How to Remove Dollar Signs and Currency Symbols in Google Sheets

When copying financial tables from web pages, PDF invoices, or third-party CRM reports into Google Sheets, monetary values frequently paste as literal string characters (e.g. $1,450.00) rather than standard numbers. Because Google Sheets encounters the literal dollar sign character ($) inside the raw data string, mathematical formulas like SUM or AVERAGE fail and return zero or #VALUE! errors.

Whether you need to remove standard display formatting or strip hardcoded currency characters out of raw text strings, Google Sheets offers several quick methods to clean your financial datasets.

Method 1: Change Formatting from Currency to Automatic or Number

If the dollar sign was applied through standard Google Sheets cell formatting (where clicking the cell shows only plain digits like 1450 in the formula bar):

1. Select the range of cells containing the currency symbols.
2. Click Format in the top menu bar.
3. Navigate to Number.
4. Select Automatic or Number.

The cosmetic currency symbol disappears immediately while preserving the numeric value for calculations.

Method 2: Strip Hardcoded Dollar Signs via Find and Replace

If the dollar sign is embedded as an actual textual character inside the cell:

1. Highlight the column or range of cells you need to clean.
2. Press Ctrl + H on Windows or Command + Shift + H on Mac to open the Find and replace dialogue box.
3. In the Find field, type:

$

4. Leave the Replace with field completely empty.
5. Under the Search drop-down, ensure it is set to Specific range.
6. Click Replace all.

Google Sheets will strip every dollar sign character across your selected cells. The values will automatically align to the right side of the cells, confirming they have been converted into true numbers.

Method 3: Remove Symbols Dynamically Using the SUBSTITUTE and VALUE Functions

If you are linking to an external live data feed or want a formula that strips symbols non-destructively in an adjacent column:

1. Assuming your raw currency string is located in cell A2, enter the following formula in cell B2:

=VALUE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2, "$", ""), ",", ""))

2. Press Enter and populate the formula down your column.

This formula first strips all dollar signs, strips any residual thousands commas, and then wraps the result in VALUE() to guarantee an authentic mathematical number ready for formulas and charting.