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) | $30.00 |
| Daily (8 hrs) | $240.00 |
| Weekly | $1,200 |
| Biweekly (every 2 weeks) | $2,400 |
| Semi-monthly (twice a month) | $2,600 |
| Monthly | $5,200 |
| Annual | $62,400 |
Part-time and shift work rarely lands on exactly forty. At $30 an hour:
| Hours per week | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 40 hrs | $62,400 | $5,200 |
| 35 hrs | $54,600 | $4,550 |
| 30 hrs | $46,800 | $3,900 |
| 25 hrs | $39,000 | $3,250 |
| 20 hrs | $31,200 | $2,600 |
These are the occupations whose national median sits within a dollar of $30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | $30.38 | $63,190 | 757,220 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | $29.74 | $61,860 | 717,190 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling | $30.23 | $62,890 | 623,640 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $29.94 | $62,280 | 479,100 |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $30.67 | $63,800 | 465,840 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | $29.33 | $61,010 | 409,670 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $30.24 | $62,890 | 392,880 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians | $30.26 | $62,930 | 332,940 |
| Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists | $29.70 | $61,770 | 289,960 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $30.03 | $62,470 | 200,040 |
| Graphic Designers | $30.27 | $62,960 | 197,830 |
| Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners | $29.41 | $61,160 | 142,860 |
$30 an hour is higher than the median wage in about 58% of the occupations the federal wage survey tracks. The median American worker earns $24.51 an hour ($50,980 a year), so $30 is 22% 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.