Time is money, and it waits for no one. It is our most valuable asset. So how does your time measure up at $35 an hour? Is $35 an hour good?
This hourly rate exceeds the US national average and median salary, but is it enough to live on with the financial security you seek?
Scroll down for our detailed analysis and make a more informed decision for your career and finances.
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$35 an hour is how much a year?
Here is what $35 an hour would be if you worked for a year in a part-time or full-time role.
- Part-time work. If you work part-time, it's important to know how many hours you work each week. For instance, if you work 25 hours per week at a rate of $35 per hour, your weekly earnings would be around $875. Over the course of a year, this adds up to approximately $45,500.
- Full-time work. On the other hand, full-time work generally involves working around 40 hours per week for 52 weeks in a year. At $35 an hour, you would earn $1,400 per week for full-time work. When calculated for the entire year, your annual salary would be approximately $72,800.
It's essential to keep in mind that these figures represent gross income before deductions, taxes, and other factors that may affect your actual take-home pay. So, the actual amount you receive after taxes and deductions will be lower than the gross annual salary.
If you are still at the stage of salary negotiation, it's worth pointing out that small adjustments to your hourly rate have significant effects when annualized. Dropping to $34 an hour or negotiating up to $36 an hour will make the difference of hundreds of dollars annually.
How much is $35 an hour per day?
Here's what you would earn per day on $35 an hour, calculated for part-time and full-time roles. This breakdown is particularly important if you have a part-time or flexible job.
- Part-time work. For part-time work, your daily earnings will fluctuate depending on the number of hours worked each day. Let's assume you work approximately 5 hours each day. In this case, your daily earnings can be calculated as 5 hours x $35 per hour, which amounts to $175 per day.
- Full-time work. For full-time work, you work typically 8 hours per day. At an hourly rate of $35, your daily earnings for full-time work can be calculated as 8 hours x $35 per hour, which amounts to $280 per day.
How much is $35 an hour per week?
This is what you'd earn weekly, considering both part-time and full-time work schedules.
- Part-time work. For part-time work, assuming you work approximately 25 hours per week at $35 an hour, your weekly earnings can be calculated as 25 hours x $35 per hour, which amounts to $875 per week.
- Full-time work. For full-time work, assuming you work around 40 hours per week at $35 an hour, your weekly earnings can be calculated as 40 hours x $35 per hour, which amounts to $1,400 per week.
How much is $35 an hour bi-weekly?
Getting paid every two weeks means your income is calculated based on the number of days within that pay period. Here it is for standard part-time and full-time positions.
- art-time work. For part-time work, assuming you work approximately 40 hours in a bi-weekly pay period at $35 per hour, your earnings for that 2-week period can be calculated as $35/hour x 40 hours/week x 2 weeks, which amounts to $2,800 for the bi-weekly pay period.
- Full-time work. If you work approximately 80 hours in a bi-weekly pay period at a rate of $35 per hour, your earnings for that 2-week period can be calculated as $35/hour x 80 hours/week x 2 weeks, which amounts to $5,600 for the bi-weekly pay period.P
How much is $35 an hour per month?
To accurately calculate the monthly earnings based on an hourly rate of $35, we'll use an average of 4.33 weeks per month (52 weeks per year/12 months) to consider the variations in the number of weeks.
- Part-time work. Let's assume a part-time worker earns the hourly rate of $35 an hour and works approximately 20 hours per week. In this case, the monthly earnings can be calculated as $35/hour x 20 hours/week x 4.33 weeks/month, which amounts to $3,033.33 per month.
- Full-time work. Now, let's consider a full-time employee who makes $35 an hour and works approximately 1,240 hours per week. The monthly earnings for this scenario can be calculated as $35/hour x 40 hours/week x 4.33 weeks/month, which amounts to $6,226.67 per month.
How much is $35 an hour quarterly?
To accurately calculate your quarterly earnings based on an hourly rate of $35, we'll consider that a quarter consists of three months, and we'll multiply the monthly earnings by three.
- Part-time work. Assuming a part-time worker earns $35 per hour and works approximately 20 hours per week. To find the monthly earnings, we need to consider the number of weeks in a month, which is approximately 4.33 (average). The quarterly earnings can be calculated as follows: $35/hour x 20 hours/week x 4.33 weeks/month x 3 months = $9,093 per quarter.
- Full-time work. For a full-time employee at the same rate an hour, you can calculate your quarterly earnings as: $35/hour x 40 hours/week x 4.33 weeks/month x 3 months = $18,186 per quarter.
Is $35 an hour enough to live on?
Whether an hourly wage of $35 is enough to cover your living expenses depends on various factors. Location, repayments, lifestyle choices, running costs, dependents, and savings goals all have to be taken into consideration.
Since everybody's financial circumstances are different, we drew up several different scenarios to help you decide if you could live on $35 an hour.
Young college graduates
For the typical college graduate entering the workforce, $35 an hour ($72,800 a year if working 40-hour weeks) would be a good starting salary. There should be enough to begin to pay off student loans, save for retirement, and start building a comfortable life.
However, the feasibility of living on this salary can heavily depend on their field of work and the cost of living in their chosen city.
For example, a data analyst living in Manhattan would probably consider an offer of $35 an hour to be too low, whereas someone doing the same job in Boise would probably see things differently given the difference in the cost of living.
Middle-aged persons changing careers
For someone transitioning careers, a $35 hourly wage can represent a significant pay increase — or possibly a pay cut. Most people have more complex finances at this stage of life, so its feasibility could be marginal.
Residents in rural areas
$35 an hour could provide a quite comfortable standard of living in a rural area where the cost of living is typically being lower compared to a large city. Lower housing costs, in particular, can make this wage go further in rural areas than in urban settings.
That said, if you want to live in a mansion with a pool and two sportscars in the driveway, you'll need to earn more!
Remote workers
Life on $35 an hour can be very comfortable when you live somewhere cheap. However, many companies are now adjusting the hourly rate offered to remote staff, making arbitrage a little more difficult (but still very much possible).
Single parents
Life as a single parents on this wage is possible, but you'll still need a name for every dollar given the cost of housing, childcare, healthcare, education, food, clothing, etc.
$35 an hour vs the national average
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national average hourly wage in the USA is about $33. Consequently, making $35 an hour may seem favorable compared to the average, with a $2 upgrade. However, it's essential to note that the national average wage includes salaries from various industries and geographic locations, so making a direct comparison may not yield a complete picture.
$35 an hour vs the national median
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the national median hourly pay is approximately $22.26. With a salary of $35 an hour, you would be earning above the median wage for American workers. This factor can provide some financial breathing room in many cases but, once again, depends on factors such as the cost of living in your area and your lifestyle choices.
Who is $35 an hour a good salary for?
Ultimately, the answer to this question depends on individual circumstances and choices. However, we can generally identify who is more likely find $35 an hour to be enough to live on or not.
$35 an hour is a good salary for:
- Recent college graduates
- Remote workers
- Individuals in low-cost cities or rural areas
- People with moderate personal financial goals
$35 an hour is a bad salary for:
- High-earners facing a career transition
- Single parents with multiple children or specific childcare needs
- Individuals with considerable debt or high expenses
- People living in high-cost cities
Thus, living on $35 an hour can be entirely feasible for some, while others may struggle to meet their financial goals and needs on this wage. Factors such as location, career, and personal choices heavily influence the answer to the question of whether someone can live off $35 an hour.
