How is overtime pay calculated?

Overtime pay equals your regular hourly rate multiplied by 1.5, multiplied by the number of hours worked beyond 40 in a single workweek. For example, at $20/hour with 5 overtime hours: 20 × 1.5 × 5 = $150 in overtime pay, on top of your regular pay for the first 40 hours.

What is time and a half?

Time and a half means 1.5 times your regular hourly rate. It's the federal minimum overtime rate required under the FLSA for non-exempt employees who work more than 40 hours in a workweek. A $16/hour employee earns $24/hour for each overtime hour.

After how many hours does overtime start?

Under federal law (FLSA), overtime starts after 40 hours worked in a single workweek. Some states, including California and Nevada, also require daily overtime after 8 hours in a single day, which is stricter than the federal standard and applies when state law is more generous to the employee.

What is double-time pay and when does it apply?

Double-time pay is 2 times the regular hourly rate. It is not required by federal law but is mandated in specific situations by some states — for example, California requires double-time for hours worked beyond 12 in a single day, or beyond 8 hours on a seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek.

Are salaried employees entitled to overtime pay?

It depends. Being paid a salary doesn't automatically exempt an employee from overtime. Under the FLSA, exemption requires meeting both a minimum salary threshold and specific job duties tests (executive, administrative, professional, or outside sales roles). Salaried employees who don't meet both tests are still entitled to overtime pay.

Does overtime apply to hourly employees only, or salaried too?

Overtime eligibility depends on FLSA exemption status, not pay structure. Non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime whether paid hourly or on a salary basis; exempt employees, typically higher-earning employees in qualifying executive, administrative, or professional roles, are not entitled to overtime regardless of how they're paid.

How do I calculate overtime for a 48-hour workweek?

Subtract 40 from your total hours to find overtime hours (48 − 40 = 8). Multiply your regular rate by 40 for regular pay, then multiply your regular rate by 1.5 and by 8 for overtime pay. At $22.50/hour: regular pay = $900.00, overtime pay = $270.00, total = $1,170.00.

How do I calculate time and a half?

Multiply your regular hourly rate by 1.5, then by the overtime hours. At $20/hour, time and a half is $30/hour — 10 overtime hours adds $300. This calculator does it automatically and adds it to your regular pay.

Overtime Calculator

Tax & Salary

Calculate overtime pay at time and a half or double time

Hourly Rate

Regular Hours

Overtime Hours

Under U.S. federal law, most hourly employees who work more than 40 hours in a workweek are entitled to overtime pay at 1.5 times their regular hourly rate — commonly called "time and a half" — for every hour beyond that 40-hour threshold. This rule comes from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and applies regardless of whether the extra hours were scheduled, requested, or simply happened because a shift ran long.

This overtime calculator takes your regular hourly rate and total hours worked in a week and instantly breaks out your regular pay, your overtime pay, and your total weekly paycheck. It correctly separates the first 40 hours (paid at your normal rate) from any hours beyond 40 (paid at 1.5×), so you don't have to do the two-part math by hand or risk miscalculating what you're owed.

The calculator also supports double-time scenarios, since a small number of states — most notably California — require 2× pay in specific situations, such as hours worked beyond 12 in a single day. Enter your numbers below to see exactly what your overtime hours are worth.

Why Overtime Calculator Matters

Understanding overtime pay calculations matters for both employees checking their paychecks and employers ensuring legal compliance.

Verifying your paycheck is correct: Overtime miscalculation is one of the most common wage-and-hour errors employers make, whether from clerical mistakes or misunderstanding which employees qualify. Independently calculating your expected overtime pay lets you spot underpayment before it becomes a pattern, and the FLSA gives eligible employees the right to recover unpaid overtime, sometimes with additional penalties.

Deciding whether extra hours are worth it: Knowing that an extra 5 hours in a week pays 1.5× your normal rate — not just your normal rate — changes the calculus on whether to pick up an extra shift or push through a busy week, since the effective value of that time is meaningfully higher than your base rate.

Understanding exemptions and eligibility: Not all employees are entitled to overtime. The FLSA exempts certain salaried employees in executive, administrative, professional, and outside sales roles who meet specific salary and duties tests. Knowing whether you're classified correctly as exempt or non-exempt is itself an important check, since misclassification denies eligible workers overtime pay they're legally owed.

The Overtime Calculator Formula, Explained

Overtime pay = Regular rate × 1.5 × Overtime hours | Total pay = (Regular rate × 40) + (Regular rate × 1.5 × Overtime hours)

Under the FLSA, the standard workweek threshold is 40 hours. Hours up to 40 are paid at your regular hourly rate; every hour beyond 40 is paid at 1.5× that rate ("time and a half"). Overtime hours = Total hours worked − 40 (when total hours exceed 40; otherwise there is no overtime).

Total weekly pay = Regular pay for the first 40 hours + Overtime pay for hours beyond 40, which expands to (Regular rate × 40) + (Regular rate × 1.5 × Overtime hours).

Some states impose stricter rules than the federal minimum. California, for example, requires overtime (1.5×) for hours worked beyond 8 in a single day, not just 40 in a week, and requires double-time (2×) for hours worked beyond 12 in a single day, or beyond 8 on a seventh consecutive workday. Always check your specific state's labor law, since state rules apply whenever they're more generous to the employee than the federal FLSA standard.

