Income
Overtime Pay Calculator
Calculate gross weekly pay with regular hours plus overtime at 1.5x (time-and-a-half) or 2x (double-time). Useful for checking your paycheck, planning extra shifts, or seeing how much that extra Saturday is actually worth.
Income
Overtime Pay Calculator
Result
Overtime pay is one of the most underestimated parts of an hourly wage. Time-and-a-half (1.5x) on hours over 40 per week meaningfully boosts gross pay — but most workers don't run the math before agreeing to extra shifts, and many salaried workers don't realize they may legally be entitled to overtime they're not receiving. This calculator runs the math for any combination of regular hours, overtime hours, and overtime rate, so you can see exactly what a given week's pay looks like and decide whether the extra hours are worth it.
What's happening under the hood
You enter four values and we compute weekly gross pay:
- Hourly rate. Your regular rate of pay per hour.
- Regular hours. Hours worked at standard pay (typically up to 40 per week under federal law).
- Overtime hours. Hours over the standard threshold that qualify for overtime pay.
- Overtime multiplier. Federal law requires 1.5x for over 40 hours/week. Some states require 2x (double-time) in specific situations. Use whatever your state and employer use.
The math is straightforward: (regular hours × hourly rate) + (overtime hours × hourly rate × multiplier). The output is your gross weekly pay before taxes and deductions.
What this number actually means
The most useful framing is comparing the overtime pay to your regular wage. A few takeaways usually emerge:
- Overtime hours pay 50-100% more than regular hours. This means a Saturday shift at 1.5x earns the same as 6 hours of regular pay. At 2x, the same 8-hour Saturday earns the same as 16 hours of regular weekday pay.
- The marginal hourly rate is higher than the average. At $25/hour regular, your overtime hourly rate is $37.50 (at 1.5x) or $50 (at 2x). When deciding whether extra hours are worth it, that's the rate that matters — not your average.
- Taxes apply normally. Overtime is taxed at your regular marginal rate, not a higher "overtime rate" (despite a common myth). It does mean a single big paycheck might have more taken out due to withholding tables, but the actual annual tax liability is the same per dollar.
Federal overtime law — the basics
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), passed in 1938, sets the federal baseline. The key rules:
Threshold: Hours over 40 in a single workweek (defined as a fixed 168-hour period).
Rate: 1.5x the employee's regular rate of pay (time-and-a-half).
Who's covered: Non-exempt employees. The exemption tests cover executive, administrative, professional, computer, and outside sales roles meeting both salary and duties tests.
Salary threshold for exempt status (2024): $43,888/year. Workers paid less than this are generally non-exempt regardless of job title.
Federal law sets a floor; states can require more. Several states (especially California) have significantly stricter overtime requirements.
State overtime rules that go beyond federal
If you live in one of these states, you may be entitled to overtime in situations where federal law alone wouldn't trigger it:
- California. 1.5x for hours over 8 in a single day, 2x for over 12 hours in a day. 1.5x for the first 8 hours on the 7th consecutive workday, 2x after that.
- Alaska. 1.5x for hours over 8 in a single day (for employers with 4+ employees).
- Nevada. 1.5x daily overtime for workers earning less than 1.5x the state minimum wage.
- Colorado. 1.5x for hours over 12 per day, or over 12 consecutive hours regardless of starting and ending times.
- Oregon and Washington. Manufacturing-specific daily overtime rules in addition to the weekly threshold.
When state and federal rules conflict, employers must follow whichever is more generous to the employee. Check your state's Department of Labor website for the current rules in your state.
When salaried doesn't mean exempt
One of the most common workplace misunderstandings: being paid a salary doesn't automatically make you exempt from overtime. To be legally exempt under federal law, you must meet ALL of these:
- Salary basis test. Paid a predetermined salary not subject to reductions based on quality or quantity of work.
- Salary threshold test. Earn at least $43,888 per year (2024 threshold; $58,656 effective July 2024 update, though portions are under legal challenge).
- Duties test. Primary duties match one of the FLSA-defined exempt categories (executive, administrative, professional, computer, outside sales) with the specific criteria for each.
Many "salaried" workers in retail management, junior IT, customer service supervision, and various coordinator roles are misclassified as exempt when they technically meet none of the criteria. The Department of Labor recovered over $230 million in back wages from overtime misclassification in 2023 alone. If you're salaried but routinely work over 40 hours per week without overtime pay, it's worth checking the duties test for your specific role.
Strategies for working with overtime
Whether you're earning overtime regularly or considering an extra shift, a few things help:
- Track your hours carefully. Federal law requires employers to keep accurate records, but workers should keep their own copies — disputes over hours worked are common, and the worker without records loses most of them.
