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Formula
Gross pay = (regular hours × rate) + (overtime hours × rate × multiplier) + (double-time hours × rate × 2)
- rate
- the regular hourly rate of pay
- regular hours
- hours worked up to the overtime threshold (40 under the FLSA)
- overtime hours
- hours worked above the threshold that are not paid at double time
- multiplier
- the overtime premium, 1.5 for time and a half
- double-time hours
- any overtime hours that a state rule or contract pays at twice the regular rate
What the calculator works out
Enter your hourly rate and the total hours you worked in one workweek, and the overtime pay calculator returns:
- Gross pay for the week, regular and overtime together.
- Regular pay for the hours up to the threshold.
- Overtime rate and overtime pay for the hours above it.
- Double-time pay, if you enter any double-time hours.
- Average pay per hour worked, which shows how much overtime lifts your effective rate.
The defaults follow the federal rule in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): overtime after 40 hours in a workweek at one and a half times the regular rate. Both numbers are editable, so you can model a union contract that pays double after 40 hours, a policy with overtime after 37.5 hours, or a state rule.
How to use it
- Enter your regular hourly rate.
- Enter the total hours worked in the workweek, including the overtime hours. Do not include unpaid meal breaks.
- Leave overtime after at 40 unless your contract or state rule differs.
- Leave the multiplier at 1.5 for time and a half, or change it (2 for double time on all overtime hours).
- If some of the overtime hours are paid at double time, enter how many in the last field.
If you clock in and out at different times each day, total the week first with the time card calculator or the hours calculator.
How overtime pay is calculated
Overtime pay splits the week into two (or three) groups of hours, each paid at its own rate:
- Regular hours are the hours up to the threshold, paid at the regular rate.
- Overtime hours are the hours above the threshold, paid at the regular rate × the multiplier.
- Double-time hours, if any, are part of the overtime hours but paid at 2 × the regular rate instead.
Gross pay is the sum of the three. Because each group is paid at a fixed rate, you never need to worry about the order in which the hours were worked within the week.
Calculating overtime pay by hand
Say you earn $24 an hour and worked 46 hours this week.
- Regular pay: 40 × $24 = $960.
- Overtime rate: $24 × 1.5 = $36 an hour.
- Overtime pay: 6 × $36 = $216.
- Gross pay: $960 + $216 = $1,176.
- Average per hour worked: $1,176 ÷ 46 = $25.57.
A quicker way to think about it: every overtime hour pays one ordinary hour plus a half-hour premium. Six hours of overtime at $24 adds six “half hours” of $12, or $72, on top of 46 × $24 = $1,104.
Overtime pay chart
Gross weekly pay with time and a half after 40 hours.
| Hourly rate | Time and a half | Double time | 45 hours | 50 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $22.50 | $30.00 | $712.50 | $825.00 |
| $18.00 | $27.00 | $36.00 | $855.00 | $990.00 |
| $22.00 | $33.00 | $44.00 | $1,045.00 | $1,210.00 |
| $25.00 | $37.50 | $50.00 | $1,187.50 | $1,375.00 |
| $30.00 | $45.00 | $60.00 | $1,425.00 | $1,650.00 |
Daily overtime and double time
Federal overtime is purely weekly, but a few states add daily rules. California is the best-known example: non-exempt employees earn time and a half after 8 hours in a workday and double time after 12, plus special rules for the seventh consecutive day of work.
To use the overtime pay calculator for a single California workday, set the threshold to 8 and enter the hours over 12 as double-time hours. A 13-hour day at $26 works out to 8 regular hours ($208), 4 hours at time and a half ($156) and 1 hour at double time ($52), or $416 in total. For a full week under daily rules, add up each day’s overtime separately, because the weekly total alone does not tell you which hours were daily overtime.
Who is entitled to overtime
The FLSA covers most hourly workers. Many salaried employees are covered too, unless they meet one of the exemptions, which look at both how much they are paid and what their job involves. Some groups, such as certain agricultural workers, are exempt under separate rules. Your employer cannot have you waive overtime you are owed, and overtime must be paid even if it was not authorized in advance.
If your pay includes bonuses or commissions, your true “regular rate” may be higher than your base hourly wage, which makes the overtime rate higher too. The overtime pay calculator uses the rate you enter, so enter the full regular rate if you know it. If you are salaried and non-exempt, convert your salary with the salary to hourly calculator first.
Common mistakes
- Averaging hours across two weeks. Each workweek is calculated on its own.
- Paying the premium on only half the overtime. The overtime rate applies to every hour above the threshold.
- Counting double-time hours twice. Double-time hours replace overtime hours; they are not added on top.
- Using the base wage when bonuses apply. Nondiscretionary bonuses usually have to be folded into the regular rate.
Glossary
- Workweek. A fixed, recurring period of 168 hours (seven consecutive 24-hour days) set by the employer.
- Regular rate. The hourly rate actually paid for a normal, non-overtime workweek, including most nondiscretionary extra pay.
- Time and a half. Pay at 1.5 times the regular rate.
- Non-exempt. An employee covered by the FLSA’s overtime requirement.
