Free Overtime Pay Calculator

Calculate weekly pay with overtime at 1.5× (time-and-a-half) or 2× (double-time). Covers FLSA-style 40-hour-week overtime.

Enter your details
$
Result
Enter your details on the left, then press Calculate.

More Everyday Tools tools

See all →

What is this calculator for?

You work hourly at $19/hour and your boss is asking you to pick up 12 hours of overtime this week. You want to know what your paycheck will look like — overtime is supposed to be 1.5× regular rate, but you're not sure if that's the law or just a company policy, and whether all 12 hours qualify. The overtime calculator shows you the math plus the federal and state-specific rules that determine whether you're entitled to OT pay.

Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires overtime pay at 1.5× regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek for "non-exempt" employees. Most hourly workers and some salaried workers qualify. Exempt categories (executive, administrative, professional, computer professional, outside sales) and salary thresholds (above $43,888/year as of 2024, rising to $58,656 in 2025) define who's NOT entitled to overtime. State laws often provide additional protections — California requires overtime after 8 hours per day, not just 40 per week; Alaska, Nevada, and some other states have daily overtime rules too.

This calculator computes overtime pay for a given week, accounts for shift differentials and bonus inclusion in "regular rate" calculation (a frequent source of underpayment), and applies state-specific rules where applicable.

How to use this calculator

Enter your regular hourly rate and hours worked in the relevant week. For multiple work types or weeks, enter each separately and the calculator sums.

Indicate whether you receive shift differentials (extra pay for nights, weekends, hazardous work, etc.) or non-discretionary bonuses tied to attendance, production, or quality. Both must be included in the "regular rate" used for OT calculation — a frequent payroll error. If you earn $20/hour base plus $2/hour night differential, your OT rate is 1.5 × $22 = $33/hour, not 1.5 × $20 = $30/hour.

Select your state. The calculator applies any state-specific overtime rules. Common state additions: California (daily OT over 8 hrs, double-time over 12 hrs), Alaska (similar daily OT), Nevada (daily OT if you make less than 1.5× minimum wage), Colorado (daily OT over 12 hrs), Oregon (mostly federal-equivalent but with industry-specific rules for agriculture and hospitality).

The calculator outputs regular pay, overtime pay, total weekly gross, and hourly rate equivalent for the week.

Understanding your results

The calculator returns regular hours pay, overtime hours pay at 1.5×, double-time pay at 2× (if applicable), total weekly gross, and the breakdown by category. For multi-week or annual projections: the cumulative effect of regular overtime on annual income.

How to read it. $19/hour, 52 hours worked in one week. Regular: 40 × $19 = $760. Overtime: 12 × $28.50 = $342. Total weekly: $1,102. Equivalent hourly across all 52 hours: $21.19. Working 12 hours of OT increased your hourly average by 11.5% — overtime is worth substantially more per hour than regular time.

The California double-time scenario. Same worker in California, hourly rate $19, works one shift of 14 hours. CA rules: first 8 hours regular, hours 9-12 at 1.5× (4 hours = $114), hours 13-14 at 2× (2 hours = $76). Plus 38 regular hours that week. Total: 38 × $19 + 8 × $19 + 4 × $28.50 + 2 × $38 = $722 + $152 + $114 + $76 = $1,064 for the week. The double-time kicks in above 12 hours per shift — common in healthcare and emergency services where 14+ hour shifts occur. CA also has 7th-consecutive-day rules: first 8 hours of the 7th day = OT; over 8 hours of the 7th day = double-time.

The "regular rate" trap. FLSA defines "regular rate" to include not just base hourly but also: non-discretionary bonuses (production bonuses, attendance bonuses, retention payments), shift differentials, premium for hazardous work. A worker earning $20/hour base + $300/month attendance bonus has a regular rate of $20 + ($300/4.33 weeks ÷ typical hours) ≈ $20.50/hour for OT calculation purposes. Employers who pay OT on base hourly only — ignoring the bonus inclusion — are underpaying and exposed to wage-and-hour lawsuits. Class-action wage suits often hinge on this issue.

