$80,000 a Year is How Much an Hour?

Knowing your annual salary doesn’t tell you a lot. What you really want to know is how much you make per hour.

In other words, is the job worth your time for $38.46 per hour? It puts things into perspective and helps you decide what you want to do with your life.

So $80000 a year is how much an hour? We show you below. 

Use our salary to hourly calculator to see your exact pay broken down!

$80,000 a Year Is How Much a Month After Taxes?

If you find yourself wondering $80,000 a year is how much a month after taxes, consider this. Your after-tax income is what you bring home, aka the money you have to pay your bills and have fun. This is the most accurate picture of what you earn, but it’s nice knowing the gross amount an employer pays.

Here’s what $80,000 a year looks like after taxes on a monthly basis.

While each state has a different tax rate, we can cover the federal taxes you’d owe. Assuming you’re paid once a month, you’d make $6,667 per month BEFORE taxes. From that amount, you’d pay federal income tax, Social Security tax, and Medicare tax.

In our example, we’ll assume you don’t have any dependents. You’d pay around $1,046 in federal income tax, $413 in Social Security tax, and $97 in Medicare tax. Those numbers would change if you had dependents or you had any pre-tax deductions such as health insurance or 401K contributions. 

$80,000 a Year Is How Much Paid Biweekly?

If your employer pays you biweekly, you receive 26 paychecks per year. How much you receive depends on a few things. Obviously, your tax rate pays a role, but also the benefits your employer offers. Do you get paid vacation time or is it unpaid?

Your bi-weekly paychecks would be $3,077 before taxes and any other common deductions (pre-tax contributions). Bi-weekly paychecks occur every two weeks. Some months you may get two paychecks and some months you’d get three paychecks. 

The same would be true if your employer paid you twice a month on the same days of the month, such as the 15th and the 30th of each month. 

$80,000 a Year Is How Much a Week?

If your employer pays you weekly, you’d receive 52 paychecks per year. Before taxes and any other deductions/contributions, your paycheck would be $1,538 per week. You’d receive four or five paychecks a month, depending on the month as some months have five weeks in them.

$80,000 a Year Is How Much a Day?

Sometimes it’s nice to know how much you get paid per day. $80,000 per year is such an ambiguous number. It doesn’t tell you exactly how much your day is worth. On those tough days when your days drag, it may help to know how much you make per day.

In order to calculate this, you must know how many days you work a year. If you work a standard weekday 9 to 5 job, there are 260 working days in 2023. That means you make around $308 per day.

If you work fewer days, but more hours per day or you work more than five days per week, your amount would differ, but the average person makes $308 per day. 

How Much Is $80,000 a Year per Hour?

If you find yourself wondering how much is $80,000 a year per hour, check this out.

Knowing how much you make per hour even if you get paid a salary is important. When you’re looking for a job, it helps to weigh the pros and cons of the job, including the opportunity cost of taking it based on its hourly rate.

If you work a standard 9 to 5 job on the 260 working days in 2023, you’d make $38.46 per hour. This is the same whether you get paid vacation or not – if you don’t get paid vacation, and you work the two weeks, you’d get paid. If you do get paid vacation, you get paid not to work. 

Check Out This Related Article About Earning $40 an Hour

Now if the company pays you benefits, you may want to consider the financial benefit of them. For example, health insurance is a costly benefit. If your employer covers your insurance 100%, that’s a benefit to add to your hourly rate. The same is true if they offer a 401K match or any other financial benefits. 

Even if you don’t receive the pay in hand – you get benefits in lieu of the money, which could help you decide if the job is the right choice. 

$80,000 per Year Breakdown Table

Here’s a quick breakdown of what 80k a year looks like for the average person.

Tools for Living on 80k a Year

How to Make 80k a Year

Of course, the list is endless, and now that you know the average hourly salary to make $80,000 a year, you can determine which jobs will get you where you want to be.

Today, it’s easier than ever to make $80,000 a year or more if you start a side gig or two. Depending on how busy you want to be, you can add jobs like Uber or Lyft driver, freelance writer, Instacart shopper, or website designer to your repertoire.

If you want something more passive, you can answer surveys on Swagbucks, use cashback sites like Rakuten, or even invest your money. Dividend stocks, ETFs, and even online high-yield savings accounts pay you a little money and every dollar adds up!

If you find yourself looking for jobs that pay 80k a year, and you don’t have a college degree, look at jobs like:

Business Owner

Business owners can make as little or as much income as they want. If you own a profitable business, making $80,000 a year is easy. Of course, you must research which types of businesses are the most profitable. The only downside is that business owners are responsible for income taxes, insurance, and other benefits.

Real Estate Broker

Real estate brokers help buyers and sellers with their property transactions. You may help buyers find their dream homes or sellers get top dollar for their property. Real estate brokers work hard and don’t necessarily work 9 to 5. You’ll likely work many nights and weekends, but the tradeoff is a nice salary.

Sales Consultant

Sales consultants often work on commission, so like a business owner, the sky’s the limit. Of course, the best case scenario is to get paid a salary plus commission, but even if you earn 100% commission, an $80,000 salary isn’t unrealistic.

