base pay

American  

noun

1. pay received for a given work period, as an hour or week, but not including additional pay, as for overtime work.

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Etymology

Origin of base pay

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Hospital-based roles, for example, often come with overtime, bonuses and higher pay for night or weekend shifts that can push total earnings well above base pay.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

U.S. employees will receive severance of 16 weeks of base pay, plus two additional weeks for every year they have been with the company, Gale added.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

But the reality for a lot of people is that their day-to-day lives are built around their base pay.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

In South Korea, an auto worker’s hourly wages, including base pay and bonuses, could range from $20 to $30.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Between the base pay of $2.15 an hour and the obligation to share tips with the busboys and dishwashers, we’re averaging only about $7.50 an hour.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich