Overtime can add a lot to a paycheck, but only if it is calculated correctly. This overtime calculator works out regular pay, overtime at time and a half, double time and your total gross pay for the week. Use the weekly total for the federal 40-hour rule, or enter each day to apply California’s daily and seventh-day overtime. It also handles salaried non-exempt employees.
Quick answer: overtime pay = hourly rate × 1.5 × hours over 40. At $20 an hour, a 45-hour week pays $800 + 5 × $30 = $950. Time and a half for $15 is $22.50 an hour; for $25 it is $37.50. In California, four 13-hour days at $25 pay $1,600, versus $1,450 under the federal rule.
How to use the overtime calculator
- Choose Weekly total if you know your total hours, or Day by day to enter each day.
- Choose how you are paid: hourly, a weekly salary meant for 40 hours, or a salary under the fluctuating workweek method.
- Enter your rate or weekly salary.
- Enter your hours. In the weekly tab you can add hours your employer pays at double time. In the day-by-day tab, pick Federal or California rules.
- Press Calculate to see each part of your pay and the hours behind it.
How is overtime pay calculated?
| Rule | Hours | Pay rate |
|---|---|---|
| Federal (FLSA) | Over 40 in a workweek | 1.5 × regular rate |
| California | Over 8 in a workday, up to 12 | 1.5 × |
| California | Over 12 in a workday | 2 × |
| California | First 8 hours on the 7th consecutive workday | 1.5 × |
| California | Over 8 hours on the 7th consecutive workday | 2 × |
| California | Straight-time hours over 40 in a workweek | 1.5 × |
| Salary for a 40-hour week | Regular rate = salary ÷ 40 | 1.5 × that rate over 40 |
| Fluctuating workweek (federal) | Regular rate = salary ÷ hours worked | + 0.5 × that rate over 40 |
The workweek is a fixed, recurring 7-day period set by your employer. It does not have to start on Monday, and hours cannot be averaged across two weeks: 30 hours one week and 50 the next still means 10 hours of overtime.
Overtime pay examples
$20 an hour, 45 hours (federal)
Regular pay: 40 × $20 = $800. Overtime: 5 × $30 = $150. Total $950, an effective $21.11 an hour.
$15 an hour, 50 hours
40 × $15 = $600 plus 10 × $22.50 = $225. Total $825.
California: four 13-hour days at $25
Each day has 8 regular hours, 4 hours at 1.5× and 1 hour at 2×. For the week: 32 regular hours ($800), 16 overtime hours at $37.50 ($600) and 4 double-time hours at $50 ($200), $1,600 in all. Under the federal rule the same 52 hours pay $1,450 (40 regular + 12 overtime).
California: working all seven days
Six 8-hour days plus 10 hours on the seventh day at $20. The first six days give 48 straight-time hours, so 8 of them become weekly overtime. On the seventh day, 8 hours are paid at 1.5× and 2 hours at 2×. Result: $800 regular, 16 overtime hours ($480) and 2 double-time hours ($80) = $1,360, compared with $1,340 under the federal rule.
Salaried non-exempt: $1,000 a week, 50 hours
If the salary is for a 40-hour week, the regular rate is $25 and overtime is 10 × $37.50 = $375, for $1,375. Under the fluctuating workweek method the rate is $1,000 ÷ 50 = $20, overtime adds 10 × $10 = $100, and the total is $1,100.
Time and a half and double time chart
| Hourly rate | Time and a half | Double time | 45-hour week | 50-hour week | 60-hour week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $7.25 | $10.88 | $14.50 | $344.38 | $398.75 | $507.50 |
| $10.00 | $15.00 | $20.00 | $475.00 | $550.00 | $700.00 |
| $12.00 | $18.00 | $24.00 | $570.00 | $660.00 | $840.00 |
| $15.00 | $22.50 | $30.00 | $712.50 | $825.00 | $1,050.00 |
| $18.00 | $27.00 | $36.00 | $855.00 | $990.00 | $1,260.00 |
| $20.00 | $30.00 | $40.00 | $950.00 | $1,100.00 | $1,400.00 |
| $22.00 | $33.00 | $44.00 | $1,045.00 | $1,210.00 | $1,540.00 |
| $25.00 | $37.50 | $50.00 | $1,187.50 | $1,375.00 | $1,750.00 |
| $28.00 | $42.00 | $56.00 | $1,330.00 | $1,540.00 | $1,960.00 |
| $30.00 | $45.00 | $60.00 | $1,425.00 | $1,650.00 | $2,100.00 |
| $35.00 | $52.50 | $70.00 | $1,662.50 | $1,925.00 | $2,450.00 |
| $40.00 | $60.00 | $80.00 | $1,900.00 | $2,200.00 | $2,800.00 |
| $45.00 | $67.50 | $90.00 | $2,137.50 | $2,475.00 | $3,150.00 |
| $50.00 | $75.00 | $100.00 | $2,375.00 | $2,750.00 | $3,500.00 |
| $60.00 | $90.00 | $120.00 | $2,850.00 | $3,300.00 | $4,200.00 |
Weekly totals follow the federal rule. Time and a half on the $7.25 federal minimum wage is exactly $10.875 an hour.
