Question 1009053
You are calculating two separate values, how much buddy made in 36 hours and how much commission he made. Buddy made $306 for 36 hours since he makes $8.50 each hour. He made $294 from commission. To calculate the percentage of any number, turn the percentage into a decimal. Move the decimal place of the percentage twice to the left, then leave off the percent symbol. Then multiply the percentage you manipulated by the number you are trying to get the percentage out of. 6 percent of 4900 translates to 
.06*4900=294
The gross pay is hourly pay plus commission
306+294=$600