A salary and an hourly rate only convert cleanly once you know the actual number of hours behind the salary, and that number is rarely the generic "2,080 hours a year" (40 × 52) that quick mental math assumes. This calculator works in both directions and lets you set your real weekly hours and weeks worked, since unpaid time off changes the answer more than most people expect.
How it works
Going from salary to hourly: divide the annual salary by total hours worked per year (hours per week × weeks worked per year).
Going from hourly to salary: multiply the hourly rate by the same total hours worked per year.
The "weeks worked per year" field is the one most people get wrong. If your salary already covers paid holidays and vacation, use 52. If you have unpaid time off, common for hourly contractors, use the number of weeks you actually work and get paid for, since dividing the same pay over fewer working weeks raises the effective hourly rate for the hours you're actually on the clock.
A worked example
A $60,000 salary at 40 hours a week and 50 paid weeks a year works out to $30.00/hour, $1,200/week, $5,000/month, and $240/day. Flip it around: a $30/hour rate at the same schedule returns exactly $60,000/year. The calculator works identically in both directions.
Questions people ask
Is $25 an hour a good salary?
At a standard 40-hour week and 50 paid weeks a year, $25/hour works out to $50,000/year before tax. Enter 25 in "hourly rate" mode above to see the exact figure for your own hours and weeks.
What does $75,000 a year come out to per hour?
At 40 hours a week and 50 weeks a year, $75,000/year is about $37.50/hour. Adjust the weeks-per-year field if you take significant unpaid time off: fewer paid weeks means the same salary reflects a higher effective hourly rate for the hours you do work.
Should I use 52 weeks or fewer?
Use 52 if your salary already accounts for paid holidays and vacation (true for most full-time salaried roles). Use a lower number only if you have unpaid leave: for example, an hourly contractor who doesn't get paid time off might use 48–50 to reflect weeks actually worked.
Why is my calculated hourly rate different from my old "salary ÷ 2,080" estimate?
2,080 hours assumes exactly 40 hours a week for all 52 weeks with no time off subtracted. If you actually work more or fewer hours per week, or your effective working weeks differ from 52, your real hourly rate will differ from that generic shortcut, which is exactly what this calculator corrects for.
Does this account for taxes?
No. All figures here are gross (pre-tax) pay in both directions. For freelance or contract work where you're responsible for self-employment tax, see the Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator, which builds tax and business expenses into the rate.