- Understand the "regular rate" calculation. If you earn shift differentials, performance bonuses, or commissions, your overtime should be calculated on a "regular rate of pay" that includes those amounts, not just the base hourly rate. Many employers miscalculate this.
- Don't auto-decline overtime if money is tight. At 1.5x, an extra 5 hours per week adds 19% to weekly gross pay. At 2x, the same hours add 25%. The math can shorten emergency-fund timelines or accelerate debt payoff substantially.
- Watch for burnout signals. Sustained overtime work (40+ hours/week of overtime, or 60+ hour total weeks) accumulates real health costs. The financial gains are real but bounded; the recovery time after burnout is sometimes longer than the savings buys you.
- Negotiate compensatory time for exempt roles. If you're truly exempt and working substantial overtime, comp time, flex hours, or schedule adjustments can substitute for monetary overtime. Some employers offer this proactively; others negotiate when asked.
- Check your pay stubs. Look for "regular hours" and "overtime hours" line items. Verify the overtime rate matches your regular rate times 1.5 (or the appropriate multiplier).
When this estimate won't match your paycheck
The calculator gives a clean weekly figure. Real paychecks have several wrinkles:
- Pay period differs from workweek. Most workers are paid biweekly or semi-monthly, but overtime is calculated weekly. A single pay period may contain different overtime situations across its weeks.
- Tax withholding on big checks. Withholding tables can withhold more from a single overtime-heavy paycheck than you actually owe, leading to a tax refund the following year. The annual tax bill doesn't change.
- Different multipliers apply. Holiday pay, weekend differentials, and shift premiums all stack with overtime in different ways depending on employer policy and state law.
- "Comp time" instead of overtime pay. Some public sector workers receive compensatory time off (at 1.5x) instead of additional pay. Private sector workers can't legally take comp time in lieu of overtime pay.
- Salary divided by hours. For salaried non-exempt workers, the regular rate is salary divided by hours actually worked, which can vary week to week.
Frequently asked questions
When am I entitled to overtime pay?
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), non-exempt employees must be paid 1.5x their regular rate for any hours worked over 40 in a single workweek. Whether you're entitled to overtime depends on three factors: your employment classification (non-exempt vs exempt), your job duties, and your state's laws. Most hourly workers and many salaried workers earning less than $43,888 per year (2024 threshold) are non-exempt and entitled to overtime.
How is overtime pay calculated?
Standard federal overtime is your regular hourly rate multiplied by 1.5 for each hour over 40 in a workweek. Example: at $20 per hour, working 45 hours produces 40 regular hours at $20 ($800) plus 5 overtime hours at $30 ($150), for $950 gross weekly pay. Some states require additional overtime tiers — California, for instance, requires 2x (double-time) for hours over 12 in a single day or over 8 on the seventh consecutive workday.
Are salaried employees eligible for overtime?
Sometimes. Salaried status alone doesn't exempt you from overtime — the role must meet specific criteria under the FLSA: paid on a salary basis above $43,888 per year (2024), and performing duties that qualify as executive, administrative, professional, computer, or outside sales. If your salaried role doesn't meet all the criteria, you're legally entitled to overtime even if your employer classifies you as exempt. The Department of Labor has investigated thousands of misclassification cases.
Which states have stricter overtime rules than federal law?
Several states require overtime beyond what federal law mandates. California requires 1.5x for hours over 8 per day and 2x for hours over 12 per day or 8 on the 7th consecutive workday. Alaska requires overtime over 8 hours daily. Nevada has similar daily overtime rules for lower-paid workers. Colorado requires overtime over 12 hours daily. When state and federal rules conflict, employers must follow whichever is more generous to the employee.
Do bonuses affect overtime pay?
Non-discretionary bonuses — those promised based on performance, productivity, or attendance — must be included in the regular rate used to calculate overtime. This is called the "regular rate of pay" calculation. Truly discretionary bonuses (unexpected, not promised) and gifts can be excluded. Many employers miscalculate this, resulting in overtime underpayment for workers receiving commission, shift differentials, or performance bonuses. Even small bonus amounts can meaningfully change the overtime rate.
Can my employer require me to work overtime?
Yes, in most cases. Federal law doesn't limit the number of hours an employer can require from non-emergency adult workers, as long as overtime is paid for hours over 40 per week. Some states have day-of-rest laws or require advance notice for schedule changes (especially for retail or service workers). Refusing required overtime can be grounds for termination unless covered by a union contract, FMLA leave, or specific state protections. Healthcare workers and certain protected categories have additional state-level protections in some states.
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Before you act on this
WalletCalcs provides educational estimates only. Results are not financial, tax, lending, legal, or investment advice. Overtime laws vary by state and change over time; if you believe you're owed overtime that wasn't paid, contact your state Department of Labor or an employment attorney.