How to Use the Overtime Calculator: Step by Step

Enter your regular hourly rate
Input your normal, non-overtime hourly pay rate before taxes.
Enter total hours worked in the week
Input the total number of hours you worked in the workweek, including any hours beyond the standard 40.
Let the calculator split regular and overtime hours
The tool automatically separates the first 40 hours (paid at your regular rate) from any hours beyond 40 (paid at 1.5×).
Check for state-specific double-time rules
If you're in a state like California with daily overtime and double-time thresholds, enter your daily hour breakdown if the calculator supports it, or manually verify hours beyond 12 in a single day against the 2× rate.
Review your total weekly pay
The calculator shows your regular pay, overtime pay, and combined total for the week so you can verify it against your actual paycheck.

Overtime Calculator Examples: Real-World Scenarios

Standard Weekly Overtime

Chris earns $18.00 per hour and worked 45 hours this week at a job with standard federal overtime rules (1.5× beyond 40 hours/week).

Regular rate:$18.00

Hours worked:45

Overtime hours:5 (45 − 40)

Calculation

Overtime pay = 18.00 × 1.5 × 5 = $135.00 | Total pay = (18.00 × 40) + 135.00 = 720.00 + 135.00 = $855.00

Result

Chris earns $855.00 total for the week: $720.00 in regular pay plus $135.00 in overtime pay for the 5 extra hours.

A Longer Overtime Week

Dana earns $22.50 per hour and worked 48 hours in a week, 8 hours beyond the standard 40-hour threshold.

Regular rate:$22.50

Hours worked:48

Overtime hours:8 (48 − 40)

Calculation

Overtime pay = 22.50 × 1.5 × 8 = $270.00 | Total pay = (22.50 × 40) + 270.00 = 900.00 + 270.00 = $1,170.00

Result

Dana earns $1,170.00 total for the week: $900.00 regular pay plus $270.00 overtime pay.

California Daily Double-Time Scenario

Eli, working in California at $25.00/hour, works a single 14-hour shift. Under California's daily overtime rules, hours 1–8 are regular, hours 9–12 are paid at 1.5×, and hours beyond 12 are paid at 2×.

Regular rate:$25.00

Regular hours (1–8):8

Overtime hours (9–12, 1.5×):4

Double-time hours (13–14, 2×):2

Calculation

Regular = 25.00 × 8 = $200.00 | Overtime = 25.00 × 1.5 × 4 = $150.00 | Double-time = 25.00 × 2 × 2 = $100.00 | Total = 200.00 + 150.00 + 100.00 = $450.00

Result

Eli earns $450.00 for the single 14-hour shift under California's daily overtime and double-time rules — significantly more than the $350.00 he'd earn under a flat 40-hour-per-week-only rule applied to a single day, illustrating why state rules matter.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming overtime is based on daily hours everywhere — federal FLSA overtime is based on hours beyond 40 in a workweek, not hours beyond 8 in a day; daily overtime rules like California's are state-specific exceptions, not the national standard.
Forgetting that overtime applies to the hours beyond 40, not the entire week's hours — the first 40 hours are still paid at the regular rate; only the hours above 40 get the 1.5× multiplier.
Misclassifying salaried employees as automatically exempt from overtime — exemption depends on meeting both a minimum salary threshold and specific duties tests under the FLSA, not simply being paid a salary.
Averaging hours across two weeks to avoid overtime — the 40-hour threshold applies per single workweek; an employer cannot average 30 hours one week and 50 the next to avoid paying overtime on the 50-hour week.

Tips & Tricks

Time-and-a-half means exactly what it says: your overtime hourly rate is 1.5 times your regular rate, so a $20/hour worker earns $30/hour for overtime hours, not $20 plus a flat bonus.
If you believe you've been misclassified as exempt from overtime, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division provides guidance and can investigate potential FLSA violations.
Check your state's labor department for rules beyond the federal minimum — several states, not just California, have daily overtime thresholds or other worker protections stronger than the FLSA baseline.

Overtime pay calculations are simple in concept — 1.5× your rate beyond 40 hours a week — but easy to get wrong when double-time rules, daily thresholds, or exemption status come into play. Use this calculator to verify your paycheck, and check the hourly to salary calculator or paycheck calculator to see how overtime earnings affect your broader annual income and take-home pay.

Overtime Calculator — Frequently Asked Questions

Related Calculators

Hourly to Salary Calculator

convert your hourly rate, including overtime, into an annual salary

Salary to Hourly Calculator

find your true hourly rate from an annual salary

Paycheck Calculator

estimate take-home pay including overtime earnings

Raise Calculator

see how a raise changes your regular and overtime pay rate

Authoritative References

U.S. Department of Labor — Overtime Pay (FLSA)

dol.gov — Official federal overtime rules and eligibility guidance

U.S. Department of Labor — Fair Labor Standards Act

dol.gov — Full text and summary of the federal wage and hour law

External links open in a new tab. OmniCalc.us is not affiliated with these organisations.

Related Calculators

Income Tax Calculator

Tax & Salary

GST/HST Calculator (Canada)

Tax & Salary

Sales Tax Calculator

Tax & Salary

Paycheck Calculator

Tax & Salary

Hourly to Salary

Tax & Salary

Salary to Hourly

Tax & Salary