Sharon's paycheck each week is $10 per hour times the number of hours she works. Sharon thus currently earns a wage of $10 per hour. Suppose the price of apple juice is $2.50 per gallon. The amount of apple juice she can buy with her paycheck is of apple juice, which represents her wage. When workers and firms negotiate compensation packages, they have expectations about the price level (and changes in the price level) and agree on a wage with those expectations in mind.