Salary to hourly calculator
What your salary works out at per hour — before tax and after it, and what unpaid overtime is really costing you.
Your real hourly rate
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| Contractual hourly equivalent salary ÷ 52 weeks ÷ contracted hours — how payroll usually states it | — |
|---|---|
| Pay per hour actually worked paid leave is not worked, so the rate per working hour is higher | — |
| Per hour worked, including unpaid extra hours | — |
| After tax and NI, per hour | — |
| Per working day | — |
| Unpaid overtime is worth | — |
| Working days a year | — |
Figures reviewed: July 2026, for the 2026/27 tax year. Thresholds change every April — if you are reading this later, check gov.uk/income-tax-rates.
Why the usual answer is wrong
There are two honest answers, and they answer different questions. Salary ÷ 52 ÷ contracted hours is the contractual hourly equivalent — it is how employers and payroll usually express an hourly rate, and it spreads your pay across paid holiday as well as working time. Salary ÷ the hours you actually work gives the pay per hour worked, which is higher, because paid leave is paid but not worked. That second figure is the one to use when comparing a salaried job with contract or freelance work quoted per day.
Watch the bank holidays. The UK statutory minimum is 5.6 weeks — 28 days for a five-day week — and many employers count the eight bank holidays inside that 28. Subtracting them again would count them twice. The calculator asks which applies to you: 28 days including bank holidays leaves 232 working days; 28 days plus bank holidays leaves 224.
The number that changes decisions
Add the hours you actually work beyond contract. Five unpaid hours a week on a £35,000 salary at 37.5 contracted hours is roughly 224 extra hours a year — about £4,000 of work, and it drops the real rate by more than a tenth. That is usually the figure worth knowing before a pay review, and it is the one nobody calculates.
Comparing with contract rates
A day rate has no holiday pay, no employer pension contribution, no sick pay and no notice period. A rough rule is that a contract day rate needs to be about 25–30% above the salaried equivalent before it is comparable, and more if you would be paying for your own insurance and accounting.
Common questions
How do I convert my salary to an hourly rate?
For the contractual equivalent, divide by 52 weeks and your contracted weekly hours. For the pay per hour you actually work, take 260 weekdays, subtract your paid leave (and bank holidays only if they are on top of it), multiply by your daily hours, and divide the salary by that.
Should I divide by 52 weeks?
Dividing by 52 gives the contractual hourly equivalent, which is a fair figure for a payslip. It understates the pay per hour you actually work, because paid holiday is paid but not worked.
What is £35,000 a year per hour?
On 37.5 contracted hours the contractual equivalent is £17.95 an hour. With 28 days of leave that include bank holidays, you work 232 days, so the pay per hour worked is about £20.11; with five unpaid extra hours a week it falls to about £17.75.
How much more should a contract day rate be?
Typically 25–30% above the salaried equivalent to cover the absence of holiday pay, sick pay, pension contributions and notice, and more if you are paying for insurance and accounting yourself.
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