How to Convert Salary to Hourly Pay (and Hourly to Salary)

Job adverts mix hourly rates, monthly figures and yearly salaries, which makes them hard to compare. The conversion comes down to one number: how many hours you work in a year.

Hours in a working year

A full-time week is usually 40 hours, and a year has 52 weeks. 40 × 52 = 2,080 hours. For a 37.5-hour week it is 1,950 hours.

Salary to hourly

Hourly rate = yearly salary ÷ (hours per week × 52)

60,000 a year at 40 hours a week: 60,000 ÷ 2,080 ≈ 28.85 an hour.

Hourly to salary

Yearly salary = hourly rate × hours per week × 52

18 an hour at 40 hours a week: 18 × 40 × 52 = 37,440 a year, which is 3,120 a month. At 25 hours a week, the same rate gives 23,400 a year.

Paychecks: every two weeks or twice a month?

Being paid every two weeks gives two months a year with three paydays, which many people use for savings or extra bills.

A quick mental shortcut

For a 40-hour week, double the hourly rate and add three zeros to get a rough yearly salary: 20 an hour is about 40,000 a year. Going the other way, halve the salary and drop the thousands. The shortcut assumes 2,000 hours a year instead of 2,080, so it is about 4% off: the real salary is a little higher (41,600 for 20 an hour) and the real hourly rate a little lower.

Tip These are gross figures before tax. When comparing jobs, also compare paid leave, overtime and benefits, which change what an hour of work is really worth.

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Common questions