$70,000 a year or $32 an hour? Compare the whole offer
One offer says $70,000 a year. The other says $32 an hour. At 40 paid hours a week for 52 weeks, the hourly offer comes to $66,560. The salary pays $3,440 more before taxes and deductions. That gives you a starting point.
Put both offers on the same calendar
These are hypothetical employee offers. Assume a full year in either job, the full $70,000 salary, and no overtime, bonuses or other extra pay. Every amount below is gross pay, before taxes and deductions.
For the hourly offer, multiply $32 by the paid hours each week, then by the number of paid weeks. The first row assumes 2,080 paid hours. Paid leave can count toward that total if the employer pays it at the same rate.
| Hourly schedule | Yearly gross pay | Salary pays more by |
|---|---|---|
| 40 paid hours × 52 weeks | $66,560 | $3,440 |
| 40 paid hours × 50 weeks | $64,000 | $6,000 |
| 36 paid hours × 52 weeks | $59,904 | $10,096 |
Check what happens when you take time off
Two unpaid weeks reduce the hourly total by $2,560. Paid vacation at the regular rate would keep that pay in the total. Ask about holidays, sick days and when you can start using leave.
Check whether 40 hours are guaranteed, too. The 36-hour row shows a shorter schedule all year, with no overtime. Get the expected schedule and leave policy in writing for both jobs.
Ask how long a normal week really is
The salary’s $3,440 lead in the first row averages about $287 a month before deductions. If that job regularly needs evenings or weekends, think about whether the extra base pay is worth the time.
A salary alone doesn’t decide overtime eligibility. Ask whether the role is exempt or nonexempt from overtime requirements and how extra hours are paid. If either offer includes overtime pay, compare it separately using the hours you can reasonably expect.
Read the benefits sheet before you choose
An extra $200 a month in employee health premiums adds up to $2,400 a year. Put that beside the pay difference, along with deductibles, coverage start dates, parking, tolls and any extra childcare. Taxes and how premiums are deducted affect the take-home comparison.
Keep retirement contributions separate from money you can spend now. Check the employer’s contribution rules and when the money becomes yours. List an uncertain bonus separately, too; don’t rely on it to cover regular bills.
Check what similar work pays near you
Find the occupation that matches the duties, then choose the county where the job is located. Our wage pages use May 2025 BLS estimates for the wider labor market that includes that county.
Compare the $32 offer with hourly estimates and the $70,000 offer with annual estimates. Those survey figures don’t include employer health or retirement contributions. Use them as context for the pay discussion, then keep the benefits comparison alongside them.
Before you say yes
Ask for the paid hours, usual schedule, overtime arrangement, leave policy and your share of benefit costs. Then redo the comparison with those details. A $3,440 difference is easier to judge when you know what each job will ask of your week.