How the conversion works
Annual pay equals the hourly wage times the hours you're paid for in a year. A full-time schedule of 40 hours a week for 52 weeks is 2,080 hours, which is why a quick rule of thumb is "hourly wage × 2,000 ≈ salary".
Weeks matter as much as hours. If you're hourly and take unpaid time off, your yearly total is lower than the 52-week figure — set the unpaid weeks to see the difference.
Pay periods, explained
Biweekly means every two weeks — 26 paychecks a year, so two months a year have three paydays. Semi-monthly means twice a month — 24 paychecks, usually on fixed dates like the 15th and the last day. A biweekly check is slightly smaller than a semi-monthly one for the same salary.
When comparing a salaried offer with an hourly one, remember that salaried roles may not pay overtime, while US hourly (non-exempt) workers must generally be paid 1.5 times their rate for hours over 40 in a week.
The formulas
Annual = hourly × hours per week × paid weeks per yearHourly = annual ÷ (hours per week × paid weeks per year)Example
- $28 an hour, 40 hours a week, 52 paid weeks.
- 28 × 40 × 52 = $58,240 a year.
- That's $4,853.33 a month, $2,240 biweekly and $1,120 a week before taxes.
Frequently asked questions
How many work hours are in a year?
A standard full-time year is 2,080 hours (40 × 52). Subtract holidays and vacation if they're unpaid.
Is $X an hour a good salary?
It depends on location and household size. Compare against local living costs and median wages for your occupation from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Does this include taxes?
No — all figures are gross pay. Take-home pay depends on your federal and state taxes, Social Security and Medicare, and any deductions like retirement contributions or health insurance.
Sources
Last reviewed for 2026. How we calculate.