Free salary to hourly calculator

Know what any salary really pays per hour. Whether you are comparing a job offer to your freelance rates, negotiating a raise, or just curious what your time is actually worth, this calculator converts annual salary to hourly equivalent in seconds.

Enter a salary and working hours. See the hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly breakdown. Adjust for vacation time and holidays to get the real number, not the theoretical one.

The math is simple but often forgotten. A $75,000 salary sounds great until you realize you are working 60-hour weeks and only taking one week off. This calculator shows you the difference.

Convert Salary to Hourly Rate

Enter annual salary and work schedule

Annual Salary ($)

Hours Per Week

Vacation Weeks

Paid Holidays

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The salary to hourly conversion formula

Converting salary to hourly rate is straightforward math, but the accuracy depends on your assumptions about working hours.

The basic formula

Hourly rate = Annual salary ÷ (Hours per week × Weeks worked per year)

The standard assumption is 40 hours per week for 52 weeks = 2,080 hours per year. Using this:

$50,000 salary = $24.04/hour
$75,000 salary = $36.06/hour
$100,000 salary = $48.08/hour

Why 2,080 hours is wrong for most people

Almost no one works exactly 2,080 hours. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American works about 1,800 hours per year after accounting for:

Vacation: Average 10-15 paid days (80-120 hours)
Holidays: Average 7-10 paid holidays (56-80 hours)
Sick days: Average 5-7 days used (40-56 hours)
Unpaid overtime: Many salaried workers put in 45-50+ hours without extra pay

A $75,000 salary with 3 weeks vacation, 10 holidays, and 5 sick days across 45-hour weeks works out to $36.76/hour, not $36.06. If you are comparing to freelance rates, use your actual working pattern.

Comparing salary to freelance rates

A common question: "I make $X as an employee. What should I charge as a freelancer?" The answer is not straightforward because salaries and freelance rates cover different things.

What a salary includes (that freelancers pay themselves)

Benefit	Typical employer cost	Percentage of salary
Health insurance	$6,584/year (individual)	~8-10%
Employer payroll taxes	7.65% of salary (FICA)	7.65%
Retirement match	3-6% of salary	3-6%
Paid time off	15+ days	~6%
Equipment & software	$2,000-5,000/year	~3-5%

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation for health insurance, SHRM for benefits data.

The multiplier rule

A common guideline is to multiply your salary-equivalent hourly rate by 1.5-2x to get a sustainable freelance rate. This accounts for:

Self-employment tax (15.3%)
Benefits you now pay yourself
Non-billable time (admin, marketing, sales)
Unpaid vacation and sick time
Business expenses

A $75,000 salary ($36/hour) suggests a freelance rate of $54-72/hour to maintain equivalent take-home and benefits.

Average hourly rates by profession (2024)

These figures are based on median salaries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics, converted to hourly using 2,080 hours/year.

Profession	Median salary	Hourly equivalent
Software developer	$127,260	$61.18
Graphic designer	$57,990	$27.88
Marketing manager	$140,040	$67.33
Accountant	$79,880	$38.40
Writer	$73,690	$35.43
Web developer	$80,730	$38.81
UX designer	$99,510	$47.84
Project manager	$98,580	$47.39

Note: These are employee rates. Freelancers in these fields typically charge 1.5-2x these amounts to account for benefits, taxes, and overhead.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert salary to hourly?

Divide annual salary by total work hours per year. For a standard 40-hour week, 52-week year: Salary ÷ 2,080 = hourly rate. For more accuracy, subtract vacation and holidays: Salary ÷ (40 × weeks actually worked) = hourly rate.

What is $50,000 a year in hourly pay?

At 2,080 hours per year (40 hours × 52 weeks), $50,000 equals $24.04 per hour. With 2 weeks vacation and 10 holidays, it is closer to $26.04 per hour for actual hours worked.

What is $75,000 a year in hourly pay?

At 2,080 hours per year, $75,000 equals $36.06 per hour. Adjusted for typical PTO (3 weeks vacation, 10 holidays, 5 sick days), the effective rate is approximately $39.06 per hour.

What is $100,000 a year in hourly pay?

At 2,080 hours per year, $100,000 equals $48.08 per hour. If you work 45-hour weeks without overtime pay, the effective rate drops to $42.74 per hour (100,000 ÷ 2,340 hours).

How many work hours are in a year?

The standard assumption is 2,080 hours (40 hours × 52 weeks). In practice, after vacation, holidays, and sick time, most full-time employees work 1,800-1,950 hours. Some exempt employees work more hours without additional pay.

Should I include benefits when comparing salary to freelance rates?

Yes. Employer-provided benefits typically add 25-40% to your total compensation. Health insurance alone can be $6,500+/year. When freelancing, you pay these costs yourself, so your rate needs to cover them.

How do I compare a job offer to my current freelance income?

Calculate your freelance hourly rate (annual income ÷ billable hours). Then calculate the job offer's effective hourly rate (salary ÷ expected hours). Add 25-40% to the salary to account for benefits. If the adjusted job rate is higher, the offer may be better financially. But also consider non-monetary factors like flexibility, growth, and work-life balance.

What is the difference between exempt and non-exempt employees?

Non-exempt employees receive overtime pay (1.5x) for hours over 40/week. Exempt employees (typically salaried) receive the same pay regardless of hours worked. This is why salaried positions with long hours have lower effective hourly rates than they appear.

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