🕒 Overtime Pay Calculator

Last updated: December 17, 2025

🕒 Overtime Pay Calculator

Compute regular + overtime earnings for any week

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Weekly Pay Breakdown
Regular hours worked
Overtime hours worked
Overtime rate
Regular pay
Overtime pay
Total Weekly Gross Pay

How to Calculate Your Overtime Pay — And Make Sure You're Getting Every Dollar You're Owed

Overtime pay sounds simple on paper: work more than your standard hours, earn more per hour. But the moment you sit down to actually verify your paycheck, things get murky fast. Which hours count? What's the right multiplier? Does your employer's "standard week" match what the law requires? This guide breaks it all down so you can calculate your overtime earnings with confidence — and catch errors before they cost you money.

The Basic Formula (And Why It Matters to Get It Right)

Every overtime calculation comes down to three numbers: your base hourly rate, your standard weekly threshold, and your overtime multiplier. The math itself is not complicated:

  • Regular pay = (hours up to standard threshold) × base rate
  • Overtime pay = (hours beyond threshold) × (base rate × multiplier)
  • Total gross = regular pay + overtime pay

Where employees get shortchanged — often unknowingly — is in how employers set the threshold or choose the multiplier. Under the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the default threshold is 40 hours per week and the minimum multiplier is 1.5× (time-and-a-half). Some states, like California, go further: any hours beyond 8 in a single day trigger overtime, and hours beyond 12 in a day trigger double time at 2.0×. Always check the rule that applies to your specific location and contract.

Understanding Overtime Multipliers

The multiplier is where there is the most variation. Here are the most common ones you will encounter:

  • 1.25× (time-and-a-quarter) — Sometimes seen in employment contracts in the UK, India, and parts of Europe. Not standard in the US but legal in some sectors.
  • 1.5× (time-and-a-half) — The US federal minimum for most employees working beyond 40 hours a week. This is the most widely applied rate globally.
  • 1.75× (time-and-three-quarters) — Occasionally appears in collective bargaining agreements, especially in manufacturing or logistics for weekend or holiday overtime.
  • 2.0× (double time) — Required in California for hours beyond 12 in a day, or for any hours worked on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek. Many companies also pay double time voluntarily for holidays.

Your employment contract might specify a different rate entirely — some companies negotiate rates above the legal minimum as a benefit. Always check your offer letter, employee handbook, or union agreement.

The "Regular Rate" Trap: Why Your OT Base May Be Higher Than You Think

Here is a detail that trips up both employers and employees: under the FLSA, overtime must be calculated based on your regular rate of pay — not just your listed hourly wage. The regular rate includes most forms of compensation you receive in that week, such as non-discretionary bonuses, shift differentials, and commissions. Only discretionary bonuses, gifts, and certain expense reimbursements are excluded.

Practical example: If you earn $18/hr and also receive a weekly production bonus of $50, and you work 50 hours that week, your regular rate is not simply $18. It is ($18 × 50 + $50) ÷ 50 = $19/hr. Your overtime pay for those 10 extra hours would be calculated at $19 × 1.5 = $28.50/hr — not $27/hr as a straight wage calculation would suggest.

This distinction is one of the most commonly litigated areas of wage law. If your employer pays you a performance bonus and doesn't factor it into your overtime base, they may owe you back wages.

Salaried Workers: Are You Even Eligible?

Many salaried employees assume they are simply not eligible for overtime. That is frequently wrong. Under FLSA rules (updated in 2024), salaried employees who earn less than $684 per week ($35,568/year) are generally entitled to overtime pay regardless of their job title. Above that threshold, it depends on whether your duties qualify you as "exempt" — executive, administrative, or professional roles can be exempt, but only if the duties test is truly met, not just because your employer labels your role that way.

For salaried non-exempt employees, computing the regular hourly rate means dividing weekly salary by hours actually worked, then applying the 1.5× multiplier to hours over 40. Some employers instead use the "fluctuating workweek" method, which can legally reduce your overtime premium — but only under specific conditions, and only if your hours genuinely fluctuate each week.

