The Math Behind the Autopsy

Most salary calculators lie to you. They take your gross annual income, divide it by 52 weeks, divide that by 40 hours, and hand you a "Paper Hourly Rate." But your paper rate isn't your true hourly wage.

To calculate your real hourly pay, we have to account for the time and money stolen from you through the hidden costs of employment: commuting, unpaid overtime, and mandatory breaks. Here is exactly how the True Wage engine calculates your financial reality.

The True Wage Formula

1. Calculating Total Dedicated Hours

Your employer only pays for your contracted hours, but your job demands much more of your time. We calculate your Total Dedicated Hours by adding:

• Contracted Hours: Your standard weekly hours multiplied by the weeks you actually work (accounting for paid time off).
• Commute Time: The total hours spent in transit. You cannot sell this time to anyone else, nor can you enjoy it. It belongs to your job.
• Unpaid Overtime: Checking emails in bed, answering Slack on weekends, or staying 15 minutes late. This is wage theft by attrition.
• Unpaid Lunch Breaks: Time you are required to be at or near your workplace without compensation.

2. Calculating True Take-Home Pay

Your salary is depleted before it even hits your bank account, and depleted further just to physically get you to the office.

• Taxes: We deduct standard income tax and social security/national insurance based on your inputted effective tax rate.
• The Commute Tax: If you drive, we don't just calculate fuel. We use government-standard mileage rates (e.g., HMRC 45p/mile or IRS 67¢/mile) because every mile puts wear and tear on your tires, brakes, and engine depreciation. If you take transit, we subtract the flat fare.

Frequently Asked Questions