paid weeks per year); salary = hourly × hours per week × weeks
Questions people ask
How many work hours are in a year?
A 40-hour week for 52 weeks is 2,080 hours. Some employers use 2,080 even though holidays are paid but not worked.
What is the difference between biweekly and semimonthly pay?
Biweekly is every two weeks, 26 paychecks a year. Semimonthly is twice a month, 24 paychecks. Biweekly checks are slightly smaller but there are two extra each year.
Should I compare a salary offer to an hourly job this way?
It is a good start, but also compare overtime eligibility, benefits, paid time off and retirement matching, which can be worth 20–30% of pay.