$38 an hour is $79,040 a year working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, before taxes. That's $6,587 a month, $3,040 every two weeks or $1,520 a week.
Yearly pay $79,040
| Period | Pay before tax |
|---|---|
| Year (40 hrs × 52 weeks) | $79,040 |
| Month | $6,587 |
| Every two weeks | $3,040 |
| Week | $1,520 |
| Day (8 hours) | $304 |
| Year at 30 hrs/week | $59,280 |
| Year with 5 hrs/week overtime at 1.5× | $93,860 |
How $38 an hour compares in the trades Government data
In PayByTrade's data, $38 an hour is above the typical pay for 40 of 42 skilled trades and higher than the median in about 91% of the 10,213 trade-and-city combinations BLS publishes. The trades whose typical pay is closest to $38 are construction supervisors ($37.12), building inspectors ($32.39) and telecom line installers ($31.85).
Jobs that pay about $38 an hour
- Electricians in New York, NY: median $37.99 ($79,020 a year)
- Hvac technicians in New York, NY: median $37.50 ($77,990 a year)
- Plumbers in New York, NY: median $37.79 ($78,610 a year)
- Construction supervisors in Phoenix, AZ: median $38.38 ($79,840 a year)
- Industrial machinery mechanics in Portland, OR: median $37.84 ($78,710 a year)
- Heavy equipment operators in Riverside, CA: median $37.85 ($78,720 a year)
Where $38 an hour beats the local median Our calculation
For each trade, the share of U.S. metros where $38 an hour is more than the local median:
28 trades pay less than $38 in at least 9 of 10 metros; 1 pay more almost everywhere.
$38 is entry-level pay (between the 10th and 25th percentile) for construction supervisors in New York, heavy equipment operators in San Francisco, telecom line installers in Los Angeles and elevator installers in Chicago.
It's top pay (above the 90th percentile) for landscapers in New York, maintenance technicians in Dallas, construction laborers in Houston and carpenters in Phoenix.
$38 an hour by state Our calculation
Statewide, $38 an hour beats the median for most trades in 50 of 51 states and D.C. It clears the most trades in Arizona, Kentucky and Mississippi and the fewest in Alaska, Massachusetts and Hawaii.
Where $38 an hour goes furthest Our calculation
The same $79,040 stretches very differently depending on local prices. It goes furthest in Monroe, LA (worth $94,549), Eagle Pass, TX (worth $94,314) and Dothan, AL (worth $94,283), and least in San Francisco, CA ($68,366), Miami, FL ($69,239) and Los Angeles, CA ($69,598). A typical 1-bedroom would take 11% of this pay in the cheapest metro for rent and 51% in the most expensive.
Next steps
Got an offer at $38? See where it lands with the job offer checker, or if you're going independent, work out what to bill with the rate calculator.
$37 an hour · all hourly rates · $39 an hour
Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025. Prices: BEA 2024. Rent: HUD FY2027. Conversions assume pay for every hour listed and no unpaid time off; figures are before tax.