When applying for jobs, you may have noticed that the pay can be described in two ways.
The first way is simple: an hourly rate. This tells you exactlyhow much you’ll earn for every hour that you work. But many jobs give you a yearly salary instead. And at first glance, this can be difficult to understand the hourly rate.
So, let’s figure it out: $45,000 a year is how much an hour?
Starting with…
How Many Working Hours are in a Year?
The first thing to consider is how many hours the job requires you to work. Generally speaking, most full-time roles expect a commitment of 40 hours per week. That works out to around2,000 hours every year, allowing for two weeks of vacation time.
And how about part-time work?
Part-time employees average roughly 20-29 hours of work a week. That makes up anything from 1000-1450 hours per year with those two weeks of vacation. However, this can vary drastically depending on the position, the employer, and the age of the employee.
Why does age matter?
Most states have strict laws prohibiting children from working if they’re under a certain age. They also prevent minors from working in some industries. If you’d like to know more about these rules and regulations, check out theU.S. Department of Labor website.
How Much an Hour is $45,000 a Year?
To be honest, it’s pretty simple to work out. Simply take that $45,000 and divide it by 50 weeks. Divide that number by 40 hours, and you get$22.50 an hour.
What about part-time employees?
Again, that depends on how many hours the member of staff works. But you can figure it out the same way. For example, if you’re working 20 hours a week, divide $45,000 by 50 weeks, then that number by 20 hours to get$45 per hour.
Is that a good wage?
Well, what role are you performing? Some jobs earn more than others. Highly skilled or specialist workers will usually earn more money than those in unskilled positions.
Theaverage hourly earnings across the US is $10.97 an hour. So $22.50 per hour is fairly decent! And working only 20 hours a week as a part-time employee? Well, $45 per hour is certainly nothing to sniff at.
To find out more information on the average rate of pay, check outthis helpful site.
$75,000 is How Much an Hour without Vacation Time?
So, you’re a workaholic, are you? Don’t want to take that vacation time?
Not so fast – working without taking time off doesn’t mean you’ll make more money. If you’re planning to work 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, then the hourly rate goes down.
$45,000 divided by 52 weeks is 865.4. Divide that by 40 hours, and it gives you$21.60 an hour.
So, take that vacation!
If you’re employed on an hourly contract, then the more you work, the more you’ll earn. But it doesn’t work like that if you get a yearly salary. So, might as well take those vacation days for a well-deserved rest!
And remember…
The salary or hourly rate your employer offers does not reflect your actual take-home pay. There are other factors to consider here. Insurance, taxes, and social security are all covered by your wage.
And don’t forgetnational holidayswhen you may be unable to work due to businesses being closed.
How Many Working Hours are There in This Year?
Working days are Monday to Friday; it does not include weekend days. That means, in the current year, there are 260 working days.
The average full-time employee works eight hours a day. So, 260 days multiplied by 8 hours gives us 2080 possible working hours this year. But this figure, of course, does not include any overtime or weekend work you may perform.
Breakdown based on hours worked a week
Hours per week – Hourly rate – Yearly salary
- 35.0 $25.70 $45,000
- 35.5 $25.35 $45,000
- 36.0 $25.00 $45,000
- 36.5 $24.65 $45,000
- 37.0 $24.30 $45,000
- 37.5 $24.00 $45,000
- 38.0 $23.70 $45,000
- 38.5 $23.40 $45,000
- 39.0 $23.05 $45,000
- 39.5 $22.80 $45,000
- 40.0 $22.50 $45,000
So, as you can see, salaried employees don’t make extra money for working more hours a week. That just affects how much they get paid per hour. The higher the number of hours, the lower the hourly rate.
However…
This doesn’t apply to those who have no set annual salary. These workers on hourly pay earn more for every hour they work. So, the only limit here is set by the amount of work their employer offers.
How Much an Hour is $45,000 with Paid Holidays?
Unfortunately, no law in America requires businesses to give staff any paid holidays at all. Having said that, most places do offer some. And workers in The USA get, on average, eight paid holidays every year.
Here’s a breakdown of how that affects hourly wage
Number of holidays – Number of working days – Hourly wage
- 5 255 $22.05
- 6 254 $22.15
- 7 253 $22.25
- 8 252 $22.30
- 9 251 $22.40
- 10 250 $22.50
- 11 249 $22.60
- 12 248 $22.70
- 13 247 $22.75
- 14 246 $22.85
$45,000 is How Much a Month?
There’s an easy way to figure this out. Simply divide that $45,000 by the 12 months of the year. That gives you a salary of$3750 a month.
But remember…
Days are not divided equally between the months. Some have 30 days, others have 31, with February having either 28 or 29 in a leap year. Many employers hand out paychecks twice a month or even every four weeks. Therefore, in some months, you’ll take home one check, but in others, you may take home two or even three.
Now that you know roughly, $45,000 a year is how much an hour…
Do You Want More Accurate Estimates?
We can help! Starting with getting on top of what you’re really working with. And we mean take-home pay, not the gross salary written in the job ad. First, take a look atAnnual Net Income: Definition and How to Calculate. We can also help you calculate your finances from multiple perspectives, likeHow Do I Convert Salary to Hourly to Calculate a Part-TimeandRate,How to Calculate Holiday Pay.
Or perhaps you’re going to be interviewing soon…
And wish to learn more aboutHow to Answer Desired Salaryquestions, such as the dreaded,What are Your Salary Expectationsor, even worse,What Is Your Current Salary?
Then, if you can see that you really need to be earning more than $45,000 per annum to cover your expenses, but the job is right for you, how about considering a side gig? So, find out exactlyWhat Is A Gig EconomyorWhat Are Freelance Jobs, and are their benefits still worth it in 2023?
Foodie?
Then, why not investigateHow To Become a Food Criticin your spare time? Love writing but never thought about generating an income from it? Then, why not look intoHow to Become a Writer?
You’d be surprised how much a little side hustle can add to your bank balance over time, even if it has a relatively low rate of pay. And, yes, we can answer you on that, too. For example,$13 an Hour is How Much a Year? Or simply search our site with your exact questions!
Ok, back to…
Final Thoughts
If you’re ever in doubt about the hourly rate of pay at a job, there’s an easy solution. First, look at the annual salary. Then, divide that salary by the number of weeks worked a year. Finally, divide that amount by the number of hours worked every week.
And there you have it!
Just don’t forget to take those other factors into account. Everyone has to pay taxes! So, the hourly rate will not be the same as the pay you take home at the end of the day.
But overall, this is a relatively reasonable salary and well above the average US minimum wage. So if the job is right, why not grab it?
Good luck!
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