California Overtime Calculator
Daily 1.5x, double time, and seventh-day premiums, computed correctly.
Enter one number per day, e.g. 8, 9.5, 12, 8, 10. Day 7 uses seventh-day rules.
Total gross pay for the week
Estimates for planning only, not financial advice.
California has the strictest overtime rules in the country: 1.5 times your regular rate after 8 hours in a day, double time after 12 hours in a day, and premium rates on the seventh consecutive workday. Enter your hourly rate and each day\'s hours, and the calculator applies every threshold in the right order, daily first, then the weekly 40-hour check, then seventh-day premiums. With a $20 rate and five 10-hour days, weekly pay is $1,100: $800 regular plus $300 of daily overtime.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter your regular hourly rate, meaning the rate overtime multiples apply to, which includes non-discretionary bonuses and commissions averaged in, not just base pay. Set how many days you worked, then list each day\'s hours separated by commas. If you worked a seventh consecutive day, list seven days and the calculator automatically applies seventh-day rules to day 7: 1.5 times for the first 8 hours, double time after. The breakdown shows regular, overtime, and double-time hours separately so you can check your pay stub line by line.
Enter your true regular rate. If you earned bonuses or commissions this week, fold them into the hourly figure first.
List each day\'s hours as comma-separated numbers. Decimals are fine: 9.5 means nine and a half hours.
Compare the regular, 1.5x, and 2x hour totals against your pay stub. Any gap is worth a question to payroll, then a wage claim if needed.
California Overtime Rules in One Table
The daily and weekly rules overlap by design, and the law resolves the overlap in your favor without paying any hour twice. In practice, daily overtime usually captures everything first: if you worked five 9-hour days, the 5 daily-overtime hours already cover the 5 hours over 40 for the week. Weekly overtime mostly bites on schedules like four 10-hour days plus an 8-hour day, where daily rules catch 8 hours but the week totals 48. The calculator handles the ordering so you do not have to.
Worked Example
You earn $20 an hour and work five 10-hour days, 50 hours total. Each day: 8 regular hours ($160) plus 2 overtime hours at $30 ($60), so $220 a day. For the week: 40 regular hours pay $800 and 10 overtime hours pay $300, totaling $1,100. Weekly overtime adds nothing because the 10 daily-overtime hours already account for the 10 hours over 40. Now try a harder week: six 9-hour days plus an 8-hour seventh day, 62 hours. Days 1 to 6 give 48 regular and 6 overtime hours; day 7 gives 8 hours at 1.5 times. That is 48 regular ($960), 6 daily overtime ($270), and 8 seventh-day premium hours ($240): $1,470 before any double time.
What Trips Up Most Paychecks
| Common error | What the law requires |
|---|---|
| Overtime on base rate only | Regular rate includes bonuses and commissions |
| 1.5x for all hours past 12 | Double time past 12 hours in a day |
| Weekly total only | Daily 8-hour threshold applies too |
| Hours averaged across weeks | Each week stands alone, no averaging |
| Seventh day paid at 1.5x flat | Double time after 8 hours on day 7 |
Keep your own time records even when your employer tracks hours, because the employee\'s credible records win when the employer\'s are missing. Screenshots of schedules, texts about shifts, and your own daily log are enough. If the calculator shows you are owed more than your stub paid, raise it with payroll in writing first; most underpayments are errors, not policy. For paycheck math beyond overtime, our paycheck calculator estimates take-home pay, our salary to hourly converter translates annual offers, and our timesheet calculator totals weekly hours.
Estimates for planning only, not financial advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does overtime work in California?
California requires 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 8 in a day or 40 in a week, and double time for hours over 12 in a day. On the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek, the first 8 hours are paid at 1.5 times and any hours beyond 8 at double time. These are daily thresholds, which is stricter than the federal weekly-only rule.
When do I get double time in California?
Two situations trigger double time: any hours worked beyond 12 in a single workday, and any hours beyond 8 on the seventh consecutive day worked in a workweek. Hours 9 through 12 in a day are 1.5 times; hour 13 onward is double. On the seventh consecutive day, hours 1 through 8 are 1.5 times and hour 9 onward is double.
What is the seventh consecutive day rule?
If you work seven days in a row within one workweek, the seventh day carries premium pay: 1.5 times the regular rate for the first 8 hours and double time after that. Note it must be the seventh consecutive day of work; a day off resets the count. Employers sometimes schedule to avoid triggering it, which is legal as long as the scheduling itself is genuine.
Does California overtime use daily or weekly hours?
Both, and the employee gets the more generous result without double-counting the same hours. Hours over 8 in a day earn 1.5 times even if the weekly total stays under 40. Once daily overtime is paid, those premium hours still count toward the 40-hour weekly threshold, but the same hour is never paid twice. This calculator applies daily rules first, then checks the weekly total.
What is the California minimum wage in 2026?
The statewide minimum wage is $16.90 per hour in 2026, with no tip credit, meaning tipped workers get the full rate before tips. Many cities and counties set higher local minimums, and fast-food workers covered by the Fast Food Council have a $20.00 sector rate. Employers must pay the highest rate that applies where the work is performed, and overtime multiples apply to that actual regular rate.
Who is exempt from California overtime?
Exempt employees generally include executive, administrative, and professional employees who meet both a duties test and a salary test: at least twice the state minimum wage for full-time work, which is about $70,408 a year at the 2026 minimum wage. Outside salespeople and certain union workers under qualifying agreements are also exempt. Job title alone does not determine exemption, and misclassification is one of the most common wage violations in the state.
Do bonuses and commissions count in the overtime rate?
Yes, usually. The "regular rate" for overtime is not just the hourly wage; it includes non-discretionary bonuses, commissions, and shift differentials earned during the period, divided across the hours worked. A $200 weekly production bonus spread over 50 hours raises the regular rate by $4 an hour, which raises every overtime hour too. Employers who compute overtime on base pay alone underpay.
How is overtime calculated on a 10-hour shift?
At a $20 regular rate, the first 8 hours pay $160, and hours 9 and 10 pay 1.5 times, or $30 each, for $60. The 10-hour day totals $220. Five such days in a week: 40 regular hours at $20 ($800) plus 10 daily-overtime hours at $30 ($300) equals $1,100, with no additional weekly overtime because the daily premiums already covered those hours.
Can my employer average my hours across two weeks?
No. California prohibits averaging hours across workweeks to avoid overtime. Each workweek stands alone, and each workday stands alone for daily overtime. A 50-hour week followed by a 30-hour week still generates 10 overtime hours in week one. Any pay plan that smooths hours across weeks to dodge premiums violates state law.
What if my employer refuses to pay overtime?
You can file a wage claim with the California Labor Commissioner's Office, which investigates and can order back pay plus penalties. Keep your own records of hours worked: timesheets, schedules, messages, and pay stubs. California also provides waiting-time penalties when final pay is late. An employment attorney consultation is usually free for wage claims, and the law allows recovery of attorney's fees for successful claims.