“Salary” vs. “Wage”: What’s the Difference?

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The difference between “salary” and “wage”

  • A salary is a fixed amount paid usually monthly, while wages are often based on hours worked.
  • Salaried positions often have higher pay and may include benefits such as health insurance, while positions with hourly wages typically offer lower pay and limited benefits.
  • Salaried positions may have more flexible work schedules and less strict rules on hours worked, while hourly wage positions often have set schedules and shifts.
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What is the definition of “salary” and “wage”?

Salary
  • A fixed amount of money paid to an employee on a regular basis.
  • Typically paid monthly or annually and not based on hours worked.
  • Often offered to salaried positions such as executives, managers, or professionals.
Wage
  • Payment made to an employee for work completed, often calculated on an hourly basis.
  • Typically paid on a weekly or biweekly basis.
  • Often offered to hourly positions such as retail workers, food service employees, or manufacturing workers.

Which is the more popular variant on the Internet?

“Salary” is the more popular variant on the web.
More popular
Salary
602,000,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. My starting salary was $50,000 a year.
  2. The company offered me a higher salary to stay.
  3. I was surprised by the salary increase I received this year.
Wage
341,000,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. The minimum wage in this state is $7.25 per hour.
  2. Some employees were unhappy with the wage cuts implemented by the company.
  3. He worked overtime and earned a higher wage than his colleagues.
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