A salary converter restates the same pay at every interval: hourly, daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly and yearly. The core rule is simple: annual pay equals the hourly rate × hours per week × 52, so $25 an hour at 40 hours a week is $52,000 a year, and a $50,000 salary is $24.04 an hour.
Our free salary converter does every conversion at once from a single number. This guide gives you the formulas, a full worked example, and a method for comparing job offers that are quoted in different ways.
Salary conversion formulas
The easiest method is to convert any amount to a yearly figure first, then divide it into the interval you want. These are the formulas our converter uses:
| To get | From a yearly salary | To a yearly salary |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly | Yearly ÷ 52 ÷ hours per week | Hourly × hours per week × 52 |
| Daily | Yearly ÷ 52 ÷ days per week | Daily × days per week × 52 |
| Weekly | Yearly ÷ 52 | Weekly × 52 |
| Biweekly | Yearly ÷ 26 | Biweekly × 26 |
| Monthly | Yearly ÷ 12 | Monthly × 12 |
Worked example: $50,000 a year, 40 hours over 5 days
- Weekly: 50,000 ÷ 52 = $961.54.
- Hourly: 961.54 ÷ 40 = $24.04.
- Daily: 961.54 ÷ 5 = $192.31.
- Biweekly: 50,000 ÷ 26 = $1,923.08.
- Monthly: 50,000 ÷ 12 = $4,166.67.
Quick mental shortcuts
- A full-time year at 40 hours a week is 2,080 hours (40 × 52). Multiply an hourly rate by 2,080 to get the annual figure: $20 an hour is $41,600 a year.
- For a rough estimate, double the hourly rate and read it in thousands: $30 an hour is about $60,000 a year (exactly $62,400).
- A month is about 4.33 weeks (52 ÷ 12), not 4. Multiplying weekly pay by 4 understates monthly income by about 8%.
How to compare job offers with different pay structures
Offers are often quoted in different units, and a straight comparison can mislead. Convert both to the same basis and use the hours you will actually work.
Take two offers. Offer A pays $28 an hour for 37.5 hours a week, which is $54,600 a year. Offer B is a $55,000 salary. On paper B pays $400 more. But if B regularly needs 45 hours a week, its effective rate is $23.50 an hour, while at 37.5 hours it would be $28.21. The salary that looks higher can pay less for each hour of your time.
Pay is only part of the offer. Before deciding, also weigh:
- Paid time off. The converter assumes you are paid for all 52 weeks. An hourly job with two unpaid weeks off pays for 50: $25 an hour × 40 hours × 50 weeks is $50,000, not $52,000.
- Overtime. Hourly roles may pay extra for long weeks, while many salaried roles do not.
- Benefits. Health cover, retirement contributions and bonuses can be worth thousands a year.
- Commuting time and cost. These lower your real hourly rate.
How to use the salary converter
- Open the salary converter.
- Enter the Amount you are paid. The math works in any currency.
- Choose what the amount is Per: Hour, Day, Week, Bi-Week, Month or Year.
- Set Hours/Week (default 40) and Days/Week (default 5) to match the job.
- Read the Conversion panel. It shows the same pay as hourly, daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly and yearly figures, with the interval you entered highlighted.
Change the hours to see how overtime or a shorter week changes your hourly rate. The figures update as you type.
Tips and common mistakes
- Gross is not take-home pay. The converter shows pay before tax and deductions, which vary widely by country and situation. Use it to compare offers on the same basis, then estimate net pay separately.
- Biweekly is not twice a month. Biweekly pay comes every two weeks, 26 times a year. Semimonthly pay comes twice a month, 24 times a year, so each semimonthly check is larger.
- Measure raises as a percentage. Going from $52,000 to $55,000 is a 5.77% raise. The percentage calculator works this out from any two figures.
- Adjust for inflation. A raise below inflation is a pay cut in real terms. Read how inflation affects your money and check past salaries with the inflation calculator.
- Budget from monthly figures. Rent and loan payments are monthly, so compare them with monthly income. Our guide to calculating loan payments helps you see what fits.
The converter gives estimates based on a standard 52-week year, not payroll or tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert an hourly wage to an annual salary?
Multiply the hourly rate by the hours you work each week, then by 52. At 40 hours a week, $25 an hour is $25 × 40 × 52 = $52,000 a year.
How much is $20 an hour per year?
At 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, $20 an hour is $41,600 a year before tax. That is $3,466.67 a month or $1,600 every two weeks.
How much per hour is $60,000 a year?
Divide $60,000 by 2,080 hours (40 hours × 52 weeks) to get $28.85 an hour. At 50 hours a week the effective rate drops to $23.08 an hour.
How many working hours are in a year?
A full-time schedule of 40 hours a week for 52 weeks is 2,080 hours. Paid holidays and vacation are included in that figure for salaried workers, but unpaid time off reduces it.
Is biweekly pay the same as semimonthly pay?
No. Biweekly means every two weeks, giving 26 paychecks a year. Semimonthly means twice a month, giving 24 paychecks a year, so each one is slightly larger for the same salary.
How do I convert an annual salary to a monthly salary?
Divide the annual salary by 12. A $50,000 salary is $4,166.67 a month before tax.