Pay & salary guides
These guides explain US pay math in plain English: how to turn a salary into an hourly rate, how much of your gross pay you keep after federal tax and FICA of 7.65%, and how overtime, raises and state taxes change the number. Every guide opens with a direct answer and links to a free calculator that runs the same math on your own figures.
State Tax Reciprocity Agreements: 2026 Guide
If you commute across a state line, a reciprocity agreement can mean you only pay income tax where you live. The full state-by-state list and how to set up your withholding.
How Many Working Days in a Year? 2026 Count
261 weekdays a year, roughly 250 after federal holidays. How working days are counted and why the number drives prorated pay, PTO and your daily rate.
How to Calculate a Pay Raise: Formulas & Chart
Convert a percentage raise into a new salary (and back), with examples and a note on why your take-home gain is smaller.
What Is a Pro-Rata Salary? How to Calculate It
How a full-time salary scales down to part-time hours — the pro-rata formula, an example, and the benefits catch.
How to Calculate Overtime Pay: 1.5x Formula
The time-and-a-half formula, who qualifies under federal law, and how to turn weekly overtime into a yearly figure.
Take-Home Pay by State: $50k and $100k Compared
How much of a $50k or $100k salary you actually keep in every US state — the full comparison, ranked, using federal, FICA and state tax estimates.
How Many Work Hours in a Year? Full-Time & 2026
2,080 is the textbook number, but holidays and PTO change it. How to count the working hours that actually drive your hourly rate.
Gross vs Net Pay: Difference, Formulas & Examples
Why your paycheck is smaller than your salary — the deductions that turn gross pay into the net amount you actually keep.
Salary vs Hourly Pay: Key Differences, Pros & Cons
Overtime, benefits, stability and flexibility — how to compare a salaried offer against hourly work on equal footing.
How to Calculate Take-Home Pay: 2026 Formula
Gross vs net pay explained: the taxes that come out of every paycheck and how to estimate what actually lands in your account.
How to Convert Salary to Hourly: 2026 Pay Chart
Step-by-step instructions to turn a yearly salary into an accurate hourly wage, plus a quick reference table.
How to Calculate Hourly Rate From Salary: 2026
The exact formula to convert an annual salary into an hourly wage — plus the work-hours assumptions that quietly change your number.
Frequently asked questions
What do these pay guides cover?
They explain how to convert salary to hourly pay, how to calculate take-home pay after tax, overtime, pay raises, pro-rata pay and how take-home pay differs by state.
Are the guides US-specific?
Yes. The tax, FICA and overtime rules described follow current US federal rules, with state-level differences called out where they matter.