Overtime in a Pay Period vs. a Workweek

One of the most common employer errors — sometimes deliberate — is calculating overtime across a two-week pay period instead of weekly. The FLSA is clear: overtime is determined by the workweek, a fixed and recurring seven-day period. If you work 50 hours in week one and 30 in week two, you are owed 10 hours of overtime for week one, even if the total (80 hours) matches a standard two-week period. Averaging the two weeks to claim you owe no overtime is illegal under federal law.

Quick Tips for Checking Your Own Paycheck

You should not need an attorney to verify your pay. Here is a fast checklist you can run every pay period:

  • Identify your threshold: Is it 40 hours (federal/most states), or does your state or contract use a daily trigger?
  • Count your hours carefully: Include all time you were required to be at work or on call, even if not all of it was "busy" time.
  • Compute your true regular rate: Add up all non-exempt compensation (wages + non-discretionary bonuses + shift pay) and divide by total hours worked.
  • Apply the correct multiplier: 1.5× minimum in the US; check your contract for anything higher.
  • Cross-check the line items on your stub: Does the "overtime hours" figure match your records? Does the OT rate equal 1.5× your regular rate?

State Law Can Be More Generous — Know Yours

Federal law sets the floor, but states can — and many do — go higher. California's daily overtime rules are the most famous, but Oregon requires overtime after 10 hours in a day in manufacturing, Nevada triggers daily overtime after 8 hours, and Alaska requires overtime after 8 hours per day as well. If you work in a state with stronger protections, your employer must follow state law. You are entitled to whichever rule benefits you more.

What to Do If Your Overtime Is Underpaid

If you have run the numbers and believe you have been shorted, document everything first. Keep copies of your time sheets, pay stubs, and any written communication about your hours or rate. You have two main options: file a complaint with the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (free, and the DOL investigates on your behalf), or file a civil lawsuit — which can recover unpaid wages plus an equal amount in liquidated damages, plus attorney fees, for up to two years back (three years if the violation was willful).

Many workers recover thousands of dollars through these channels. The first step is simply running the calculation yourself so you know whether the numbers add up.

FAQ

What is the standard overtime multiplier in the United States?
The federal minimum under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is 1.5× (time-and-a-half) for all hours worked beyond 40 in a single workweek. Some states like California require 2.0× (double time) for hours beyond 12 in a day or for the seventh consecutive day of a workweek. Your employment contract may specify a higher rate, which your employer is obligated to honor.
Does my employer have to pay overtime if I work more than 8 hours in one day?
It depends on your state. Under federal law, overtime is triggered only at 40 hours per week, not per day. However, California, Alaska, Nevada, and a handful of other states have daily overtime rules — typically overtime kicks in after 8 hours in a single day. Always check your state's labor laws alongside the federal standard.
I am a salaried employee — can I still qualify for overtime pay?
Yes, in many cases. Under the FLSA, salaried employees earning less than $684 per week ($35,568 annually as of 2024 rules) are generally entitled to overtime pay regardless of their job title. Even above that salary level, your role must genuinely meet the executive, administrative, or professional duties test to be classified as exempt. Many salaried workers are misclassified and are legally owed overtime.
Should overtime be calculated per week or per pay period?
Always per workweek, according to federal law. A workweek is any fixed recurring period of seven consecutive days. Even if your employer pays you biweekly, overtime entitlement is assessed each individual week — hours cannot be averaged across two weeks to eliminate an overtime obligation that arose in one of them.
What counts as my 'regular rate' for calculating overtime?
Your regular rate includes more than just your base hourly wage. The FLSA requires that non-discretionary bonuses, shift differentials, commissions, and most other forms of weekly compensation be included when computing the regular rate. You divide total weekly compensation (excluding legally excluded items like discretionary bonuses) by total hours worked to get the true regular rate, and then apply the 1.5× multiplier to overtime hours based on that rate — not just your posted wage.
What if I work a partial extra hour — do I get paid for it?
Yes. Overtime pay applies to every hour and fraction of an hour worked beyond the standard threshold. If you worked 42.5 hours and your standard week is 40 hours, you are owed overtime pay for 2.5 hours. Some employers round to the nearest quarter-hour, which is permissible as long as the rounding practice averages out fairly over time and never systematically underpays workers.