Hourly to Salary: Convert Your Wage to an Annual Figure
Turn any hourly rate into a yearly salary, plus the caveats that change the real number.
- The formula is annual salary = hourly wage × hours per week × weeks per year.
- For a standard full-time job that's hourly × 40 × 52 = hourly × 2,080.
- So $20 an hour is $41,600 a year, and $25 an hour is $52,000 a year, before taxes.
- Your real annual figure changes if you take unpaid time off, work overtime, or have an irregular schedule.
The hourly-to-salary formula
If you're paid by the hour and want to know what that adds up to over a year, the math is straightforward. Multiply your hourly wage by the hours you work each week, then by the number of weeks you work in a year:
For a standard full-time schedule, that's 40 hours a week across all 52 weeks of the year. Multiplying those together gives 2,080 hours, so the shortcut almost everyone uses is:
That single number, 2,080, is the bridge between an hourly rate and a salary. To go the other direction and turn a salary back into an hourly rate, see the complete guide to converting salary to hourly.
Hourly to salary conversion chart
Here's what common hourly wages work out to per week and per year, using a full-time 40-hour week and the 2,080-hour rule. These are gross figures, before any taxes or deductions.
| Hourly wage | Per week (40 hrs) | Per year (full-time) |
|---|---|---|
| $15 | $600 | $31,200 |
| $18 | $720 | $37,440 |
| $20 | $800 | $41,600 |
| $22 | $880 | $45,760 |
| $25 | $1,000 | $52,000 |
| $30 | $1,200 | $62,400 |
| $35 | $1,400 | $72,800 |
| $40 | $1,600 | $83,200 |
| $50 | $2,000 | $104,000 |
| $60 | $2,400 | $124,800 |
| $75 | $3,000 | $156,000 |
| $100 | $4,000 | $208,000 |
Each row follows the same two steps: per week is your wage times 40, and per year is your wage times 2,080. If your hourly rate isn't on the list, you can multiply it yourself or let the calculator below handle it.
Run your own number. The free salary to hourly calculator works both directions, so you can convert any hourly wage to a yearly salary in seconds.
Open the calculatorThe caveats that make this tricky
The 2,080-hour rule gives a clean estimate, but it assumes you're paid for every hour of every week. For a salaried employee that's roughly true, because salaries are spread across the whole year including vacation. For an hourly worker, it often isn't. Three things in particular pull your real annual figure away from the simple estimate.
Unpaid time off
An hourly worker only earns money for hours actually worked. If you take two unpaid weeks off during the year, you work about 50 weeks, not 52. At 40 hours a week that's roughly 2,000 hours, not 2,080. At $25 an hour the difference is real: 2,080 hours gives $52,000, but 2,000 hours gives $50,000. The fix is to use your actual hours instead of the standard 2,080:
Overtime
The simple formula assumes a flat 40-hour week. If you regularly work more than that, your annual pay is higher, and in many jobs overtime hours are paid at a higher rate. The base estimate ignores both effects, so it can understate your earnings if overtime is a routine part of your schedule.
Irregular or part-time schedules
Many hourly jobs don't offer a steady 40 hours. If your hours swing from week to week, or you work part-time, the 2,080 figure overstates your annual pay. Someone working 25 hours a week earns hourly × 25 × 52, which at $20 an hour is $26,000 a year rather than $41,600. Always plug in the hours you actually work, not the full-time default.
Remember this is gross pay
Every number in the chart above is gross pay, meaning before anything is withheld. Your take-home amount is lower after federal and state income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and any retirement or health insurance contributions. Treat the converted salary as your headline figure, not the amount that lands in your bank account.
What you can do with the number
Converting hourly pay to a salary is useful in a few everyday situations. The most common is comparing a salaried job offer to your current hourly pay: turn your hourly wage into an annual figure and you can line it up against the offer directly. It also helps with budgeting, since an annual or monthly figure is easier to plan around than a per-hour rate. And loan and rental applications usually ask for annual income, so knowing your yearly equivalent saves you the guesswork. If you're paid every two weeks and want to check your per-period pay, the bi-weekly paycheck estimator breaks it down for you.
Common questions
How much is $20 an hour per year?
At a full-time 40-hour week across 52 weeks, $20 an hour is $41,600 a year before taxes. That's $20 times 2,080 hours. If you take unpaid time off or work fewer hours, the real figure is lower.
How do I convert hourly pay to a salary?
Multiply your hourly wage by the hours you work each week, then by the weeks you work each year. For a standard full-time job, that's your wage times 2,080. For example, $25 an hour times 2,080 is $52,000 a year.
Does this include overtime?
No. The basic conversion assumes a flat 40-hour week with no overtime. If you regularly work more than 40 hours, or your overtime is paid at a higher rate, your actual annual pay will be higher than the estimate.
Is the converted salary before or after taxes?
It's before taxes. The result is your gross annual pay. Your take-home amount is smaller once income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and other deductions are withheld.
What if I don't work a full 40 hours every week?
Use your real hours instead of the 2,080 default. Multiply your hourly wage by your actual weekly hours and the number of weeks you work. A 25-hour week at $20 an hour is $26,000 a year, not $41,600.
This article is for general education only and is not financial or tax advice. Your actual pay and withholding depend on your employer, hours, location, and personal circumstances.