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

Brase, 58 years old, will receive an annual base salary of $1.15 million and an annual bonus with a target of 150% of his base pay, Conagra said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

A board-certified psychiatrist at Atascadero State Hospital — some of the highest paid state employees — can earn more than $397,000 in base pay.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 20, 2025

The contract raises average annual base pay to about $109,000 from $75,000 over its five-year term.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

In actuality, DoorDash pocketed those tips, adding the funds to the driver's base pay instead of giving them the full tips they earned.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2025

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