Salary Calculator — convert pay across periods

How it works

Every conversion routes through the annual figure. Whatever frequency you enter, the calculator multiplies up to a yearly total, then divides by the standard number of periods: 12 months, 26 biweekly paychecks (52 weeks ÷ 2), 24 semimonthly (twice a month), 52 weeks, and 2,080 hours for a full-time year (40 hours × 52 weeks). The one subtlety is biweekly versus semimonthly — they sound alike but aren't: 26 biweekly paychecks are slightly smaller than 24 semimonthly ones for the same salary, because there are two extra of them. The hourly figure assumes standard full-time hours; if your schedule differs, the hourly-to-salary calculator lets you set the hours and weeks yourself.

Worked example

A $75,000 annual salary converts to $6,250 a month ($75,000 ÷ 12), $2,884.62 every two weeks ($75,000 ÷ 26), $1,442.31 a week ($75,000 ÷ 52), and about $36.06 an hour ($75,000 ÷ 2,080). The relationship OPM publishes for federal pay holds here too: the biweekly rate equals the hourly rate times 80 hours, since 2,080 ÷ 26 = 80. Enter $25 an hour instead and it annualizes to $52,000 — this calculator's own arithmetic on the standard periods.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert my salary to hourly?

Divide the annual salary by 2,080 — the full-time hours in a year (40 hours × 52 weeks). $75,000 ÷ 2,080 is about $36.06 an hour. If you work more or fewer hours, divide by your actual annual hours instead; the hourly-to-salary calculator does that from your schedule.

What's the difference between biweekly and semimonthly?

Biweekly is every two weeks — 26 paychecks a year, always on the same weekday. Semimonthly is twice a month — 24 paychecks, on fixed dates like the 15th and last day. Biweekly paychecks are smaller (the salary is split 26 ways instead of 24) but two of the year's months bring a third biweekly check.

Why is 2,080 hours used for a full-time year?

It's 40 hours a week times 52 weeks. It's the common private-sector convention. The federal government uses 2,087 hours instead — an average that accounts for leap years over a 28-year cycle — so a federal hourly rate is computed slightly differently. This page uses the 2,080-hour standard.

Does this account for taxes?

No — every figure here is gross pay, before taxes and deductions. Your take-home paycheck is smaller after income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and any benefits. Use the income-tax calculator for the tax side; this one converts the gross salary across frequencies.

My biweekly pay doesn't match — why?

Two reasons are common: a year with 27 biweekly paychecks instead of 26 (it happens about every 11 years, next in 2031), which makes each check slightly smaller, or pre-tax deductions taken per paycheck. This page uses the standard 26 periods on gross pay.

Can I enter my weekly or monthly pay instead?

Yes — pick any frequency as the input, and the calculator annualizes it and converts to all the others. Enter $1,442.31 a week or $6,250 a month and you'll get back the same $75,000 a year. The frequency you choose is just the starting point.

How accurate is this, and what does it exclude?

The arithmetic is exact for the pay and frequency entered, using standard period counts and 2,080 full-time hours. It excludes taxes and deductions (all figures are gross), overtime, unpaid time off, and the occasional 27-paycheck biweekly year. For a non-standard schedule, set the hours in the hourly-to-salary calculator.