Wage is the money someone earns for doing work, usually calculated by the hour, day, or week. When your neighbor pays you ten dollars for mowing her lawn, that's your wage for the job. Factory workers, restaurant servers, and store clerks typically earn wages based on how many hours they work.

Wages differ from salaries, which are fixed yearly amounts paid to many workers, such as teachers or engineers, regardless of exact hours worked. Someone earning fifteen dollars per hour receives that wage for each hour on the job: work four hours, earn sixty dollars. Work eight hours, earn one hundred twenty dollars.

The term appears in many contexts. People talk about minimum wage, the lowest amount employers can legally pay workers. A living wage means enough money to afford basic needs like food and housing. When workers negotiate for better pay, they're fighting for higher wages.

As a verb, wage means to carry on or conduct a sustained effort. Someone might wage a campaign or wage war.