Overtime Calculator: Calculate OT Pay Instantly (2026)

Overtime Calculator: Calculate OT Pay Instantly (2026)

Knowing exactly how much overtime pay you have earned protects you from paycheck errors and helps you plan your finances each week. This free overtime calculator computes your regular pay, overtime pay at 1.5×, and California double-time pay at 2× — giving you a complete gross pay breakdown in seconds.

Whether you are an hourly employee verifying a paycheck, a manager estimating weekly payroll costs, or an HR professional supporting a multi-state workforce, this tool applies the correct legal formula for your situation. For employees who want a faster federal-only 1.5x breakdown without the extra state-rule logic, the Time and a Half Calculator isolates the standard overtime-rate math in a simpler format. For employees who want to see how overtime income affects take-home pay, the Gross to Net Calculator converts total gross wages into estimated net pay after federal and state taxes.

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How to Use the Overtime Calculator

Step 1: Enter your regular hourly rate.

Type your base hourly wage in the “Regular Hourly Rate” field. The minimum accepted value is $7.25, the 2026 federal minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act. California workers should enter their state or local minimum if it applies — California’s statewide minimum is $16.50/hr as of 2026.

Step 2: Enter regular and overtime hours separately.

“Regular Hours Worked” covers hours paid at your base rate (generally up to 40 for federal workers). “Overtime Hours Worked (1.5×)” covers any hours beyond the applicable threshold. The calculator keeps these amounts separate so each is paid at the right rate.

Step 3: Choose your overtime rule.

Select “Federal (FLSA)” for the standard 40-hour weekly overtime rule, or choose California, Alaska, or Nevada if you work under a state with daily overtime requirements. California workers should also enter double-time hours if they worked beyond 12 hours in a day or on a seventh consecutive workday.

Step 4: Click “Calculate Overtime Pay.”

Instantly see your total gross pay broken into regular pay, overtime pay, and (if applicable) double-time pay, along with your overtime rate per hour and effective hourly rate for the week.

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How Many Hours Count as Overtime?

Quick Answer: Under federal law, overtime begins after 40 hours in a workweek. California workers may earn overtime after just 8 hours in a single day.

The threshold that triggers overtime pay depends entirely on which law governs your employment:

Jurisdiction	Overtime Threshold	Rate
Federal (FLSA)	Over 40 hrs/week	1.5× regular rate
California	Over 8 hrs/day	1.5× regular rate
California	Over 12 hrs/day	2× regular rate (double time)
California	7th consecutive day (first 8 hrs)	1.5× regular rate
California	7th consecutive day (over 8 hrs)	2× regular rate
Alaska	Over 8 hrs/day OR 40 hrs/week	1.5× regular rate
Nevada	Over 8 hrs/day (wages ≤ $17.40/hr) OR 40 hrs/week	1.5× regular rate

Source: U.S. Department of Labor FLSA Overtime; California DIR Overtime FAQ

Most states that do not appear in the table follow the federal 40-hour weekly rule. No state law reduces overtime protections below federal minimums. Employers may voluntarily pay overtime on terms more generous than required by law.

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How Is Overtime Pay Calculated?

Quick Answer: Multiply your regular hourly rate by 1.5 for standard overtime, then multiply by the number of overtime hours. Add that to your regular pay to get total gross pay.

The fundamental formula under the Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet #23 is straightforward once you know your regular rate and hours.

Federal (FLSA) overtime formula:

Regular Pay     = Regular Rate × Regular Hours (≤ 40)
Overtime Rate   = Regular Rate × 1.5
Overtime Pay    = Overtime Rate × Overtime Hours
Total Gross Pay = Regular Pay + Overtime Pay

Example: An employee earning $20/hr works 48 hours.

