What Is an Overtime Pay Calculator?
An overtime pay calculator shows you exactly how much you'll earn in a pay period that includes overtime hours, separating your pay into regular hours (paid at your normal hourly rate) and overtime hours (paid at a higher rate, typically 1.5× or 2× your regular rate). This makes it easy to double-check a paycheck, estimate earnings before a busy week, or understand how much extra a shift of overtime is really worth.
How to Use the Calculator
- Enter your regular hourly rate.
- Enter your regular hours worked (typically up to 40 per week).
- Enter your overtime hours worked beyond your regular hours.
- Choose your overtime multiplier — 1.5× (time and a half) is the default and most common; 2× (double time) applies in some contracts, union agreements, or specific state rules.
- View your regular pay, overtime pay, and total gross pay for the period.
How Overtime Pay Is Calculated
The most common overtime rate in the United States is "time and a half" (1.5×), required under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for most non-exempt employees who work more than 40 hours in a single workweek. Some employers or union contracts also offer "double time" (2×) for certain circumstances, such as working on a holiday or exceeding a very high number of hours — but double time is not a general federal requirement.
Federal Overtime Rules (FLSA) — General Overview
The Fair Labor Standards Act sets a federal floor: covered, non-exempt employees must receive at least 1.5× their regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Whether an employee is "exempt" or "non-exempt" depends on factors like job duties and salary level, which is a legal classification beyond the scope of this calculator. This tool assumes you are being paid on an hourly, non-exempt basis and simply calculates the pay math for the hours and rate you enter.
State Rules Can Differ
Some states go beyond the federal FLSA minimum. For example, California generally requires daily overtime (1.5× after 8 hours in a single workday, and 2× after 12 hours in a day, with additional rules for the 7th consecutive workday), which is different from the federal "over 40 hours per week" standard. Other states may have their own thresholds or industry-specific rules. This calculator applies the general weekly-overtime pattern you specify — it does not automatically apply state-specific daily overtime rules, so check your own state's labor department for rules that may apply to you.
Worked Example
Regular pay: $20 × 40 = $800
Overtime rate: $20 × 1.5 = $30/hour
Overtime pay: $30 × 10 = $300
Total gross pay: $800 + $300 = $1,100
Important Notes
- This calculator computes gross pay before taxes and other deductions.
- It uses a simple weekly-overtime model (hours entered as "regular" vs. "overtime") — it does not automatically apply state-specific daily overtime rules like California's.
- Whether you're legally entitled to overtime depends on your exempt/non-exempt classification under the FLSA and any applicable state law — this tool assumes non-exempt, hourly pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Overtime pay is your hourly rate multiplied by an overtime multiplier (commonly 1.5×, or "time and a half"), applied to hours worked beyond your regular hours — typically 40 per week for non-exempt employees under federal law. Your total gross pay is your regular pay plus your overtime pay.
1.5x ("time and a half") is the federal minimum under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for most non-exempt employees working over 40 hours in a week. Some employers, union contracts, or specific circumstances (like certain holiday work or California's daily overtime rules) may pay 2x ("double time"), but that is not a general federal requirement.
It depends on whether the employee is classified as "exempt" or "non-exempt" under the FLSA, which is based on job duties and salary level rather than simply being paid a salary. Non-exempt salaried employees are still generally entitled to overtime pay, while exempt employees typically are not. This calculator assumes hourly, non-exempt pay.