What is "gross pay"?

Gross pay refers to the total amount of money earned by an employee before any deductions, such as taxes, retirement contributions, or other withholdings, are subtracted. It encompasses all earnings from various sources, including hourly wages, salaries, and overtime pay. This amount represents the employee's earnings before any financial obligations are taken into account.

The other options provide different contexts related to income but do not accurately define gross pay. For instance, net income refers to earnings after all deductions have been made, which does not represent gross pay. While total earnings including bonuses may be seen as part of gross pay, the term specifically refers to the entirety of earnings before any deductions. Lastly, the division of annual salary by pay periods is more related to understanding how gross pay is converted into payment frequency, rather than defining what gross pay itself is.