Prorated Salary Calculator
Gross pay for a partial month: mid-month hires, terminations, custom date ranges, and mid-month raises. Compares the two standard daily-rate methods side by side.
New hire — first partial paycheck
Employee started mid-month. Pay covers the start date through the last day of that month.
Termination — final partial paycheck
Employee left mid-month. Pay covers the 1st through the last day worked.
Partial month — custom date range
Any first/last day inside one calendar month (e.g. unpaid leave, a short contract).
Mid-month raise — split-rate paycheck
Raise took effect mid-month: days before the effective date are paid at the old rate, days from it at the new rate.
How prorated salary is calculated
Step 1 — daily rate. Two standard methods, and employers differ on which they use, so this calculator always shows both:
- Calendar-days: daily rate = (annual salary ÷ 12) ÷ days in that month. The common US salaried-payroll convention.
- Working-days: daily rate = annual salary ÷ 260 (5 days × 52 weeks, the payroll-industry standard), counted only over Monday–Friday days worked.
Step 2 — multiply by days worked. The start date and the last day both count (inclusive). Example: $72,000.00 annual salary, started January 15, 2026 — 17 of 31 calendar days worked.
- Calendar-days: $6,000.00 ÷ 31 = $193.5484 per day × 17 = $3,290.32
- Working-days: $72,000.00 ÷ 260 = $276.9231 per day × 12 weekdays = $3,323.08
Daily rates are shown rounded to 4 decimals; the pay itself is computed from the full-precision rate and rounded half-up to the cent. There is no single legally mandated method in most places — your employer's payroll policy decides, and it should be applied consistently.
Not what you're looking for?
- Prorated rent (mid-month move-in / move-out for tenants and landlords) → prorated rent calculator. Rent and salary proration are different intents: this page is payroll, not housing.
- Raise amount over several months / retroactive back pay (how much extra a raise earns over N months: base × raise% × months ÷ 12) → Raise Lab, mode “Pro-rata & Retro”.
- Hourly + overtime + bonus gross pay → gross pay calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How is prorated salary calculated?
Find a daily rate, then multiply it by the days worked. With the calendar-days method the daily rate is (annual salary ÷ 12) ÷ days in that month; with the working-days method it is annual salary ÷ 260, applied only to Monday–Friday days worked. Example: $72,000.00 a year, starting January 15, 2026 — 17 of 31 days worked. Calendar-days: $6,000.00 ÷ 31 = $193.5484 per day × 17 = $3,290.32. Working-days: $72,000.00 ÷ 260 = $276.9231 per day × 12 weekdays = $3,323.08.
Should I use working days or calendar days to prorate salary?
Neither is universally correct — it depends on your employer's payroll policy, and there is no single mandated method in most places. The calendar-days method is the common US salaried-payroll convention; the working-days method follows the payroll-industry 260-day standard (annual salary ÷ 260 × weekdays worked), recommended by payroll platforms citing the National Payroll Institute. They can disagree by tens of dollars on the same month, so the fairest approach is whichever method your employer applies consistently to everyone. This calculator shows both methods side by side so you can compare.
How do I prorate salary for a new hire starting mid-month?
Count from the start date through the last day of the month, inclusive — the start date itself counts as a worked day. Example: $72,000.00 annual salary, starting January 15, 2026: 17 of 31 days. Calendar-days: $6,000.00 ÷ 31 = $193.5484 per day × 17 = $3,290.32. Working-days: $72,000.00 ÷ 260 = $276.9231 per day × 12 weekdays = $3,323.08. Enter the actual start date above for your own numbers.
How is a final paycheck calculated when an employee leaves mid-month?
Count the 1st through the last day worked, inclusive, and multiply by the daily rate. Example: $60,000.00 annual salary, last day worked February 10, 2026 in a 28-day February. Calendar-days: $5,000.00 ÷ 28 = $178.5714 per day × 10 days = $1,785.71. Note this is gross pay before taxes and deductions, and payout timing for final wages is regulated in many jurisdictions — the math above does not replace your employer's payroll process.
How does a raise effective mid-month change my paycheck?
Split the month: days before the effective date are paid at the old daily rate, days from the effective date at the new daily rate. Example: $60,000.00 → $66,000.00 effective March 15, 2026. Old: $5,000.00 ÷ 31 = $161.2903 × 14 days = $2,258.06. New: $5,500.00 ÷ 31 = $177.4194 × 17 days = $3,016.13. Total $5,274.19 versus $5,000.00 for a full month at the old rate — the raise adds $274.19 to this month's paycheck. If instead you want the raise amount spread over several months, or retroactive back pay owed after a late raise (base × raise% × months ÷ 12), use the Pro-rata and Retro mode in Raise Lab.
What changes in February or a leap year?
Only the divisor. February has 28 days — 29 in a leap year like 2028 — so the calendar-days daily rate rises because the same monthly salary is spread over fewer days, while the working-days method is unaffected by month length. Example: $60,000.00 a year, last day worked February 10. Non-leap February (28 days): $5,000.00 ÷ 28 × 10 = $1,785.71. Leap February 2028 (29 days): $5,000.00 ÷ 29 × 10 = $1,724.14.
Is prorated salary the same as prorated rent?
No — they are different intents. Prorated rent is housing math for tenants and landlords (mid-month move-in or move-out); it is covered by our separate prorated rent calculator. Prorated salary is payroll math for employees and employers (mid-month hire, termination, or raise). Use this page for paychecks and the rent calculator for housing.
Will this match my actual paycheck?
Not exactly. This tool computes gross estimates before taxes, benefits, and other deductions, using two standard daily-rate methods; your employer's exact method, holiday treatment, and pay-cycle rules may produce a slightly different figure. Treat the result as a sanity check, not a payslip. This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only and is not professional financial or legal advice.
Free tool by NRTechStudio