How to convert an hourly wage into an annual salary
Hourly workers often need an annual figure — to compare a job offer with a salaried role, apply for a loan or rental, or simply plan a budget. This calculator turns your hourly wage and working pattern into a yearly gross income and breaks it down into every common pay period.
The core formula is simple:
Annual base pay = hourly wage × regular hours per week × paid weeks per year
Regular hours per week are your hours per day multiplied by days per week. Paid weeks are the weeks you work in a year minus any unpaid weeks off. Overtime and any additional income are then added on top to give total annual earnings.
Worked example
Key terms
- Gross pay — what you earn before taxes, insurance, and retirement contributions are taken out.
- Paid weeks — the weeks you are actually paid for. Paid holidays and paid vacation count; unpaid leave does not.
- Overtime multiplier — the factor applied to your wage for overtime hours. 1.5× ("time and a half") is common, and some employers pay 2× on holidays.
- Semimonthly vs biweekly — semimonthly is twice a month (24 paychecks a year); biweekly is every two weeks (26 paychecks).
Quick rules of thumb
At 40 hours a week and 52 paid weeks, a year has 2,080 paid hours. Double your hourly wage and add three zeros for a rough annual figure: $25 an hour ≈ $50,000 (exactly $52,000). For the reverse calculation, use the salary to hourly calculator. If you want to see a monthly number front and centre, try the hourly to monthly calculator.
Remember that your real income may vary with shift changes, unpaid sick days and seasonal hours. Treat these results as an estimate to plan with, not a guarantee.