Job ads quote salaries; rent, bills and side gigs get thought of by the hour. Converting between the two takes one division, as long as you know which hours you are dividing by.
The short version
- $60,000 a year ÷ 2,080 hours = $28.85 an hour (40 hours × 52 weeks).
- Quick estimate: halve the salary and drop three zeros. $60,000 → about $30 an hour.
- Fewer paid weeks or hours means a higher hourly rate for the same salary.
- These are gross figures, before taxes and deductions.
The formula
Hourly rate = annual salary ÷ (hours per week × weeks per year). A standard full-time year is 40 × 52 = 2,080 hours, so: 60,000 ÷ 2,080 = 28.846, which rounds to $28.85.
The halve-it shortcut works because 2,080 is close to 2,000. Half of 60 is 30, so about $30 an hour; the exact answer is a little lower.
Common salaries converted
| Salary | Hourly (2,080 h) | Monthly | Biweekly (26 pay periods) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $14.42 | $2,500.00 | $1,153.85 |
| $40,000 | $19.23 | $3,333.33 | $1,538.46 |
| $50,000 | $24.04 | $4,166.67 | $1,923.08 |
| $55,000 | $26.44 | $4,583.33 | $2,115.38 |
| $60,000 | $28.85 | $5,000.00 | $2,307.69 |
| $65,000 | $31.25 | $5,416.67 | $2,500.00 |
| $70,000 | $33.65 | $5,833.33 | $2,692.31 |
| $75,000 | $36.06 | $6,250.00 | $2,884.62 |
| $84,000 | $40.38 | $7,000.00 | $3,230.77 |
| $100,000 | $48.08 | $8,333.33 | $3,846.15 |
| $120,000 | $57.69 | $10,000.00 | $4,615.38 |
Every salary from $20,000 to $250,000 has its own page on our salary to hourly hub, including weekly and daily pay.
What changes the hourly figure
Unpaid time off
If you’re paid for 50 weeks instead of 52, divide by 2,000 hours: $60,000 ÷ 2,000 = $30.00 an hour. Most salaried jobs include paid holidays and vacation, so 2,080 is the usual basis.
Longer or shorter weeks
A salaried job that really takes 50 hours a week works out to less per hour: $60,000 ÷ (50 × 52) = $23.08. A 35-hour week gives $60,000 ÷ 1,820 = $32.97.
Example: comparing offers
Elena is weighing two offers in Atlanta: a $60,000 salaried job that usually runs 45 hours a week, and an hourly job at $27 with paid overtime. The salary works out to $60,000 ÷ (45 × 52) = $25.64 per hour actually worked. The hourly job at 45 hours pays 40 × $27 + 5 × $40.50 = $1,282.50 a week, or $66,690 a year. On pay alone, the hourly job wins; benefits and schedule matter too.
Part-time and hourly to salary
Going the other way, multiply: hourly rate × hours per week × 52. $28.85 × 40 × 52 = $60,008, which rounds back to about $60,000. Part-time at 25 hours a week, the same rate is $37,505 a year. See hourly to salary conversions for a full table.
Gross vs. take-home
All the figures here are gross pay. Federal and state income tax, Social Security, Medicare, health insurance and retirement contributions come out before you see the money, so your take-home pay will be lower. How much lower depends on your state, filing status and benefits. Your pay stub shows exactly what is withheld.
Our salary to hourly calculator lets you change hours and paid weeks to match your job.
Salary vs. hourly: what else to compare
- Overtime. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, covered non-exempt workers get at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Many salaried employees are classified as exempt and don’t get overtime, so long weeks lower their effective hourly pay.
- Benefits. Health insurance, retirement matching and paid time off can be worth thousands of dollars a year and often differ between salaried and hourly roles.
- Predictability. A salary pays the same each period; hourly pay moves with the hours you get.
Daily and weekly figures
At $60,000 a year: $1,153.85 a week (÷ 52) and $230.77 a day for a five-day week. Those numbers are useful for comparing a salary with a daily contract rate or freelance work.
Mistakes to avoid
- Dividing by 2,000 hours when you are paid for 52 weeks. It overstates your hourly rate by about 4%.
- Comparing a salary to an hourly job without counting paid holidays and vacation.
- Using gross pay when budgeting. Budget from your take-home pay on a recent pay stub.
