Comparing a salary to an hourly rate only works when both sit on the same basis. This converter takes pay in any period — hour, day, week, month or year — and shows every other period at once, using your real hours and paid weeks.
The 2,080-hour year
Full-time work at 40 hours across 52 weeks is 2,080 hours, the assumption behind every quick conversion. $60,000 a year is 60,000 ÷ 2,080 = $28.85 an hour; $25 an hour is 25 × 2,080 = $52,000 a year. Change either input and the math follows — a 37.5-hour European contract makes the same salary worth more per hour.
Where hourly-vs-salary comparisons go wrong
The headline rate hides three things. Unpaid time off: a contractor billing $50/hour who takes four unpaid weeks earns $96,000, not the naive $104,000 — model it by lowering paid weeks. Overtime: hourly roles usually earn 1.5× beyond 40 hours; salaried roles usually don't. Benefits: employer health cover, retirement matching and paid leave are invisible in the rate but real money. Convert first, then weigh those.
Everything is gross
All figures here are before tax. Take-home pay depends on jurisdiction, filing status, and deductions — numbers that change yearly and vary by state and country, which is exactly why this tool stays honest and stops at gross. Planning what to do with the paycheck? The 50/30/20 budget calculator splits take-home into needs, wants and savings, and the work hours calculator totals your timesheet.
For information only; gross pay, excludes tax and deductions.