How this hourly to salary calculator works
Pay can be quoted in many ways — by the hour, the week, the month or the year — but they all describe the same total income. This calculator converts between them so you can compare offers on equal terms. Whatever you enter, it first works out your annual gross salary, then derives every other figure from that one number so the breakdown is always internally consistent.
The core formula is simple: annual = hourly × hours per week × weeks per year. From the annual figure, the weekly amount is annual ÷ 52, biweekly is annual ÷ 26, semi-monthly is annual ÷ 24, and monthly is annual ÷ 12. To convert a salary back to an hourly rate, divide the annual amount by the total work hours in a year (hours per week × weeks per year).
Reference note: a standard full-time year is 40 × 52 = 2,080 work hours. All amounts are gross pay; your take-home pay after income tax, Social Security, Medicare and other withholdings will be lower and varies by location and filing status.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I convert hourly to salary?
- Multiply your hourly rate by the hours you work each week, then by the weeks you work per year — for a standard job, hourly × 40 × 52. The result is your annual gross salary before taxes.
- $20 an hour is how much a year?
- At 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, $20 an hour is $41,600 a year in gross pay — about $800 per week, $1,600 biweekly and roughly $3,467 per month before taxes.
- Is this before or after tax?
- All figures are gross pay, before income tax, Social Security, Medicare, insurance and other deductions. Your net take-home pay will be lower and depends on your location and withholdings.
- How many work hours are in a year?
- A standard full-time year is 40 hours per week × 52 weeks = 2,080 hours. Take two unpaid weeks off and you have 50 weeks, or 2,000 hours. Adjust the inputs to match your schedule.
- How do I convert salary to hourly?
- Divide your annual salary by the work hours in a year: salary ÷ (40 × 52) = salary ÷ 2,080 for a standard schedule. For example, $52,000 ÷ 2,080 = $25 an hour.
- What is the difference between biweekly and semi-monthly pay?
- Biweekly is every two weeks — 26 paychecks a year (annual ÷ 26). Semi-monthly is twice a month — 24 paychecks a year (annual ÷ 24). Semi-monthly checks are a little larger, but biweekly years have two three-paycheck months.