• Regular Pay: $20 × 40 = $800
• Overtime Rate: $20 × 1.5 = $30/hr
• Overtime Pay: $30 × 8 = $240
• Total Gross Pay: $800 + $240 = $1,040

California daily overtime formula:

Regular Pay       = Regular Rate × Regular Hours (≤ 8/day)
OT Pay (1.5×)     = Regular Rate × 1.5 × OT Hours (hrs 8–12/day)
Double-Time Pay   = Regular Rate × 2.0 × DT Hours (hrs >12/day)
Total Gross Pay   = Regular Pay + OT Pay + Double-Time Pay

California example: An employee earning $25/hr works a 13-hour shift.

• Regular Pay: $25 × 8 = $200
• OT Pay: $25 × 1.5 × 4 = $150 (hours 9–12)
• Double-Time Pay: $25 × 2.0 × 1 = $50 (hour 13)
• Total Gross Pay: $200 + $150 + $50 = $400 for that single day

Once you have calculated gross pay, tracking total billable time across projects is the next step for many contractors and shift workers — the Billable Hours Calculator makes that easy.

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How the Formula Works

The overtime formula is rooted in Section 7(a) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, codified at 29 U.S.C. §207. The statute requires that covered employers pay non-exempt employees at “a rate not less than one and one-half times the regular rate at which [the employee] is employed” for all hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek.

The Regular Rate

The calculation begins by establishing the regular rate of pay. Per the Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet #23, the regular rate is not just the base hourly wage — it must include:

• Non-discretionary bonuses (production bonuses, attendance bonuses)
• Shift differentials
• On-call premiums
• Commissions

Discretionary bonuses (holiday gifts, surprise bonuses given at employer discretion with no prior promise) may be excluded. This distinction matters because including a non-discretionary bonus raises the regular rate, which in turn raises the overtime rate.

Step-by-Step Calculation Breakdown

Step 1 — Determine the regular rate: For a pure hourly worker, this is the hourly wage. For a salaried non-exempt worker, divide weekly salary by hours worked that week.

Step 2 — Calculate regular pay: regularPay = regularRate × regularHours

Step 3 — Calculate the overtime rate: overtimeRate = regularRate × 1.5

Step 4 — Calculate overtime pay: overtimePay = overtimeRate × overtimeHours

Step 5 — For California workers, calculate double-time: doubleTimePay = regularRate × 2.0 × doubleTimeHours

Step 6 — Sum all components: totalGrossPay = regularPay + overtimePay + doubleTimePay

Step 7 — Calculate the effective hourly rate: effectiveRate = totalGrossPay / (regularHours + overtimeHours + doubleTimeHours)

Why This Formula Is the Standard

The 1.5× multiplier was deliberately chosen by Congress in 1938 to make overtime expensive enough to discourage employers from routinely scheduling long hours instead of hiring additional workers. The 50% premium incentivizes employers to spread work among more employees, reducing unemployment while compensating existing workers for the burdens of extra hours.

California’s additional 2× double-time provision reflects the state’s policy that extended workdays impose disproportionate fatigue and personal hardship on workers. The California Labor Code §510 requires double-time to compensate for hours worked beyond 12 in a day — a recognition that marginal productivity diminishes and worker cost increases non-linearly.

Special Cases the Formula Handles

• Zero overtime hours: When overtimeHours = 0, the overtime and double-time components are zero. Total gross equals regular pay only. The effective hourly rate equals the regular rate.
• All hours in double-time (CA 7th consecutive day, hours beyond 8): Regular hours may be 0 if the entire shift falls under a double-time scenario — common when a worker is called in only for the portion of the 7th day that triggers 2× pay.
• Non-California states with double-time hours entered: The engine silently sets double-time hours to zero for non-California states, ensuring the 2× rate is never misapplied outside the state mandate.

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Practical Examples: Overtime Scenarios

Working through real examples shows how different situations produce very different paychecks. Use these as benchmarks for your own calculation.

Example 1: Warehouse Worker, Standard Federal OT

Situation: Maria works at a distribution center in Ohio. Her rate is $16.50/hr. This week she worked 46 hours — 40 regular plus 6 overtime.

