What Am I Really Making?
Your salary doesn't tell the whole story. Add your real hours, commute and work costs to see what your time is actually worth.
Your details
Include every hour the job actually costs you — not just the ones on your timesheet.
Include unpaid overtime and after-hours email.
Gas, parking, tolls, lunches, uniforms, childcare premium.
$26.44/hr
Your effective hourly wage
- Wage on paper
- $28.89/hr
- Hourly gap
- $2.45/hr
- You keep
- 91.5%
- After job costs
- $24.98/hr
- Paid work hours per year
- 2,250 hrs
- Commuting hours per year
- 208.33 hrs
- Total committed hours
- 2,458.33 hrs
- Annual
- $65,000.00
- Monthly
- $5,416.67
- Weekly
- $1,300.00
You give this job about 26 extra 8-hour days a year just commuting.
$28.89/hr
On paper
$26.44/hr
In reality
How this calculator works
- 1Annual work hours are your weekly hours multiplied by the weeks you work.
- 2Commute hours add the time you spend travelling for the job: daily commute minutes × work days × weeks.
- 3Effective hourly wage divides your salary by work hours plus commute hours, then optionally subtracts job-related expenses.
Formula
Effective hourly = (Annual salary − Work expenses) ÷ (Annual work hours + Annual commute hours)
Worked example
- A $75,000 salary at 50 hours a week for 50 weeks is 2,500 work hours — $30.00 per hour on paper.
- A 45-minute daily commute over 5 days a week adds 187.5 hours a year.
- Effective wage: $75,000 ÷ 2,687.5 = $27.91 per hour, before $2,000 of parking and work clothing.
What we assume
- Commute time is counted as time the job costs you, even though it isn't paid.
- Only expenses you enter are subtracted; taxes are not included.
- Gross salary is used, so this is a comparison tool rather than a take-home figure.
Frequently asked questions
Why include commute time?
Commuting is unpaid time you spend because of the job. Including it shows why a shorter commute can be worth more than a raise.
Should I count unpaid overtime?
Yes. Enter the hours you actually work, not the hours in your contract. That's usually where the biggest gap appears.
What counts as work expenses?
Parking, transit passes, tools, uniforms, professional dues and extra childcare are common examples.
Results are estimates based on the information you provide and may differ from your actual paycheck. This calculator is for informational and planning purposes and is not tax, payroll, legal, or financial advice.