Pay guides

How the numbers behind each calculator work.

• How to Convert Hourly Pay to a Yearly Salary
  The 2,080-hour rule, when to use 2,087, and how part-time hours, unpaid weeks and overtime change the result.
• Your Real Hourly Rate on a Salary
  Why a salary divided by 2,080 overstates your pay when you work longer weeks, and how to find the true figure.
• Biweekly vs. Semimonthly Pay: 26 or 24 Paychecks
  How paying every two weeks differs from paying twice a month, why some months have three paychecks, and how to budget for each.
• How Overtime Pay Works: Time and a Half Explained
  Who gets overtime under federal law, how the 40-hour workweek is counted, daily overtime in some states, and how to calculate it.
• Gross vs. Net Pay: What Comes Out of a Paycheck
  The deductions between your gross pay and what reaches your bank account: FICA, income tax, benefits and retirement.
• How to Calculate a Raise Percentage
  Turn a raise into dollars or a new salary into a percentage, and check whether it keeps up with inflation.
• How to Set a Freelance Hourly Rate
  Why freelance rates are higher than employee hourly pay, and a step-by-step method to find your minimum rate.
• Is My Hourly Wage Good? How to Compare Your Pay
  Compare your pay with U.S. median and average wages, your occupation and your area, using official Bureau of Labor Statistics data.