True Hourly Wage Calculator

See what you are really earning per hour after taxes, commute time, unpaid breaks, and work-related expenses. The gap between posted pay and take-home time-adjusted pay can be eye-opening.

Gross annual payEffective tax rate (%)Hours worked per weekWeeks worked per yearCommute (round-trip minutes/day)Unpaid time on-site (min/day)Annual work expenses (tools, meals, etc)

True hourly (all time + costs)

$27.95

Net after tax & expenses ÷ total hours sacrificed

Net hourly (paid hours only)

$29.25

After tax, before extra time & costs

Gross annual pay: $75,000
Net annual after tax: $58,500
Net after work expenses: $57,300
Paid work hours per year: 2,000
Commute hours per year: 25
Unpaid on-site hours per year: 25
Total hours sacrificed: 2,050

True hourly = (gross pay × (1 − tax rate) − work expenses) ÷ (paid hours + commute time + unpaid on-site time). This is an estimate. Actual take-home depends on filing status, deductions, benefits, and local taxes.

How the true hourly rate is calculated

Start with gross pay, apply an effective tax rate to approximate net income, then subtract any annual work-related expenses you pay out of pocket (tools, uniforms, parking, lunches, phone, etc).

Next, count the real time the job consumes. In addition to the hours you are paid for, add your daily round-trip commute and any unpaid time you spend on-site (early arrival, security lines, lunch you cannot leave, etc). The calculator annualizes these based on how many days you work.

Divide the net dollars left by the total hours you actually give up. The result is a much more honest picture of what the job pays per hour of your life.