A salary is a fixed amount of pay agreed for a year and usually paid once a month; wages are pay for the hours, days or weeks you have worked. Both are money you get for your work. Office and professional staff more often earn a salary, while waiters, manual workers and shop assistants get wages.
salary or wages — can you pick the right one?
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earn + a salary; annual/monthly + salary; hourly/weekly + wages; the minimum wage
- Her new position comes with a higher salary and a company car.
- The restaurant pays weekly wages, so the staff get their money every Friday.
- Many students take summer jobs even though the wages are quite low.
What changed
First versionAt the café my salary was eight pounds an hour.
RevisionAt the café my wage was eight pounds an hour.
It is tempting to use salary for any pay, but pay by the hour is called a wage: the amount depends on the time worked. Salary means a fixed sum for a year or a month, so a salary per hour sounds odd. The hourly rate is usually called a wage, and the money you receive is often wages, which is why the correction has my wage.
If you don't want to choose, say pay: The pay is good, but the hours are long. This neutral word works for any kind of earnings. Also remember the fixed phrase the minimum wage, the lowest pay allowed by law: here wage is singular.
Your turn
Waiters here are paid by the hour, and they get their ___ every Friday in cash.
Show the answer
wages — The waiters are paid by the hour and get cash every Friday; both are signs of wages. Salaries means a fixed yearly sum usually paid once a month, so a weekly cash payment does not fit.
Compare two jobs: in one, people are paid by the hour; in the other, they earn a fixed salary. Name both jobs.
A warehouse worker is usually paid hourly wages, while an accountant earns a fixed annual salary.
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