Salaried-but-non-exempt. Some salaried employees are entitled to overtime — if their salary is below the FLSA threshold ($58,656/year as of 2025) OR if their duties don't meet the exempt category tests (executive, administrative, professional, computer, outside sales). A "salaried" manager making $48K and supervising 1-2 people might actually be non-exempt and entitled to overtime — the salary alone doesn't determine exemption. If you're salaried and consistently working 50+ hours, check whether your role truly meets exemption tests; if not, you may have a wage claim.

A worked example

Marcus is a warehouse worker in Houston, $19/hour base wage, with a $0.50/hour shift differential for night shifts. He works 56 hours one week — 40 regular + 16 OT — and 8 of his regular hours were night shift with the differential.

Regular rate for OT purposes: 8 hours × $19.50 (night) + 32 × $19.00 (day) ÷ 40 hours total = ($156 + $608) ÷ 40 = $19.10. OT rate: 1.5 × $19.10 = $28.65.

Total week:

Regular hours: 32 day × $19.00 + 8 night × $19.50 = $608 + $156 = $764.

OT hours: 16 × $28.65 = $458.40.

Total weekly gross: $1,222.40. Effective hourly average: $21.83 across 56 hours.

If Marcus's employer had calculated OT incorrectly using just the $19 base (ignoring the differential): OT rate would be $28.50 instead of $28.65 — a difference of $0.15/hour × 16 hours = $2.40 underpayment that week. Trivial alone, but $125/year if it happens every week, $625 over 5 years. Larger if he gets more night shifts or larger differentials. This is exactly the kind of underpayment that triggers Department of Labor audits and wage-and-hour lawsuits.

California variation: same Marcus, but in San Diego at $20/hour. One week he works 4 shifts: Mon 10 hrs, Tue 12 hrs, Wed 14 hrs, Thu 14 hrs = 50 hours total.

Mon: 8 regular + 2 OT = $160 + $60 = $220.

Tue: 8 regular + 4 OT = $160 + $120 = $280.

Wed: 8 regular + 4 OT + 2 DT = $160 + $120 + $80 = $360.

Thu: 8 regular + 4 OT + 2 DT = $360.

Total: $1,220 for 50 hours. Effective hourly: $24.40. The California rules generate higher OT pay than federal-only rules would on the same hours — particularly the double-time provision.

State-by-state variations

Federal OT (FLSA): 1.5× regular rate for hours over 40 per workweek. Applies in all states as a floor.

California: daily OT after 8 hours per day at 1.5×; double-time after 12 hours per day at 2×. 7th consecutive day rule: first 8 hours at 1.5×, over 8 hours at 2×. Strong meal-break and rest-break rules adding penalty pay for missed breaks.

Alaska: daily OT after 8 hours at 1.5× (similar to CA).

Colorado: daily OT after 12 hours at 1.5× (less aggressive than CA).

Nevada: daily OT after 8 hours if you earn less than 1.5× minimum wage; otherwise federal weekly-only rules.

Oregon: federal weekly rules with specific exceptions for agriculture (different OT thresholds), hospital workers (specific overtime caps), and some other categories.

Other states (TX, FL, GA, most non-coastal states): federal FLSA only, no additional daily OT requirements. Workers in these states get OT only after 40 hours per workweek; long single shifts within a 40-hour week don't trigger OT.

Industry-specific federal exemptions: agricultural workers (different OT thresholds), some transportation workers (Motor Carrier Act exemption), commission-based outside sales (no OT). Healthcare workers in 24-hour care facilities have specific OT rules under federal "8/80" rule (OT after 8 hours/day OR 80 hours per 14-day period). Always check whether your industry has carved exceptions.

Related resources

For broader compensation context, see Salary Converter, Paycheck Calculator, and Total Compensation Calculator. For minimum wage that's the baseline before OT applies, the Minimum Wage Lookup. The US Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division overtime page publishes the authoritative federal rules and state-by-state OT regulations.