Component	Calculation	Amount
Regular Pay	$16.50 × 40 hrs	$660.00
Overtime Rate	$16.50 × 1.5	$24.75/hr
Overtime Pay	$24.75 × 6 hrs	$148.50
Total Gross Pay		$808.50
Effective Hourly Rate	$808.50 / 46 hrs	$17.58/hr

Maria’s paycheck should show $808.50 before taxes. Her effective rate of $17.58/hr is slightly higher than her base rate because the overtime premium raises the weekly average.

Example 2: California Restaurant Worker, Daily OT

Situation: Carlos is a cook in Los Angeles earning $19/hr. Monday he works a 10-hour shift — 8 regular hours plus 2 overtime hours.

Component	Calculation	Amount
Regular Pay	$19 × 8 hrs	$152.00
OT Rate	$19 × 1.5	$28.50/hr
OT Pay	$28.50 × 2 hrs	$57.00
Daily Total		$209.00

Even though Carlos works only 10 hours, California’s daily threshold means he earns $57 in OT for that single day — before his weekly total reaches 40.

Example 3: California Double-Time Day

Situation: Lisa is a manufacturing supervisor in San Jose earning $28/hr. She works a 14-hour day during a product launch.

Component	Calculation	Amount
Regular Pay	$28 × 8 hrs	$224.00
OT Pay (1.5×)	$28 × 1.5 × 4 hrs (hrs 9–12)	$168.00
Double-Time Pay (2×)	$28 × 2.0 × 2 hrs (hrs 13–14)	$112.00
Daily Total		$504.00

Lisa’s effective rate for the day: $504 / 14 = $36/hr — 29% higher than her regular rate.

Example 4: Nurse, Seventh Consecutive Day

Situation: Kevin is an RN in California earning $45/hr. He has worked six consecutive days and is called in for an 8-hour shift on the seventh day.

Under California law, the first 8 hours on the seventh consecutive workday are paid at 1.5× — not the regular rate.

Component	Calculation	Amount
7th Day OT Pay (1.5×)	$45 × 1.5 × 8 hrs	$540.00
Regular Pay	$0 (first 8 hrs of 7th day = 1.5×)	$0
Shift Total		$540.00

Kevin earns $540 for his 8-hour 7th-day shift — $180 more than his regular 8-hour shift rate of $360. To calculate this in our tool, enter 0 regular hours, 8 overtime hours (1.5×), and 0 double-time hours with “California” selected.

Example 5: Non-Discretionary Bonus Situation

Situation: David earns $15/hr and received a $100 production bonus this week during a 50-hour week.

Per DOL Fact Sheet #23, the bonus must be included in the regular rate:

Step	Calculation	Result
Straight-time pay	$15 × 50 hrs	$750.00
Total compensation before OT premium	$750 + $100 bonus	$850.00
Adjusted regular rate	$850 / 50 hrs	$17.00/hr
OT premium (half-time on 10 hrs)	$17.00 × 0.5 × 10	$85.00
Total Gross Pay	$850 + $85	$935.00

Note: When you have a non-discretionary bonus, enter $17 as your regular rate (the blended rate) rather than $15 to produce the correct OT total in this calculator.

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What States Have Daily Overtime Rules?

Quick Answer: California, Alaska, and Nevada require daily overtime in addition to the federal 40-hour weekly rule.

Most Americans fall under the federal FLSA weekly threshold. Three states apply more protective daily rules:

State	Daily OT Threshold	2× Double Time	Weekly Rule
California	Over 8 hrs/day	Yes (over 12 hrs/day)	Also over 40 hrs/week
Alaska	Over 8 hrs/day	No	Also over 40 hrs/week
Nevada	Over 8 hrs/day (wages ≤ threshold)	No	Also over 40 hrs/week
All other states	No daily rule	No	Over 40 hrs/week (FLSA)

Source: California DIR Labor Code §510; Alaska DOL Wage and Hour; Nevada Labor Commissioner

Nevada Note: Nevada’s daily overtime applies only to employees earning at or below 1.5× the state minimum wage (approximately $17.40/hr in 2026). Workers earning above that threshold are covered only by the federal 40-hour rule in Nevada.