Who is entitled to overtime?
- Non-exempt employees, which includes almost all hourly workers, are covered by the FLSA overtime rule.
- Exempt employees are not. To be exempt, an employee generally must be paid a salary above the federal threshold and do executive, administrative or professional work. Job titles do not decide it; duties do.
- States can be more generous. When state and federal law differ, the employee gets the better rule. California, Alaska, Nevada and Colorado all have some form of daily overtime.
- The regular rate can include more than base pay. Shift differentials and nondiscretionary bonuses usually raise the regular rate on which overtime is based.
Common mistakes
- Averaging hours over two weeks. Each workweek stands alone, even if you are paid every two weeks.
- Counting paid time off as hours worked. Under federal law it does not count toward 40, so a week with a paid holiday and 40 worked hours has no overtime.
- Double counting in California. Hours already paid as daily overtime are not counted again for the weekly 40-hour rule.
- Assuming salaried means exempt. Salaried non-exempt employees are owed overtime too.
Want to see what regular overtime means over a year? The hourly to salary calculator turns your rate and weekly overtime into annual, monthly and biweekly pay. To check a raise or a pay change in percent, use the percentage calculator, and to see what a purchase costs after tax, try the sales tax calculator.
This calculator estimates gross pay for general information only and is not legal advice. Union contracts, state rules and the way your employer defines the workweek can change the result; check with your employer or your state labor department.
Frequently asked questions
How is overtime calculated?
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees earn at least 1.5 times their regular rate for every hour over 40 in a workweek. At $20 an hour, 45 hours pays 40 × $20 = $800 plus 5 × $30 = $150, a total of $950.
What is time and a half for $15 an hour?
Time and a half for $15 an hour is $22.50 an hour (15 × 1.5). Double time is $30. A 50-hour week at $15 pays $600 regular plus $225 overtime, $825 in total.
What is time and a half for $20 an hour?
$30 an hour. Double time is $40. A 45-hour week at $20 an hour pays $950 before taxes.
Does overtime start after 8 hours a day?
Not under federal law, which looks only at the weekly total of 40 hours. A few states add daily overtime: California pays 1.5× after 8 hours in a workday and 2× after 12; Alaska and Nevada also have daily overtime rules in some cases. Colorado pays overtime after 12 hours a day.
How does California overtime work?
Under California Labor Code §510, you earn 1.5× for hours over 8 in a workday and over 40 in a workweek, and 2× for hours over 12 in a day. On the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek, the first 8 hours are paid at 1.5× and anything beyond 8 at 2×. Hours are counted only once, at the highest rate that applies.
Do salaried employees get overtime?
Salaried employees who are non-exempt do. Being paid a salary does not by itself make you exempt; you must also meet the salary level and job-duties tests. For a $1,000 weekly salary meant to cover 40 hours, the regular rate is $25, so 50 hours pays $1,000 + 10 × $37.50 = $1,375.
What is the fluctuating workweek method?
It is a federal method (29 CFR 778.114) for non-exempt employees on a fixed salary whose hours change from week to week. The regular rate is the salary divided by all hours worked, and each overtime hour adds half that rate. A $1,000 salary for 50 hours gives a $20 rate and $100 of overtime pay. California does not allow this method.
Do paid holidays and sick days count toward overtime?
Under federal law, no. Overtime is based on hours actually worked, so paid time off, holidays and sick leave do not count toward the 40 hours, although some employers and union contracts count them anyway.
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