Why "true" hourly rate matters
Dividing salary by 2,080 (40h × 52 weeks) understates your real hours if you work unpaid overtime, and overstates paid time if you get generous PTO. The true rate divides salary by actual hours worked — the number that matters when comparing job offers or deciding whether overtime is worth it.
Example
$75,000 at 40h/week with 25 days off = $41.10/hr true rate vs $36.06 naive. Work 50-hour weeks instead and it drops to $34.42/hr — a $6.68/hr pay cut hiding in plain sight.