Find out your real hourly rate
Do you know your real hourly wage? Our Hourly Wage Calculator shows what you actually earn per working hour. Whether for salary negotiations, comparing job offers, or deciding between part-time and full-time – your hourly rate is the key metric.
Hourly Wage = Monthly Salary / (Weekly Hours × 4.33)
Why 4.33? A year has 52 weeks ÷ 12 months = 4.33 weeks per month
Example: $4,000/month at 40-hour week
→ 4,000 / (40 × 4.33) = 4,000 / 173.2 = $23.09/hour
Annual Salary: $4,000 × 12 = $48,000 gross
Annual Work Hours: 40 × 52 = 2,080 hours
Federal Minimum Wage: $7.25/hour (many states higher)
US Median: ~$28/hour ($58,000/year)
Software/IT: $40-80/hour
Engineering: $35-60/hour
Healthcare: $25-50/hour
Retail/Service: $12-20/hour
The calculator shows gross hourly wage since net depends on individual factors like tax filing status, state, and deductions. Rule of thumb: Net is roughly 70-80% of gross for most workers (varies by income bracket and location).
If you regularly work unpaid overtime, your effective hourly rate drops! Example: At 40 contracted + 10 unpaid overtime hours, you actually work 50 hours – your real hourly wage is 20% lower than calculated.
Freelancers must charge significantly higher rates since they cover self-employment tax, health insurance, PTO, sick days, and business expenses themselves. Rule of thumb: Freelance rate ≈ 2-2.5x employee hourly wage.
Always calculate the hourly rate! A $60,000 job at 50 hours/week ($23.08/hr) can be worse than $50,000 at 35 hours ($27.47/hr). Also consider: commute time, remote work options, benefits, PTO days, 401k match.
Pro Tip: Your true hourly wage should also factor in unpaid overtime, commuting, and work preparation time. Add these hours to know your "real" hourly rate!
A month has an average of 4.33 weeks. This is the standard value used by HR departments (52 weeks / 12 months).