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Understand the difference between wages and salaries, convert pay across common time periods, and compare job offers fairly.
If two friends both earn "$80,000 a year," but one gets paid weekly and the other monthly, do they actually take home the same amount each pay? What if one of them is paid by the hour — how would you even compare them? Before we touch any formulas, think about what it actually means to earn money "per hour" vs "per year."
Type your initial response below — you will revisit this at the end of the lesson.
Write your initial response in your book. You will revisit it at the end of the lesson.
Come back to this at the end of the lesson.
Wrong: Weekly pay is always hourly rate multiplied by 40 hours.
Right: Weekly pay depends on the actual hours worked, including overtime, penalty rates, and allowances which increase the hourly rate for specific times.
Core Content
A wage varies with hours worked; a salary is fixed regardless of hours.
A wage earner is paid per hour. If they work more hours, they earn more; if they work fewer, they earn less. A salary earner receives the same total pay each year no matter how many hours they work.
In Australia, wages are common in casual and part-time roles (retail, hospitality, trades), while salaries are more common in professional and management positions. Both are quoted in different time units — hourly, weekly, fortnightly, or annually — but they all describe the same thing: how much a person earns. The skill in this topic is converting confidently between these units.
| Feature | Wage | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Pay basis | Per hour worked | Fixed annual amount |
| More hours = more pay? | Yes | No |
| Common in | Retail, hospitality, trades | Professional, management roles |
| Quoted as | $/hr or $/week | $/year (per annum) |
All pay period conversions flow through the annual salary as a common "hub."
The cleanest method is to always convert to annual first, then to the target period. For example: to convert a weekly wage to a fortnightly rate, multiply by 52 to get annual, then divide by 26. This avoids rounding errors that build up when converting directly.
| From → To | Operation |
|---|---|
| Hourly → Weekly | × hours per week |
| Weekly → Annual | × 52 |
| Annual → Weekly | ÷ 52 |
| Annual → Fortnightly | ÷ 26 |
| Annual → Monthly | ÷ 12 |
| Fortnightly → Annual | × 26 |
Real pay problems often give information in mixed units — your job is to standardise before comparing.
HSC questions often describe a job offer using a combination of units — for example, "$24.50 per hour for 38 hours per week" or "a salary of $67,600 per annum." Before doing any calculation, identify:
A common exam scenario asks you to compare two job offers expressed in different units. Always convert both to the same unit (annual is usually easiest) before comparing. Round only at the final step to maintain accuracy.
Write one sentence summarising the main mathematical idea of this section.
The best way to compare job offers is to put both options into the same unit before making any judgement.
In this topic, annual income is usually the best comparison unit because it lets you compare hourly jobs, weekly wages, fortnightly pay, and salaries on the same scale. Once both options are annualised, the comparison becomes simple.
List one similarity and one difference between the concepts in this section.
Worked Examples
Priya works 38 hours per week at $26.40 per hour. Calculate her annual income.
Write one sentence summarising the main mathematical idea of this section.
Marcus earns an annual salary of $84,500. What is his fortnightly pay? Give your answer to the nearest cent.
Write one sentence summarising the main mathematical idea of this section.
Job A pays $58,240 per year. Job B pays $23.20 per hour for 40 hours per week. Which job pays more annually?
Write one sentence summarising the main mathematical idea of this section.
An apprentice earns a salary of $61,152 per year and works 36 hours per week. Calculate the equivalent hourly rate, correct to the nearest cent.
Write one sentence summarising the main mathematical idea of this section.
Look back at what you wrote in the Think First section. What has changed? What did you get right? What surprised you?
A wages, salaries and pay periods problem requires you to analyse data, perform calculations, and interpret the result in context. Show all working and justify each step.
Check Your Understanding
5 random questions from the Wages & Salaries bank — feedback shown immediately
Now write full solutions as if these were short-answer HSC questions. Show formulas, substitution, and units.
Leah earns $29.40 per hour and works 32 hours each week. Calculate her weekly pay and annual income.
Job A offers a salary of $63,500 per year. Job B pays $31.25 per hour for 38 hours per week. Which job pays more annually, and by how much?
A graduate role pays $74,880 per year for a 39-hour work week. Calculate the equivalent hourly rate, correct to the nearest cent.
Climb platforms using your knowledge of wages, salaries and pay periods. Pool: lesson 1.
Treat this like a speed round. Convert each amount mentally first, then choose the best answer and check your reasoning.
A weekly wage is $960. What is the annual income?
A salary of $78,000 per year is closest to which monthly pay?
Which estimate is most reasonable for a job paying $24 per hour for about 38 hours per week?
Why is "weekly pay × 4" usually not the best way to find monthly pay?