For hourly workers in California, daily overtime makes a significant difference. A worker who consistently clocks 10-hour days may owe overtime even in a week where total hours never reach 40. This is why California workers should always use the daily OT mode in this calculator rather than the federal setting.

If you want to project how overtime earnings translate into annual compensation, try the Hourly to Salary Calculator to annualize your total weekly pay including regular and overtime wages.

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Common Use Cases for the Overtime Calculator

Verifying Your Paycheck

The most common use is confirming that your employer’s paycheck matches the legal calculation. Enter your hourly rate and the hours shown on your pay stub, then compare the calculator’s output to what you were paid. Discrepancies may indicate a payroll error or, in some cases, wage theft — a violation of the FLSA that employees can report to the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.

Payroll Planning for Managers

Managers can use the calculator before approving overtime to understand the exact cost. If a team member’s rate is $22/hr and you need 15 hours of OT, the calculator immediately shows the $495 overtime premium on top of regular pay — helping you decide whether to approve overtime or hire a temporary worker.

Budgeting Extra Income

If you are scheduled for overtime this week, knowing your gross pay in advance helps you plan savings, debt payments, or discretionary spending. Note that overtime earnings are taxed as regular income — they are not subject to a special tax rate. For a full picture of how overtime affects your take-home pay, use the Annual Income Calculator to estimate your projected yearly earnings, then run them through the gross-to-net tool.

Freelancers and Contractors Checking Client Rates

Independent contractors are generally not entitled to FLSA overtime (they are not employees), but those misclassified as contractors may have overtime rights. Workers who believe they are misclassified can consult the Department of Labor’s FLSA resources for guidance on proper classification.

Cross-State Workers

Employees who work in multiple states in a single week may need to apply different rules. Generally, the law of the state where the work is performed applies. California workers who perform even a portion of their work in California may be entitled to California’s more protective daily OT rules for those hours.

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Tips and Best Practices for Overtime Accuracy

Keep Your Own Time Records

The FLSA requires employers to keep accurate records of hours worked, but employees have no obligation to rely solely on employer timekeeping. Maintain your own log — a simple notes app entry each day showing start time, end time, and any unpaid breaks gives you independent documentation if a dispute arises.

Know Whether You Are Exempt or Non-Exempt

Not all employees are entitled to overtime. The FLSA exempts executive, administrative, and professional employees who earn at least $684/week and perform qualifying duties. If you are classified as exempt and believe the classification is incorrect, the DOL’s FLSA classification resources can help you assess eligibility. Misclassification affects a significant share of workers.

Include Non-Discretionary Bonuses in Your Rate

When you receive a production, efficiency, or attendance bonus during a week in which you also worked overtime, that bonus legally must be included in your regular rate before computing overtime. Divide the bonus by total hours worked that week to find the bonus’s contribution to the regular rate, then apply the 1.5× multiplier to the adjusted rate for overtime hours. The calculator supports this by letting you enter a blended regular rate.

Watch the Workweek Start Day

Overtime resets at the beginning of each workweek, which your employer defines. A workweek that starts on Sunday may produce a different overtime outcome than one starting on Monday for the same number of hours worked across two calendar weeks. Confirm your employer’s workweek definition to calculate correctly.

California Workers: Track Daily Hours Separately

Because California triggers overtime at 8 hours per day, employees must track daily totals — not just weekly. An employee who works 5 days × 9 hours = 45 hours has 5 hours of overtime under California law, even though the weekly total is only 45. Under federal law, that same employee would have 5 hours of overtime (45 − 40). The result is the same in this case, but a 4-day schedule with two 12-hour days and two 8-hour days (40 total) produces 8 hours of California overtime with zero federal overtime.

To model your full annual compensation including regular weeks and overtime weeks, the Bonus Paycheck Calculator can help you estimate how supplemental pay periods affect your overall annual gross income and withholding.

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Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates based on FLSA federal rules and state overtime statutes as of 2026. It does not constitute legal or financial advice. For complex overtime situations involving collective bargaining agreements, exempt/non-exempt classification questions, or wage dispute resolution, consult a qualified employment attorney or contact the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.