The total amount of money an employee earns in a pay period is referred to as what?

The total amount of money an employee earns in a pay period is referred to as gross earnings. This figure includes all forms of compensation, such as wages, salaries, bonuses, and any other types of earnings before any deductions (like taxes and benefits) have been applied. Gross earnings represent the total remuneration that an employee is entitled to before any adjustments are made.

In contrast, net earnings represent the amount an employee takes home after all deductions have been subtracted. Take-home pay is synonymous with net earnings, not the total before deductions. Lastly, an hourly wage refers simply to the rate of pay per hour worked and is not indicative of the total earnings over a pay period unless multiplied by the total hours worked.