Math Playground
Money

Wages & salary

Hourly, salaried, overtime — and how to compare offers fairly.

Pay structures vary.

Try this
40
pay = $18/hr, with 1.5× overtime above 40 hr =

Gross vs net pay

Gross pay is what you earn before deductions. Net pay (take-home) is what lands in your account after tax, insurance and retirement contributions — often 20-35% less.

Try it

45 hours at $18/hr with 1.5× overtime above 40

Regular: 40 × 18 = $720. Overtime: 5 × 27 = $135. Total = $855.

Your turn

You earn $52,000 a year. Roughly what is that per month before tax?

Common types

  • Hourly — pay × hours worked.
  • Salary — fixed amount per month/year.
  • Commission — percentage of sales.
  • Overtime — usually 1.5× hourly above 40 hr/week.