Worked examples
Five hours of time and a half
A $20-an-hour employee works 45 hours in one workweek; overtime starts after 40 hours at 1.5×.
Inputs: Regular hourly rate = $20; Total hours worked this week = 45 hours; Overtime after = 40 hours/week; Overtime multiplier = 1.5 ×
Regular: 40 h × $20.00 = $800.00 Overtime rate: $20.00 × 1.5 = $30.00 Overtime: 5 h × $30.00 = $150.00 Total = $800.00 + $150.00 = $950.00
Answer: 45 hours at $20.00 with overtime after 40 hours at 1.5×: $950.00 gross for the week ($150.00 of it overtime).
A long week at $18.50 an hour
52 hours at $18.50 an hour, with 12 hours over the 40-hour FLSA threshold.
Inputs: Regular hourly rate = $18.50; Total hours worked this week = 52 hours; Overtime after = 40 hours/week; Overtime multiplier = 1.5 ×
Regular: 40 h × $18.50 = $740.00 Overtime rate: $18.50 × 1.5 = $27.75 Overtime: 12 h × $27.75 = $333.00 Total = $740.00 + $333.00 = $1,073.00
Answer: 52 hours at $18.50 with overtime after 40 hours at 1.5×: $1,073.00 gross for the week ($333.00 of it overtime).
Overtime with two hours of double time
50 hours at $30, where 2 of the 10 overtime hours are paid at double time under a state rule or contract.
Inputs: Regular hourly rate = $30; Total hours worked this week = 50 hours; Overtime after = 40 hours/week; Overtime multiplier = 1.5 ×; Of the overtime, hours paid at double time = 2 hours
Regular: 40 h × $30.00 = $1,200.00 Overtime rate: $30.00 × 1.5 = $45.00 Overtime: 8 h × $45.00 = $360.00 Double time: 2 h × $60.00 = $120.00 Total = $1,200.00 + $360.00 + $120.00 = $1,680.00
Answer: 50 hours at $30.00 with overtime after 40 hours at 1.5×: $1,680.00 gross for the week ($480.00 of it overtime).
A short week with no overtime
36 hours at $25 an hour, below the 40-hour threshold, so every hour is paid at the regular rate.
Inputs: Regular hourly rate = $25; Total hours worked this week = 36 hours; Overtime after = 40 hours/week; Overtime multiplier = 1.5 ×
Regular: 36 h × $25.00 = $900.00 Overtime rate: $25.00 × 1.5 = $37.50 Overtime: 0 h × $37.50 = $0.00 Total = $900.00 + $0.00 = $900.00
Answer: 36 hours at $25.00 with overtime after 40 hours at 1.5×: $900.00 gross for the week ($0.00 of it overtime).
Assumptions and limitations
- The threshold applies to one workweek of 168 hours. The federal rule is overtime after 40 hours in a workweek; hours cannot be averaged across two or more weeks.
- The rate you enter is treated as the regular rate. Under the FLSA, the regular rate must include most nondiscretionary bonuses, shift differentials and commissions, which would raise the overtime rate above 1.5 × the base wage.
- Double-time hours are taken out of the overtime hours, so they are never paid twice. The calculator does not apply daily overtime rules itself; enter the double-time hours your state or contract specifies.
- Results are gross pay before taxes and deductions. Tax treatment of overtime pay is not modeled.
- Exempt employees (many salaried executive, administrative and professional workers) are not owed FLSA overtime, and the calculator does not check whether you are exempt.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate time and a half?
Multiply your regular hourly rate by 1.5. At $22 an hour, time and a half is $33 an hour. Each overtime hour is paid at that rate, so 5 overtime hours add $165 to the regular pay for the first 40 hours.
When does overtime start under federal law?
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, covered non-exempt employees must be paid at least one and a half times their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Federal law does not require overtime for working more than 8 hours in a day, or on weekends or holidays as such.
Is overtime calculated per day or per week?
Federally it is per week. A few states also have daily overtime. California, for example, requires time and a half after 8 hours in a workday and double time after 12. Use the threshold and double-time fields to match your state's rule.
What is double time?
Double time is pay at twice the regular rate. It is not required by federal law, but some states and many union contracts and employer policies require it for certain hours, such as long days or the seventh consecutive workday.
Can my employer average my hours over two weeks?
No, not for FLSA overtime. Each workweek stands alone. Working 50 hours one week and 30 the next still earns 10 hours of overtime for the first week, even though the two-week total is 80 hours.
Do salaried employees get overtime?
Some do. Being paid a salary does not by itself make someone exempt. Exemption depends on salary level and job duties. Non-exempt salaried employees are owed overtime based on the hourly equivalent of their salary, which the salary to hourly calculator can work out.
Sources
- Overtime Pay — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Checked October 10, 2026.
- 29 U.S. Code § 207 — Maximum hours — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked October 10, 2026.
- 29 CFR § 778.107 — General standard for overtime pay — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations). Checked October 10, 2026.
- Overtime (frequently asked questions) — California Department of Industrial Relations, Labor Commissioner's Office. Checked October 10, 2026.