Salary vs Wage: What's the Difference?
What's the Difference?
Salary typically refers to a fixed monthly or yearly payment, while wage is used for hourly or daily pay.
Memory Tip: Salary = steady, Wage = work hours
Salary has three syllables, Wage has one syllable
salary /ˈsæləri/
nounA salary is the money you get for your work.
Example:
If you work hard, you might get a higher salary next year.
Common patterns:
monthly salary
annual salary
wage
nounA wage is a fixed regular payment, typically paid on a daily or weekly basis, made by an employer to an employee, especially for manual or unskilled work.
Example:
If you work extra hours, you will earn a higher wage this week.
Common patterns:
minimum wage
hourly wage
living wage
Common Mistakes
He earns a salary of $15 per hour at the factory.
He earns a wage of $15 per hour at the factory.
Wage is used for hourly pay, which fits the context here.
She receives her wage annually as part of her contract.
She receives her salary annually as part of her contract.
Salary is used for fixed annual payments, which fits the context here.
Quick Practice
0/2 correct1. If you work hard, you might get a higher ____ next year.
2. If you work extra hours, you will earn a higher ____ this week.
Other Confusing Words
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