Course Outline
Join PRO

What is the difference between wages and salary?

Author:
Harold Averkamp, CPA, MBA

You should be aware that some people use the terms wages and salary interchangeably. I and many others make the following distinction…

Definition of Wages

Wages are usually associated with employee compensation that is based on the number of hours worked multiplied by an hourly rate of pay. Generally, the employees earning hourly wages will be paid in the week that follows the hours worked.

Example of Wages

For example, a warehouse employee works 40 hours during the work week. If the employee’s hourly rate of pay is $15, on the 5th day following the work week, the employee will receive a paycheck showing gross wages of $600 (40 x $15). If the employee had worked only 30 hours during the work week, the paycheck will show gross wages of $450 (30 x $15).

Definition of Salary

Salary is associated with employee compensation quoted on an annual basis, such as $50,000 per year. Many employees working in a company’s general office will be paid a salary. Often the salaries are paid semi-monthly. That is, one pay date will be the 15th day of the month for working from the 1st to the 15th, and the other pay date will be the last day of the month for working from the 16th to the last day of the month.

Example of Salary

To illustrate, let’s assume that the manager of a company might earn a salary of $120,000 per year. If the manager is paid semi-monthly each paycheck will show a gross salary of $5,000 for half a month’s work.

Overtime Pay

U.S. and state law protects employees from having to work more than 40 hours per week when their wages or salary is below a certain level. In other words, a salaried employee with a relatively low annual salary must be given overtime compensation if the person’s hours worked are greater than 40 hours per week. You should be aware of the federal and state laws for your employees’ overtime compensation.

Join PRO to Track Progress

Features

Free

PRO

Lifetime Access (One-Time Fee)
Explanations
Quizzes
Q&A
Dictionary
Bookkeeping Video Training
Financial Statements Video Training
Visual Tutorials
Quick Tests
Quick Tests with Coaching
Cheat Sheets
Flashcards
Crossword Puzzles
Word Scrambles with Coaching
Bookkeeping Study Guide
Managerial and Cost Accounting Study Guide
Certificates of Achievement
Bookkeeping Certificate of Excellence
Business Forms
Printable PDF Files
Progress Tracking
Motivational Badges and Points
Motivational Medal Rankings
Motivational Activity Streaks
Public Profile Page of Achievements

About the Author

Harold Averkamp

For the past 52 years, Harold Averkamp (CPA, MBA) has
worked as an accounting supervisor, manager, consultant, university instructor, and innovator in teaching accounting online. He is the sole author of all the materials on AccountingCoach.com.

Learn More About Harold

Read 3,033 Testimonials

PRO for Teams
  • Easily onboard new users and team admins
  • Monitor individual user progress and grades
  • Monitor team progress and compare users
  • View average grades and find problem areas
  • Monitor recent activity and user achievements
PRO for Teams
Take the Tour Join Pro Upgrade to Pro