How the Calculations Work

Rather than writing a different formula for every possible conversion, ConvertMyPay normalises every input to a gross annual amount first. From that one figure, each target period is derived directly. This keeps the numbers internally consistent: a weekly figure always divides the annual figure by the weeks worked, and a monthly figure always divides it by twelve, so no two periods can drift apart. It also means changing a single assumption updates every result at once.

Step 1 — Annualise your pay

First, your input is converted to a gross annual amount. The formula depends on the period you entered:

Hourly:                  annualPay = amount × hoursPerDay × daysPerWeek × weeksPerYear
Daily:                   annualPay = amount × daysPerWeek × weeksPerYear
Weekly:                  annualPay = amount × weeksPerYear
Every 2 weeks (biweekly): annualPay = amount × weeksPerYear ÷ 2
Monthly:                 annualPay = amount × 12
Annual:                  annualPay = amount

Step 2 — Derive every period

From that annual figure, every other period is calculated directly:

hourlyPay   = annualPay ÷ (hoursPerDay × daysPerWeek × weeksPerYear)
dailyPay    = annualPay ÷ (daysPerWeek × weeksPerYear)
weeklyPay   = annualPay ÷ weeksPerYear
biweeklyPay = annualPay ÷ (weeksPerYear ÷ 2)
monthlyPay  = annualPay ÷ 12
annualPay   = annualPay

Three values shape every result: hours per day, days per week and weeks per year. ConvertMyPay applies sensible defaults that match a typical full-time salaried role, but you can change all three to fit your situation.

Hours per day (default 8)

Hours per day sets how many paid hours make up a working day, so an hourly rate can be turned into a daily figure. The default is 8 hours, which reflects a standard full-time working day. If you work longer shifts, set this to your actual paid hours per day.

Days per week (default 5)

Days per week sets the number of working days in a week, used to move between daily, weekly and annual amounts. The default is 5 days, matching a standard Monday-to-Friday pattern. Compressed or shift rotas can use a different value.

Weeks per year (default 52)

Weeks per year sets how many weeks you are paid for. The default is 52 weeks, because salaried employees are generally paid across the full year, including paid holiday. If you are a contractor or take unpaid time off, reduce this to reflect the weeks you actually get paid — for example 48 weeks to allow for four weeks of unpaid holiday, or 46 for gaps between engagements.

Salaried employees

If you are paid a fixed annual salary, leave weeks per year at 52 and your results will spread that salary across the whole year, which is how salaried pay is usually quoted. The Day Rate to Salary and Salary to Hourly calculators both use this approach, and the Pro-Rata Salary calculator handles reduced working days for the same annual salary.

Contractors and the self-employed

Contractors often take unpaid time off between contracts or for holidays, so reducing weeks per year gives a more realistic annual figure from a day rate. The Contractor Day Rate vs Salary calculator compares a day rate directly with a permanent salary using the same annualised method.

Part-time, shift and seasonal workers

Part-time workers can lower hours per day or days per week to match their actual pattern; the Part-Time Salary calculator does this for you. Shift and seasonal workers can adjust all three assumptions to reflect rotas or the number of paid weeks in a season. If you are comparing an old and new salary, the Pay Rise calculator applies the same method to both.

These two examples are the same ones the converter uses, shown step by step so you can verify the maths yourself.

Example 1 — hourly rate to salary

Example 2 — annual salary to hourly

All results are gross-pay estimates. They show how an entered amount converts across periods and say nothing about what you take home. ConvertMyPay does not deduct income tax, National Insurance, student loans, pensions or any other deduction, and it does not apply country-specific rules. For take-home figures, use a dedicated net-pay or tax calculator.

The currency selector changes only the symbol and number formatting (for example £, $, €, C$ or A$). It never applies exchange rates or converts between currencies, so the figures stay comparable and evergreen no matter which currency symbol you choose.

Everything runs instantly in your browser. For common questions, see the FAQ, or try the universal pay converter.