Air Traffic Controller

Air traffic controllers have a big job controlling airplanes and the traffic on the runways. Air traffic controllers use radar, computers, and other references to control traffic and keep everyone safe. It’s not unheard of for air traffic controllers to make $80,000 within a year or two of working, and they can work their way up to a higher salary too. 

Plumber

Plumbers work hard for their salary and can comfortably earn $80,000 a year. Plumbers don’t have to go to college but must attend trade school and get licensed. It’s a great career to earn a high salary immediately after starting.

Factors That Affect Your Take-Home Pay

Your take-home pay isn’t $80,000 if that’s your salary. Of course, everyone has money taken out of their paycheck, at least for income taxes, but other factors affect your net income too.

Cost of Living

The cost of living continually increases, and some companies compensate for that. If inflation increases too much, your $80,000 salary won’t buy you the same things it did before. 

Companies that offer COLA benefits may offer a one-time payment or a consistent raise to help employees take home what they need.

Taxes

All employees pay taxes, as do employers. If you work for yourself, you’ll pay both sides of the taxes; otherwise, you’re responsible only for the employee side.

Everyone pays federal taxes, but most people will also pay state and local taxes. When looking at federal taxes, you’ll pay income tax and FICA (Social Security and Medicare taxes).

PTO

PTO or paid time off affects your take-home pay too. If you get paid vacation, your paycheck will be the same whether you took time off. If you don’t, you’ll lose the hours you didn’t work and have a smaller paycheck that week.

Insurance

Many employers offer insurance as a benefit. The cost varies based on your family size, the plans offered, and how much your employer covers. Some employers pay the premiums for the employee but not the dependents, and others don’t pay anything.

Additional Ways to Boost Your Annual Salary

$80,000 is a nice salary, but if you want to make more, here are some ways.

Negotiate a Raise

Ask for a raise when you think you deserve it. There’s no reason to hold back if you think you’ve done what’s necessary to get it. The key is to talk to your boss when they have time to listen to you and focus on your reasons.

It’s also a good idea to time your request when the company is doing well, not when they have to cut back or adjust hours.

Practice your speech before talking to your boss so you hit all the key points, demonstrating why you think you deserve a raise, especially if other companies in the area pay more than what you make.

New Job

Sometimes a new job is necessary to make more money, especially if you’ve reached the limit at your current job. Before quitting your current job, do your research. See what other companies pay and their limits so you don’t find yourself in another job with limits and unable to make more than $80,000.

New Career

A new career is always possible, no matter how old or young you are. Consider a new career if you’re bored at your current job or want to make more money. Before jumping in head first, figure out what’s needed. For example, must you return to school or get a certificate in the industry? Do what’s necessary while at your old job to make the transition seamless.

Side Hustles

Side hustles can help you increase your income. You can work them in your free time and add more money to your bank account. Some common side hustles include driving for Uber, delivering food for DoorDash, or shopping for Instacart.

If you want something closer to your skills, consider working as a consultant on the side, doing side work as a plumber or electrician, or starting a freelance gig, such as writing or website design.

Passive Income

Passive income is a great way to keep your money working for you without any work. This can mean investment income, money from writing and selling a book, stock photos, or an online class.

Think about the work you want to put in upfront and how your skills will help you earn passive income. For example, if you have a teachable skill, you can create an online course, create it once, and then sell it as many times as people buy it.

Example Budget for $80,000 a Year

Making $80,000 a year should be enough to support you and possibly a family, but it’s always a good idea to have a budget. So here’s how we like to structure it.

• 50% of your income on fixed and necessary expenses such as housing, transportation, food, clothing, and medical bills
• 20% of your income to savings or debt payoff if you have a lot of high-interest debt
• 20% of your income for ‘fun spending’
• 10% of your income for charitable giving

FAQs

Can I Live Off $80,000 a Year?

It is certainly possible to live off $80,000 a year. You don’t have to be frugal, but we always suggest everyone stay somewhat frugal. Why not save more money rather than spend on material things? You’ll have more money for the future and give your money time to grow with compound earnings.

Can You Make $80,000 a Year Without a Degree?

There are industries you can make $80,000 without a degree, such as plumbing and even an electrician. Business owners also don’t need degrees and can make more than $80,000 annually.

What’s the Total Number of Working Days in 2023?

In 2023, you can work 260 days if you work Monday through Friday. Assuming you work 8-hour days, that’s 2,080 working hours per year.

How Do You Calculate Hourly Rate From Annual Salary? 

Want to know how much you’re worth from salary to hourly? Take your annual salary and divide it by 52 weeks. That gives you the weekly salary you earn. Next, divide that by the hours you work weekly, such as 40 hours, and you have your hourly pay.

Is $80,000 a Year a Good Salary?

If you wonder is $80,000 a year is a good salary, consider this. The minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 an hour. If you make $80,000 a year, you make $38.46 per hour – you make more than 5 times the minimum wage.

Now let’s look at the average weekly salary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the average American makes $865 a week working full-time. That comes out to $44,980 per year. If you’re making $80,000 you are above the average American. Depending on your financial goals, you may or may not consider adding additional streams of income.