Related calculators

percentage calculator

Frequently asked questions

When does overtime kick in under federal law?

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires 1.5× pay for hours worked over 40 in a single workweek for non-exempt employees. There is no federal daily-overtime requirement, but California, Alaska, Nevada, and a few others require overtime after 8 hours in a day.

Who is exempt from overtime?

Salaried employees in executive, administrative, professional, or outside-sales roles who meet the FLSA salary threshold (currently $35,568/year) and duties tests are exempt. Most hourly workers are non-exempt and entitled to overtime.

What is double-time?

Double-time (2× regular rate) is not required by federal law. California requires it after 12 hours in a day or for the 7th consecutive workday. Some union contracts include double-time for holidays. Always check your state law and employment contract.

Who is eligible for overtime pay?

Non-exempt employees, which is most hourly workers and some salaried workers. The FLSA exempts (NO overtime required): executives (manage 2+ employees, primary duty management, hire/fire authority), administrative (office or non-manual work directly related to management/operations, primary duty requires discretion and judgment), professional (work requires advanced knowledge in a field of science or learning, or creative/artistic work), outside sales (regularly works away from employer's place of business making sales), and computer employees (paid above $43.50/hour OR salary above $684/week and primarily work in systems analysis, programming, or design). Salary alone doesn't make someone exempt — duties must match. The 2024 update to FLSA raised the salary threshold for exemption to $58,656/year by 2025 (was $43,888 before).

Can my employer force me to work overtime?

Generally yes, as a condition of employment. Federal law doesn't limit how many hours an adult can be required to work (with some industry exceptions like transportation). Refusing to work scheduled overtime can be grounds for discipline or termination in at-will employment states (most US states). Exceptions: union contracts often limit mandatory overtime; some industries (nursing, some manufacturing) have state laws against mandatory consecutive hours over certain limits; collective bargaining agreements often add protections. If you're declining OT for medical, religious, or family-care reasons protected under FMLA or ADA, you may have additional rights. Practical strategy: refusing OT once or twice per year for personal reasons rarely triggers issues; refusing routinely usually does.

Is overtime calculated weekly or by pay period?

Weekly. FLSA defines overtime by workweek — typically 7 consecutive 24-hour periods. Your employer designates the workweek (Sunday-Saturday is most common but legally can be any consistent 7-day period). Overtime accumulates within the workweek; you can't average across pay periods. Working 30 hours one week and 50 hours the next means 10 hours of OT in week 2 — the 'extra' 10 hours in week 1 doesn't 'pre-pay' the OT in week 2. Some employers try to use 'comp time' (extra hours one week banked for time off later) to avoid OT pay; this is illegal in the private sector under FLSA (legal only for public-sector employers with specific agreements).

Does my employer have to pay me overtime if I worked through lunch?

Yes, if the time was 'suffered or permitted to work.' If your employer knew or should have known you were working and didn't stop it, the time counts as hours worked and overtime accumulates if you exceed 40 in the week. The 'I clocked out for lunch but kept working' scenario is technically still compensable time if the employer was aware. To deny pay, the employer would need to show you were genuinely off-duty (free to leave, no expectation of returning to work, etc.). Employers can require you to take genuine breaks, but they can't have you work through them and refuse pay. Wage-and-hour lawsuits commonly cite this issue for retail, restaurant, and warehouse workers.

What about salary employees — do they get overtime?

Depends on whether they're exempt or non-exempt. Salaried employees below $58,656/year (2025) automatically non-exempt — entitled to overtime regardless of job duties. Salaried employees above $58,656 may be exempt IF their job duties match one of the exempt categories (executive, administrative, professional, computer, outside sales). The duties test is more nuanced than the salary test; merely calling someone a 'manager' or paying them salary doesn't exempt them. If you're salaried, working 50+ hours regularly, and your duties don't clearly meet exempt criteria, you may be misclassified and owed years of back overtime. Wage-and-hour class actions for misclassification are common, especially in industries that title workers 'assistant manager' or 'team lead' without truly granting management authority.

Sources