Salary to Hourly Calculator
Turn a salary into an hourly rate, or an hourly rate into a salary, and see whether it clears California's minimum wage and the overtime-exempt salary floor.
Hourly rate = annual salary ÷ (hours per week × weeks per year). At a standard 2,080-hour year, $52,000 is $25.00 an hour. In California, full-time work at the $16.90 state minimum wage pays $35,152 a year, and a salaried job must pay at least $70,304 a year (about $33.80 an hour) to be exempt from overtime.
Enter your pay, how it's quoted, and the hours and weeks you work.
Salary to Hourly Calculator
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How this is calculated
Annual pay = hourly × hours per week × weeks per year, weekly × weeks, every-two-weeks pay × (weeks ÷ 2), twice-a-month pay × 24, or monthly × 12. Hourly rate = annual pay ÷ (hours per week × weeks per year). All figures are gross pay before taxes; see your take-home with the California paycheck calculator.
The California checks
| Benchmark | Hourly | Full-time year (2,080 hours) |
|---|---|---|
| State minimum wage, 2026 | $16.90 | $35,152 |
| Exempt salary threshold, 2026 (2 × minimum wage) | $33.80 | $70,304 |
| State minimum wage from Jan 1, 2027 | $17.40 | $36,192 |
| Exempt salary threshold from Jan 1, 2027 | $34.80 | $72,384 |
Cities with their own minimum wage set a higher floor; pick your city to check against it, or see the minimum wage by city. The exempt test uses the state threshold only. Salary alone doesn't make a job exempt: the employee must also spend more than half their time on exempt duties. Some jobs, such as computer professionals, have their own thresholds; see the exempt salary threshold calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert a salary to an hourly rate?
Divide your annual salary by the hours you work in a year. At 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, that's 2,080 hours, so $52,000 a year is $25.00 an hour. A quick shortcut: halve the salary and drop the thousands ($52,000 is about $26 an hour, slightly high).
What is minimum wage as a yearly salary in California?
At the state minimum of $16.90 an hour, full-time work (2,080 hours) pays $35,152 a year. Many cities have a higher local minimum wage.
What salary makes you exempt from overtime in California?
To be exempt as an executive, administrative or professional employee, you must earn at least twice the state minimum wage for full-time work: $70,304 a year in 2026, about $33.80 an hour at 40 hours a week. You must also mainly do exempt duties. Below that salary, overtime is owed no matter your title. It rises to $72,384 on January 1, 2027.
Is my effective hourly rate lower if I work more than 40 hours?
Yes. A salary spread over 50 hours a week works out to a lower hourly rate than the same salary at 40. If you're non-exempt, though, the hours over 8 a day or 40 a week must be paid at time and a half, so you're owed more than this flat conversion shows.
Should I count paid holidays and vacation?
If your salary includes paid time off, keep 52 weeks: you're paid for all of them. If you're a contractor or hourly worker who isn't paid for time off, enter the weeks you actually work, such as 50, to see the true annual figure.
This tool provides an educational estimate only and is not legal or tax advice. Whether a job is exempt depends on its duties as well as its salary; ask the Labor Commissioner's Office or an employment attorney about your situation.