That is the full-time figure: 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, 2080 hours — the same basis the Bureau of Labor Statistics uses when it converts hourly rates to annual ones. Gross, before tax and deductions.
| Period | Gross pay |
|---|---|
| Hourly (40 hrs/week) | $27.00 |
| Daily (8 hrs) | $216.00 |
| Weekly | $1,080 |
| Biweekly (every 2 weeks) | $2,160 |
| Semi-monthly (twice a month) | $2,340 |
| Monthly | $4,680 |
| Annual | $56,160 |
Part-time and shift work rarely lands on exactly forty. At $27 an hour:
| Hours per week | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 40 hrs | $56,160 | $4,680 |
| 35 hrs | $49,140 | $4,095 |
| 30 hrs | $42,120 | $3,510 |
| 25 hrs | $35,100 | $2,925 |
| 20 hrs | $28,080 | $2,340 |
These are the occupations whose national median sits within a dollar of $27 an hour. Median means half the people in that occupation earn more, half less — so this is the middle of the profession, not its entry rate or its ceiling.
| Occupation | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | $27.41 | $57,020 | 206,170 |
| Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | $26.72 | $55,570 | 156,280 |
| Automotive Body and Related Repairers | $26.39 | $54,890 | 149,310 |
| Roofers | $26.65 | $55,440 | 135,490 |
| Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other | $27.28 | $56,730 | 107,730 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers | $26.90 | $55,940 | 81,480 |
| Tax Preparers | $26.40 | $54,920 | 76,480 |
| Biological Technicians | $27.65 | $57,510 | 69,620 |
| Glaziers | $27.44 | $57,080 | 58,480 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | $27.19 | $56,550 | 37,870 |
| Tile and Stone Setters | $26.77 | $55,690 | 35,850 |
| Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | $26.49 | $55,090 | 34,670 |
$27 an hour is higher than the median wage in about 47% of the occupations the federal wage survey tracks. The median American worker earns $24.51 an hour ($50,980 a year), so $27 is 10% above that. This is close to the middle of the distribution.
Overtime, shift differentials, bonuses and employer benefits are excluded, and so is tax. Location matters more than most people expect: the same occupation can pay two or three times more in one metro than another, which is why every salary guide here breaks the figure down by metropolitan area rather than quoting one national number.