Two ways in, one number out
If you are salaried, divide the yearly figure by 52. If you are hourly, multiply your rate by the hours you actually work. A 40-hour week at 25 dollars an hour is 1,000 dollars, the same weekly gross as a 52,000 dollar salary. Both are gross pay, before anything is withheld.
Gross to take-home: what comes out
Take-home pay is gross minus deductions. The unavoidable ones are federal income tax and FICA (Social Security 6.2% plus Medicare 1.45%); most states add income tax, and pre-tax health or 401(k) contributions come out too.
- FICA is flat. 7.65% of gross for most workers, split as 6.2% Social Security and 1.45% Medicare, up to the annual wage cap.
- Income tax varies. Federal withholding depends on your W-4; nine states have no income tax at all, so the same salary takes home more there.
- Pre-tax deductions lower the tax. A 401(k) or HSA contribution is subtracted before income tax is figured, so it costs you less than its face value.
Weekly gross by salary and by hourly rate
| Annual salary | Weekly gross | Equivalent rate (40 hrs) |
|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $576.92 | $14.42/hr |
| $40,000 | $769.23 | $19.23/hr |
| $52,000 | $1,000.00 | $25.00/hr |
| $60,000 | $1,153.85 | $28.85/hr |
| $75,000 | $1,442.31 | $36.06/hr |
| $100,000 | $1,923.08 | $48.08/hr |
Hourly workers over 40 hours in a week earn overtime at 1.5× the base rate under federal law, so 45 hours at $25 is $1,187.50, not $1,125.
Common questions
How do I work out weekly pay from an annual salary?
Divide the annual salary by 52. A 52,000 dollar salary is 1,000 dollars a week gross. That is before any tax or deductions.
Is this my gross pay or my take-home pay?
The salary-divided-by-52 figure is gross. Your actual deposit is smaller once federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state tax and things like health insurance and retirement come out. Expect to keep roughly 70 to 85 percent of gross, depending on your state and income.
Why do two weekly checks not equal one biweekly check?
A biweekly schedule pays 26 times a year, not 27, and tax is withheld per pay period rather than per week. Calendar quirks occasionally push a year to 27 biweekly checks, which nudges the per-check amount.
