The 2,080-hour rule
A full-time year is 40 hours × 52 weeks = 2,080 hours. Divide any salary by 2,080 for its standard hourly equivalent: $50,000 is $24.04 an hour, $60,000 is $28.85, $75,000 is $36.06, $100,000 is $48.08. Salaried jobs with paid vacation and holidays pay you for all 2,080 hours whether or not you work every one of them, which is why the full 52 weeks is the right default.
After taxes, the number drops. A $60,000 salary is about $24.23 an hour after 2026 federal income tax and FICA for a single filer in a no-income-tax state, and about $23.36 in California. That after-tax hourly figure is the honest one for comparing against hourly offers, side gigs or the cost of outsourcing something you could do yourself.
Your real hourly rate depends on real hours
If a salaried role actually takes 50 hours a week, the same $60,000 is $23.08 an hour, not $28.85 — a 20% cut that never appears in the offer letter. Exempt salaried employees aren't paid overtime, so every hour past 40 lowers the effective rate. Enter the hours the job truly demands; the calculator notes the gap from the standard 40-hour figure.
The reverse also matters: a salary with three weeks of paid vacation and ten paid holidays is worth more per hour worked than the same salary with less leave. When comparing two salaried offers, divide each by the hours you'd actually work, and add the value of benefits before dividing.
Comparing salary to hourly offers
To put an hourly offer on equal footing, convert it to a salary with realistic assumptions — paid weeks, likely overtime at 1.5×, unpaid leave — then compare total compensation including benefits. Hourly roles earn overtime and price every extra hour; salaried roles typically carry more paid leave, more stable income and richer benefits. Our hourly vs. salary guide walks through a full side-by-side, and the hourly-to-salary calculator handles the reverse conversion.
Salary to hourly
Hourly = salary ÷ (hours per week × paid weeks per year)
- Standard full time: salary ÷ 2,080
- After-tax hourly = take-home ÷ hours
- Weekly = salary ÷ paid weeks
Common mistakes this calculator helps you avoid
- ✕Dividing by 2,080 when the job demands 50+ hours. Use real hours to see your real rate.
- ✕Comparing a salary to an hourly wage without adding benefits. Health premiums, match and paid leave are often worth 20–30% of salary.
- ✕Ignoring taxes when pricing your time. Your after-tax hourly rate is what an hour of your time actually buys.
- ✕Forgetting unpaid weeks. If vacation is unpaid, use fewer paid weeks per year.
- ✕Assuming all salaried roles are exempt from overtime. Exemption depends on duties and salary thresholds.
Key terms
- 2,080 hours
- 40 hours × 52 weeks — the standard full-time year used to convert salary to hourly.
- Exempt
- Salaried employees not entitled to overtime because they meet both a salary threshold and duties tests.
- Effective hourly rate
- Pay divided by hours actually worked — lower than the standard rate when weeks run long.
- Total compensation
- Salary plus the value of benefits: employer health premiums, retirement match, paid leave and bonuses.
Frequently asked questions
+How much is $60,000 a year per hour?
$28.85 an hour at 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. After 2026 federal taxes and FICA for a single filer with no state tax, about $24.23 an hour.
+How much is $100,000 a year hourly?
$48.08 an hour on a standard 2,080-hour year. At 50 hours a week it's $38.46 an hour.
+How many work hours are in a year?
2,080 for a standard 40-hour, 52-week schedule. Subtracting typical paid holidays and vacation, actual worked hours are closer to 1,900–2,000, but paid hours stay at 2,080.
+Should I use 2,080 or 2,000 hours?
Use 2,080 to convert pay (you're paid for holidays and vacation). Use your actual worked hours to judge what your time is worth — that's the more honest number for comparing offers.
+Is a salary or hourly job better?
Neither universally. Hourly wins when overtime is steady; salary wins on paid leave, benefits and income stability. Convert both to annual take-home under realistic hours to compare.