Salary Calculator

How Salary Conversion Works

Converting between pay periods is simple arithmetic, but most people get it slightly wrong. The anchor number is your annual gross pay. From there: divide by 52 for weekly, by 26 for biweekly, by 12 for monthly. To get the hourly rate, divide the annual figure by your total working hours for the year — typically 2,080 hours (40 hours × 52 weeks).

Your "true" hourly rate is higher than you think

The standard conversion assumes you work every one of those 2,080 hours. But with 15 paid days off, you actually work 1,960 hours. That means a $75,000 salary is not $36.06/hour — it is $38.27/hour of actual work time. When comparing a job with 10 PTO days against one with 25, this adjustment can flip which offer is actually better.

Comparing job offers the right way

• Normalize everything to annual gross first — an hourly offer of $40/hour at 40 hrs/week is $83,200/year.
• Adjust for PTO using the true-hourly-rate method above.
• Price the benefits: health insurance premiums, 401(k) match, and bonuses are part of total compensation. A 4% 401(k) match on $75,000 is $3,000 of real money.
• Watch the hours: a $90,000 salary that expects 55-hour weeks pays less per hour than $75,000 at 40 hours.

Salary conversion FAQ

How many work hours are in a year? The standard full-time figure is 2,080 (40 × 52). The federal government uses 2,087 to account for the extra day in most years.

Does overtime change the math? Yes — this converter assumes straight time only. If you regularly work overtime at 1.5×, your effective annual pay is higher. Try our overtime pay calculator for that part.

Should I compare gross or take-home? Compare gross first (it is what employers quote), then run the finalists through a paycheck calculator to see the take-home difference — state taxes can move the ranking.

Disclaimer: figures are gross estimates for comparison purposes only and do not account for taxes, deductions, or benefits.