How the conversion works
A full-time US work year is 40 hours × 52 weeks = 2,080 hours. To turn a salary into an hourly rate, divide it by 2,080: $60,000 ÷ 2,080 = $28.85 an hour. To go the other way, multiply the hourly wage by 2,080: $25 an hour is $52,000 a year.
A quick shortcut: double the hourly rate and add three zeros for a rough annual salary. $30 an hour is about $60,000 a year (exactly $62,400).
Common salaries as hourly pay
At 40 hours a week and 52 paid weeks:
- $30,000 a year: $14.42 an hour
- $40,000 a year: $19.23 an hour
- $50,000 a year: $24.04 an hour
- $60,000 a year: $28.85 an hour
- $75,000 a year: $36.06 an hour
- $80,000 a year: $38.46 an hour
- $100,000 a year: $48.08 an hour
- $120,000 a year: $57.69 an hour
Bi-weekly vs semi-monthly paychecks
Bi-weekly means every two weeks: 26 paychecks a year, sometimes 27 when the calendar lines up. Semi-monthly means twice a month, usually on the 15th and the last day: 24 paychecks a year. On a $60,000 salary, a bi-weekly check is $2,307.69 and a semi-monthly one is $2,500, before taxes.
If you're paid bi-weekly, two months a year have three paydays. Budgeting on two checks a month leaves those extra checks free for savings.
Hourly vs salaried: what else to compare
- Overtime: under the Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt workers earn 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a week. Many salaried roles are exempt.
- Paid time off: a salaried job with 3 weeks of vacation pays for 52 weeks; an hourly job without PTO pays only for the weeks you work. Set paid weeks to 49 to compare.
- Benefits: health insurance, retirement matching and bonuses can be worth 20% to 30% on top of base pay.
- The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, or $15,080 a year full time. Many states and cities set a higher minimum.