Salary Calculator
The Salary Calculator converts salary amounts to their corresponding values based on payment frequency. Examples of payment frequencies include biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly payments. Results include unadjusted figures and adjusted figures that account for vacation days and holidays per year.
Salary Calculator
Convert between different salary payment frequencies
What is a Salary Calculator?
A salary calculator is a tool that converts salary amounts between different payment frequencies, such as hourly, daily, weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly, and annual rates. This makes it easier to compare job offers, understand your earnings across different time periods, or calculate your effective hourly rate.
Our calculator provides both unadjusted figures based on 52 weeks per year, as well as adjusted figures that account for holidays and vacation days, giving you a more accurate picture of your actual working time compensation.
How Salary Calculations Work
Salary conversions are based on the relationships between different time periods. The most fundamental calculation is converting between hourly and annual salaries:
Converting Hourly Rate to Annual Salary
Converting Annual Salary to Hourly Rate
Other payment frequencies, such as weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, and monthly are calculated based on these formulas and the appropriate division of the annual amount. The adjusted calculations take into account holidays and vacation days to provide a more accurate picture of your real working time compensation.
Common Payment Frequencies
Weekly (52 payments per year)
Employees receive pay once a week, typically on Friday, resulting in 52 paychecks per year.
Bi-weekly (26 payments per year)
Employees receive pay every two weeks, resulting in 26 paychecks per year. In some months, this results in three payments.
Semi-monthly (24 payments per year)
Employees receive pay twice a month, typically on the 15th and last day of the month, resulting in 24 paychecks per year.
Monthly (12 payments per year)
Employees receive pay once a month, typically at the end of the month, resulting in 12 paychecks per year.
Adjusted vs. Unadjusted Calculations
Most salary calculators only provide unadjusted calculations, which assume working every weekday of the year. Our calculator goes further by providing adjusted calculations that take into account holidays and vacation days. The formula for the adjusted annual salary is:
The adjusted calculations provide a more accurate picture of your effective earning rate, accounting for the fact that you get paid holidays and vacation days despite not working on those days. This is particularly important when comparing offers with different vacation and holiday benefits.
How to Use the Salary Calculator
- Enter your salary amount in the input field.
- Select the payment frequency of the amount you entered (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly).
- Enter your working hours per week and working days per week.
- Enter the number of paid holidays and vacation days per year.
- Click the Calculate button to see the converted salary amounts for different payment frequencies.
The results will show both unadjusted figures (assuming working every weekday) and adjusted figures (accounting for holidays and vacation). You can also download the results as a CSV file for later reference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between bi-weekly and semi-monthly pay?
Bi-weekly pay occurs every two weeks (26 payments per year), while semi-monthly pay occurs twice a month (24 payments per year). Bi-weekly payments are always on the same day of the week, while semi-monthly payments are on specific dates of the month, typically the 15th and last day.
Why are the adjusted and unadjusted amounts different?
The unadjusted amount assumes you work every weekday of the year (260 days), while the adjusted amount accounts for holidays and vacation days. Since you get paid for holidays and vacation days despite not working, the effective rate for actual working days is higher.
How do I calculate my hourly rate from an annual salary?
Divide the annual salary by the number of working hours in a year. For a standard 40-hour work week, that's 40 hours × 52 weeks = 2,080 hours. For example, a $50,000 annual salary would equate to approximately $24.04 per hour ($50,000 ÷ 2,080).
Are taxes included in these calculations?
No, these calculations represent gross pay before any deductions for taxes, retirement contributions, health insurance, or other withholdings. Your net (take-home) pay will be lower depending on your tax situation and other deductions.