How this overtime calculator works
Type your hourly rate and the hours you worked, and the calculator splits them into regular hours and overtime hours, then prices each. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) the default is that any hour past 40 in a single workweek is paid at one and a half times the regular rate, which is what "time and a half" means. So at $20 an hour, overtime pays $30 an hour, and a 46.5 hour week pays 40 × $20 plus 6.5 × $30, which is $995.
Hours can be typed the way they appear on a pay stub (46.5), the way they appear on a time card (46:30), or as 46h 30m. All three mean forty six and a half hours. If you have raw clock-in and clock-out times instead of a total, use the time card calculator, which adds up every punch for the week and applies the overtime rule for you.
The overtime formula
For a worker paid by the hour with no bonuses, overtime pay is simple:
- Regular pay = hourly rate × the first 40 hours.
- Overtime rate = hourly rate × 1.5.
- Overtime pay = overtime rate × hours over 40.
- Gross pay = regular pay + overtime pay.
| Hourly rate | Overtime rate (1.5x) | Double time (2x) | Pay for 45 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| $12.00 | $18.00 | $24.00 | $570.00 |
| $15.00 | $22.50 | $30.00 | $712.50 |
| $18.50 | $27.75 | $37.00 | $878.75 |
| $20.00 | $30.00 | $40.00 | $950.00 |
| $25.00 | $37.50 | $50.00 | $1,187.50 |
| $30.00 | $45.00 | $60.00 | $1,425.00 |
Weekly overtime versus daily overtime
Federal law only counts hours per workweek. Working 12 hours on Monday and 4 on Tuesday is not overtime under the FLSA as long as the week stays at or under 40. A handful of states go further and count each day. California pays time and a half after 8 hours in a day and double time after 12. Alaska and Nevada (for lower paid workers) pay daily overtime after 8, and Colorado after 12. Pick "8 hours a day" or "12 hours a day" above and enter a single day's hours to price one long shift, or run a full week through the California overtime calculator, which applies the daily, weekly and seventh day rules together. The states with daily overtime guide has the full list.
When your overtime rate is higher than 1.5 times your hourly wage
The 1.5x applies to the regular rate, and the regular rate is not always your posted hourly wage. Non-discretionary bonuses (attendance, production or safety bonuses you were promised), shift differentials and some commissions have to be folded into the regular rate before overtime is worked out. A worker paid $20 an hour who earns a $100 production bonus in a 50 hour week has a regular rate of $22 ($1,100 ÷ 50 hours), so each overtime hour is owed at least $33, not $30. This calculator assumes a plain hourly wage; if bonuses apply, divide total straight-time pay by total hours first and enter that as the rate.
Who does not get overtime
Salaried employees who meet the executive, administrative or professional exemption tests, outside sales staff, some agricultural workers, and independent contractors are not owed FLSA overtime. Being paid a salary alone does not make someone exempt; the duties test and a minimum salary level both have to be met. The U.S. Department of Labor overtime page explains the exemptions in detail.
Checking your paycheck
Payroll errors on overtime are common and usually come from one of three places: hours from two different workweeks being averaged together, a bonus left out of the regular rate, or rounded punches that always round in the employer's favour. To check a stub, total the hours for each workweek separately, confirm the overtime hours match, then multiply out the rate. If the numbers still do not agree, the pay stub should show the rate used; the difference between that and 1.5 times your hourly wage is where the question lies.