How to Convert a Salary to an Hourly Rate (and Back)
The simple formula to convert an annual salary to an hourly wage, why 2,080 hours is the standard year, and how to handle part-time and seasonal work.
Comparing a salaried offer to an hourly one, or budgeting from a salary, is easier once you can convert between the two. The math is straightforward.
The formula
Hourly rate = annual salary ÷ (hours per week × weeks per year). For a standard full-time job that's 40 × 52 = 2,080 hours. So a $60,000 salary is $60,000 ÷ 2,080 ≈ $28.85 per hour. To go the other way, multiply: $25/hr × 2,080 = $52,000 a year.
Why 2,080 hours
2,080 is the standard full-time work year (40 hours × 52 weeks) and is what most employers and the federal government use. If you take unpaid weeks off, use fewer weeks; if you work part-time, lower the hours per week. Our converter lets you change both.
Pay periods
From the annual figure: biweekly = ÷ 26, semi-monthly = ÷ 24, monthly = ÷ 12, weekly = ÷ 52. Remember these are gross amounts; taxes and deductions come out on top.