β° Overtime Pay Calculator
Regular pay plus time-and-a-half, done right.
Total gross pay for the period
Estimates for planning only, not financial advice.
Overtime pay is 1.5 times your regular hourly rate for hours over 40 in a week under federal law, with some states and contracts adding double time. At $25 an hour, 40 regular hours plus 8 overtime hours pays $1,000 plus $300, for $1,300 gross. The $100 overtime premium, the extra half-rate on those 8 hours, is the part people forget to value.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter your hourly rate, regular hours, overtime hours at time-and-a-half, and any double-time hours. The calculator totals gross pay and shows the premium you earned above straight time, plus your effective hourly rate across all hours.
Enter your regular hourly rate and the hours in each bucket: straight time, 1.5x, and 2x.
Read gross pay and the overtime premium: the true extra value of those long hours.
To see the full paycheck with overtime and deductions, our overtime paycheck calculator continues from here.
The Overtime Pay Formula
Federal law (FLSA) requires 1.5x for non-exempt employees working over 40 hours in a workweek. It does not require daily overtime or double time; those come from state laws like California's or from union contracts. Salaried exempt employees get no overtime at all, which is why exemption status matters more than the rate math.
Worked Example
You earn $25 an hour and work 48 hours: 40 regular plus 8 overtime. Regular pay is $1,000. Overtime pay is 8 x $25 x 1.5 = $300. Gross pay is $1,300. The overtime premium, the extra above straight time, is $100. Your effective rate across all 48 hours is $27.08, which reframes the week: those extra 8 hours paid an effective $37.50 each.
Reading Your Result
Value overtime by the premium, not the total. The $300 overtime line includes $200 you would have earned at straight time; only $100 is the reward for the inconvenience. That distinction matters when deciding whether extra shifts beat a second job or a raise negotiation.
My rule: track your effective hourly rate monthly, not your gross. Two workers can gross the same while one works 60-hour weeks and the other works 40: the second earns far more per hour of life. If your effective rate stalls while hours climb, you are donating time at a discount. For New York's specific overtime thresholds and exempt salary levels, our New York overtime calculator has the state rules.
Estimates for planning only, not financial advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is overtime pay calculated?
Multiply overtime hours by 1.5 times the regular hourly rate, then add regular pay. For 8 overtime hours at $25/hour: 8 x $37.50 = $300 in overtime pay, plus $1,000 regular pay = $1,300 total. The regular rate includes most bonuses and shift differentials, not just the base hourly wage.
What is time and a half?
One and one-half times the regular hourly rate, the federal minimum overtime premium for non-exempt employees working over 40 hours in a week. At $20/hour, time and a half is $30/hour. Some states and union contracts pay double time after 12 hours: federal law sets only the floor.
When is double time required?
Federal law never requires it. California requires 2x after 12 hours in a day or after 8 hours on the seventh consecutive workday. Some union contracts and company policies also provide it. Check your state law. Alaska, California, Colorado, and Nevada have daily overtime rules stricter than federal law.
Who is exempt from overtime?
Salaried employees meeting duties tests for executive, administrative, or professional roles and earning above the salary threshold ($684/week federal; higher in states like New York and California). Exempt status depends on actual job duties, not just the salary label. The $684/week threshold has been litigated heavily; check current DOL rules since courts keep intervening.
Does overtime apply per day or per week?
Federally, per week: over 40 hours in the workweek. A 10-hour day alone triggers no federal overtime if the week totals 40 or fewer. Some states add daily thresholds on top. Employers cannot switch your workweek mid-dispute to dodge an overtime week already worked.
Is overtime taxed differently?
No. Overtime is taxed as ordinary income at the same rates. It can push you into a higher bracket or trigger higher withholding on that paycheck, but there is no special overtime tax. A big OT check can also spike 401(k) contributions if yours are set as a percentage: watch for over-contribution.
Do salaried non-exempt workers get overtime?
Yes, if classified non-exempt. Their regular rate is salary divided by hours worked, and overtime is 1.5x that rate for hours over 40. Salary alone does not make someone exempt; the duties and salary threshold tests both matter. Fluctuating workweek plans are a legal alternative some employers use: know which method yours applies.
What is the overtime premium?
The extra half-rate above straight time: the true bonus for working overtime. On 8 hours at $25/hour, the $300 overtime payment includes $200 of straight-time value plus a $100 premium. Judge extra shifts by the premium. Volunteering for extra shifts at straight time when overtime is owed is still a wage violation.
Can my employer average hours across two weeks?
No. Federal law forbids averaging: each workweek stands alone. Working 50 hours one week and 30 the next still earns 10 hours of overtime for the first week, even though the average is 40. Payday delays do not erase it: late-paid overtime still accrues from the week it was earned.
Should I take overtime or a second job?
Compare effective hourly rates after tax and commuting. Overtime at 1.5x usually beats a second job's starting wage, with zero commute. But chronic overtime has health costs no calculator captures; price those honestly too. Burnout's costs show up in health bills and turnover: the 1.5x premium rarely covers them.