$30,000 a year: full pay breakdown
A standard full-time year has 40 × 52 = 2,080 paid hours. Your hourly rate is calculated as $30,000 ÷ 2,080 = $14.42.
| Pay period | Gross pay |
|---|---|
| Hour | $14.42 |
| 8-hour workday | $115.38 |
| Week | $576.92 |
| Every two weeks (26 paychecks) | $1,153.85 |
| Twice a month (24 paychecks) | $1,250.00 |
| Month | $2,500.00 |
| Year | $30,000 |
Quick mental math
Divide the salary by 2,000 — or simply halve the number of thousands — for a fast estimate: $30,000 ÷ 2,000 ≈ $15.00 an hour. The exact figure at 2,080 hours is slightly lower, $14.42.
Your real hourly rate if you work longer weeks
Salaried employees are often paid the same amount no matter how many hours they work. If your job regularly runs past 40 hours, your effective hourly pay falls:
| Hours per week | Effective hourly rate |
|---|---|
| 35 hours | $16.48 |
| 37.5 hours | $15.38 |
| 40 hours | $14.42 |
| 45 hours | $12.82 |
| 50 hours | $11.54 |
| 55 hours | $10.49 |
Counting paid time off
Your salary also pays you for vacation and public holidays. With 10 vacation days and 11 holidays — a common US full-time package — you work about 1,912 hours a year, so each hour actually worked earns about $15.69. Use this number when comparing a salaried offer with an hourly job that has no paid time off.
What about take-home pay?
These are gross figures. Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state and local taxes and benefit deductions reduce what reaches your bank account. Estimate your US federal take-home pay →