Working extra hours should pay off — but translating "time and a half" into an actual dollar figure trips up a lot of people. This overtime calculator splits your weekly hours into a regular block (the first 40 hours at your base rate) and an overtime block (every hour after that, at one-and-a-half times your rate), then adds them together for your gross weekly pay.
Whether you are hourly, salaried but non-exempt, or negotiating a freelance rate, sliding the controls shows exactly how much a long Tuesday costs your employer — and what it adds to your paycheck.
How to Use
- Enter your Hourly Wage — your base hourly rate before any premium. If you are salaried, divide your weekly salary by 40 to get an equivalent hourly figure.
- Type the Hours Worked This Week — the total hours you actually clocked, including the days you stayed late.
- Check the Overtime Threshold. The US federal default is 40 hours in a workweek; some states and union contracts use a lower trigger or pay overtime for more than 8 hours in a single day.
- Set the Overtime Multiplier. Time-and-a-half is 1.5; double time (common on holidays or after 12 hours in a day) is 2.0.
- Read the result card: it breaks your pay into regular hours, overtime hours, regular pay, overtime pay, and the combined Total Gross Weekly Pay.
The math is deliberately transparent. The calculator pays every hour up to the threshold at your base rate, and every hour beyond it at base rate times the multiplier. There is no guessing which hours qualify — the split is automatic.
The Overtime Formula
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), covered non-exempt employees earn overtime at a rate of at least one-and-a-half times their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The calculation the engine uses is:
- regularHours = min(hours worked, threshold)
- overtimeHours = max(0, hours worked − threshold)
- regularPay = regularHours × hourlyWage
- overtimePay = overtimeHours × hourlyWage × multiplier
- totalPay = regularPay + overtimePay
Worked example: you earn $20 per hour and work 42 hours. The first 40 hours are regular pay — 40 × $20 = $800. The extra 2 hours are overtime at 1.5× — 2 × $20 × 1.5 = $60. Your gross weekly pay is $860. Notice the two overtime hours are worth $30 each, not $20 — that premium is the whole point of overtime.
If you work exactly 40 hours, overtime hours are zero and total pay equals regular pay. If you work 0 hours, both buckets are zero and the calculator returns $0 rather than an error.
Who Qualifies for Overtime
Overtime is not automatic for every worker. The FLSA covers "non-exempt" employees; "exempt" employees (typically salaried professionals, executives, and outside sales roles above a certain salary threshold) are not owed time-and-a-half regardless of hours. Key points:
- Hourly workers are almost always non-exempt and entitled to overtime after 40 hours.
- Salaried workers may be non-exempt if their duties and salary fall below the federal or state exemption tests.
- State rules often exceed federal law. California pays overtime after 8 hours in a day and double time after 12; Alaska, Nevada, and Colorado have their own daily thresholds.
- The threshold box lets you model these variations instead of being locked to the federal 40.
Examples
Example 1 — A standard busy week. A warehouse associate makes $19.50/hour and works 45 hours. The first 40 hours pay $780. The 5 overtime hours pay 5 × $19.50 × 1.5 = $146.25. Gross weekly pay is $926.25 — about 16% more than a normal 40-hour week, even though they only worked 12.5% more hours.
Example 2 — Double time on a holiday. A nurse earns $34/hour and works a 12-hour holiday shift (over a 40-hour threshold). With the multiplier set to 2.0, the 2 hours past 10 qualify as double time: 2 × $34 × 2.0 = $136 on top of the regular block. Setting the multiplier to 1.5 instead shows how much the premium change is worth.
Example 3 — The big stress test. Entering a $1,000,000 hourly rate for 42 hours is not a realistic job offer, but it proves the engine handles enormous magnitudes: 40 regular hours equal $40,000,000 and 2 overtime hours equal $3,000,000, for a total of $43,000,000 — with no overflow or rounding blow-up. Use it to confirm the math scales, then dial back to your real rate.
FAQ
How is overtime pay calculated?
Every hour up to your threshold (usually 40) is paid at your base rate. Every hour beyond that threshold is paid at your base rate multiplied by the overtime factor, typically 1.5. Total pay is the regular block plus the overtime block added together.
What does "time and a half" mean in dollars?
Time and a half means 1.5 times your normal hourly rate. If you make $20 per hour, an overtime hour pays $30. The formula is simply base rate × 1.5.
Do salaried employees get overtime?
Sometimes. Salaried workers are exempt only if they meet the federal salary threshold and perform executive, administrative, or professional duties. If you are a salaried but non-exempt worker, you are still owed overtime — convert your weekly salary to an hourly equivalent by dividing by 40, then run it through this calculator.
When does overtime start — 40 hours or 8 hours a day?
Federally, overtime begins after 40 hours in a workweek. Some states, notably California, also require overtime after 8 hours in a single day and double time after 12. Use the Threshold box to model your local rule.
Is overtime 1.5x or 2x?
Federal minimum is 1.5x (time and a half). Double time (2.0x) applies in specific situations — California after 12 hours in a day, some union contracts, or certain holiday shifts. Set the multiplier to match your employer's policy.
Does this calculator include taxes?
No. It gives your gross (pre-tax) weekly pay. Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and state taxes are deducted afterward; use a salary or paycheck calculator to estimate your take-home amount.
Disclaimer
This overtime calculator is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, payroll, or tax advice. Overtime eligibility, thresholds, and rates depend on federal FLSA rules, your state law, your employer's classification, and any applicable union agreement. Figures are gross estimates based on the inputs you enter. Always confirm your overtime status and pay with your employer or a qualified payroll or labor professional.