Overtime pay is where paychecks most often go wrong, because the math depends on which hours count, which rule applies and what “regular rate” really means. This overtime calculator handles all three. Enter a simple weekly total, enter each day to apply daily rules like California’s, or type the regular, overtime and double-time hours you already know. An optional bonus field applies the Fair Labor Standards Act’s regular-rate method.
How to use the overtime calculator
- Choose how to enter hours: total hours for the week, hours for each day, or regular / overtime / double-time hours.
- Enter your hourly rate and the overtime multiplier (1.5 for time and a half).
- Weekly mode: enter your hours and the threshold, normally 40.
- Daily mode: pick a rule — federal, daily 8 plus weekly 40, or California — and enter hours for each day, starting with the first day of your workweek.
- Optionally add a nondiscretionary bonus earned that week.
The tape shows hours by type, the overtime rate, pay for each part, and your effective hourly pay. Daily mode adds a day-by-day table explaining why each hour landed where it did.
Overtime formulas
With a bonus, the FLSA regular rate replaces the hourly rate for the overtime premium:
Worked examples
A 48-hour week
At $20 an hour, 48 hours is 40 regular + 8 overtime. Regular pay is 40 × $20 = $800; overtime is 8 × $30 = $240; gross pay is $1,040.
A California week by day
Hours Monday to Sunday: 10, 9, 13, 8, 8, 6, 0 at $20 an hour.
| Day | Worked | Regular | 1.5× | 2× |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Tue | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Wed | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| Thu | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Fri | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Sat | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | 54 | 40 | 13 | 1 |
Saturday’s 6 hours are overtime because the week already had 40 regular hours. Pay: 40 × $20 + 13 × $30 + 1 × $40 = $1,230. Under the federal rule alone the same week is 40 regular and 14 overtime hours, or $1,220.
A bonus week
45 hours at $20 plus a $90 attendance bonus. Straight time is 45 × $20 + $90 = $990, so the regular rate is $990 ÷ 45 = $22. The overtime premium is 0.5 × $22 × 5 = $55, and gross pay is $1,045 — $5 more than paying the 5 hours at a flat $30.
Overtime rules at a glance
| Rule | Overtime after | Double time |
|---|---|---|
| Federal FLSA | 40 hours in a workweek | not required |
| California | 8 h/day, 40 h/week, first 8 h on 7th straight day | after 12 h/day; after 8 h on 7th day |
| Alaska | 8 h/day or 40 h/week | not required |
| Colorado | 12 h/day, 12 consecutive hours or 40 h/week | not required |
Who gets overtime
Overtime rules cover non-exempt employees. Exempt status depends on the job’s duties and on a salary test: the federal salary level currently enforced is $684 a week, after a court set aside a 2024 increase. Being paid a salary does not by itself make you exempt, and a job title never does. Hours an employer “suffers or permits” you to work count even if overtime was not approved in advance.
Related calculators
Turn punches into hours with the time card calculator, check a two-week period with the bi-weekly time card, and estimate take-home pay with the payroll calculator.
This calculator gives an estimate, not legal advice. State law, union contracts and employer policies can be more generous than the federal minimum.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate time and a half?
Multiply your hourly rate by 1.5 to get the overtime rate, then multiply by the overtime hours. At $20 an hour, time and a half is $30, so 8 overtime hours pay $240 on top of 40 regular hours at $20 ($800), for $1,040.
When does overtime start?
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees earn at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The FLSA has no daily limit, but California, Alaska, Colorado and a few other states add daily overtime rules.
What is double time?
Double time is twice the regular rate. Federal law does not require it, but California requires it for hours over 12 in a workday and for hours over 8 on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek. Some union contracts pay it for holidays.
Do bonuses change my overtime rate?
Yes, if the bonus is nondiscretionary, such as a production, attendance or shift bonus. The FLSA requires it to be added to straight-time pay and divided by all hours worked to find the regular rate, and overtime is based on that higher rate.
Do paid holidays and vacation count toward 40 hours?
Not under federal law. Only hours actually worked count toward the 40-hour threshold, so a week with 8 hours of holiday pay and 36 hours worked has no FLSA overtime. Some employers and union contracts count them anyway.