Virginia paycheck calculator employers use for hourly paychecks
The Virginia paycheck calculator at the top of this page makes it easy to double-check your figures for hourly employees or to ensure your staff receives the correct take-home pay. Additionally, below is information on understanding how writing paychecks can differ for salaried employees versus your hourly staff. If you choose to reward team members with bonuses for a job well done, you may find our Virginia bonus tax calculator worth a closer look.
How is Payroll Different for Hourly and Salaried Employees?
Ultimately, the action of running payroll is quite similar for any type of employee. You start with their gross wages (or how much money they’ve earned in a given pay period) and withhold federal, state, and local payroll taxes, along with any other payroll deductions for items such as health benefits, a retirement plan, or garnishments.
The path from gross wages to net wages (or take-home pay) doesn’t change much. The primary distinction between payroll for hourly and salaried employees lies in how you calculate those gross wages in the first place.
Gross Wages for Hourly Employees
Gross Wages for Hourly Employees
For workers whose pay is based on the hours they work, you calculate their gross wages by multiplying the number of hours worked during a pay period by their hourly pay rate.
It’s generally quite straightforward, but a number of states have overtime laws that can increase an employee’s pay rate if they work more than a certain amount of hours in a day or in a week (typically 8 hours/day or 40 hours/week). Be sure to account for these nuances when you calculate paychecks for hourly staff.
Gross Wages for Salaried Employees
For employees who are paid an annual salary, gross pay is calculated by dividing their annual salary by the number of pay periods in a year. For instance, if an employee earns an annual salary of $100,000, here is what their gross wages would be for various pay schedules (assuming no other pre-tax deductions):
| Pay Schedule | Gross Wages (based on $100k salary) |
| Weekly (52 pay periods/year) | $1923.08 |
| Bi-Weekly (26 pay periods/year) | $3846.15 |
| Bi-Monthly (24 pay periods/year) | $4166.67 |
| Monthly (12 pay periods/year) | $8333.33 |
To understand more about selecting different pay schedules, here’s more information. This can be a lot to track, but many full-service payroll providers help keep federal and state deductions simple, whether you hire hourly workers or prefer salaried employees. Beyond is a service that simplifies this process.
Who Should Be Salaried and Who Should Be Paid Hourly?
When hiring, employers have some discretion in choosing who is paid hourly and who receives a salary. Typically, employees whose hours are fixed (or consistent), and those at higher compensation levels, are offered a salary. Employees at lower compensation levels whose hours are more variable usually receive an hourly paycheck.
Regardless of how you choose to handle compensation, there are a few rules that must be followed — most notably the rules for exempt and non-exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In short, the FLSA states that employees should be entitled to overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a week, unless they are “exempt” and fit into one of these categories:
– They are an executive
– They offer skilled professional services
– They have administrative or management responsibilities
– They are highly compensated (earning more than $151,164 per year in 2025)
– They are a computer programmer or analyst
– They have an outside sales role
There are a number of other minor exceptions. Take a closer look at the classification of exempt and non-exempt employees or reach out to an employment or tax professional if you have more questions.
Getting from Gross Wages to a Paycheck
Once you have determined gross wages, it is time to calculate your actual payroll by withholding federal, state, and local payroll taxes and applying any other deductions that may apply to an employee. This process essentially works the same for all employees, whether they are salaried or hourly. See more on how to calculate payroll taxes if you want to delve into the finer details.
Finished using the Virginia paycheck calculator employers trust? Here is more state information:
State Minimum Wage: The hourly rate in 2025 is $12.41 per hour.
Is Workers’ Comp Required? For most employers, it is required. Learn more in our guide to Virginia workers’ compensation insurance.
New Hire Reporting Required? Yes.
2025 SUI Rate
– Taxable wage base: $8,000
– Rates range from 0.1% to 6.2%
– Tax rate for new employees: 2.5%
This article (and the mentioned paycheck calculator tool) is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied on for tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal, and accounting advisors for formal consultation and final payroll numbers. The Beyond system is an excellent tool to assist with these calculations.