What is the Difference Between Salary and Income?

🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚

The difference between salary and income lies in their definitions and the sources from which they are derived.

  • Salary: A salary is a fixed income provided by an employer, typically paid on a regular basis (such as monthly or biweekly) over a set period of time, regardless of the number of hours worked. It is the money an employee receives from their employer in return for their work.
  • Income: Income refers to the total amount of money a person earns from any source over the course of a year. It includes salary, but also other sources of income, such as interest from savings, commissions, bonuses, social security costs, retirement funds or pensions, and any income from a second job or extra work. Income is money from any and all sources, not just from an employer.

In summary:

  • Salary is a fixed income from an employer, regardless of the number of hours worked.
  • Income is the total amount of money earned from various sources over a year.

Comparative Table: Salary vs Income

Here is a table summarizing the difference between salary and income:

Feature Income Salary
Meaning Income refers to the remuneration a person gets from any source in the form of cash, dividends, shares, profits, etc. Salary refers to the money/cash an employee receives from their employer in return for their work.
Usage Income is used as a noun. Salary is used as a noun and verb.
Example Sam's income is more than that of Raj's. Sheldon's salary got credited today.

Income and salary are related to money but are not identical and cannot be used synonymously. Income can come from various sources, while salary is the specific amount an employee receives from their employer in exchange for their work.