A timesheet turns raw clocked hours into a paycheck number, and the part most people get wrong is overtime. Working five extra hours is not five hours of your normal wage — under the US Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) it is paid at a premium, almost always one-and-a-half times your regular rate. This timesheet calculator adds your straight-time pay, applies the overtime premium to the hours past your regular threshold, and shows the true weekly and annual gross before taxes.
Adjust the hourly rate, regular hours, overtime hours, and the overtime multiplier, and every figure updates instantly. You will see not just the total check but the effective hourly rate you actually earned once the overtime premium is folded in.
How to Use
- Enter your Hourly Rate — your base wage before any shift or overtime premium. If you earn different rates on different days, use the rate that applies to most of your hours and note the blended rate in your head.
- Set your Regular Hours / Week. The federal default is 40; anything beyond that in a workweek is normally overtime-eligible for non-exempt workers.
- Add your Overtime Hours / Week — the hours you worked past the regular threshold. If you had no overtime this week, leave it at zero.
- Choose the Overtime Multiplier. Time-and-a-half is the legal default (1.5x); some employers pay double time (2.0x) on Sundays, holidays, or beyond a certain number of overtime hours.
- Read the result card. It breaks your check into regular pay and overtime pay, shows the blended effective hourly rate, and projects the gross across 52 weeks.
The math is deliberately transparent: regular hours pay your base rate, overtime hours pay your base rate multiplied by the premium, and the two are simply added together.
How the Overtime Math Works
Your gross weekly pay comes from two separate streams:
- Regular pay = regular hours × hourly rate.
- Overtime pay = overtime hours × hourly rate × overtime multiplier.
So on a $25/hour wage with 40 regular hours and 5 overtime hours: regular pay is 40 × $25 = $1,000.00. The overtime rate is $25 × 1.5 = $37.50/hour, and 5 of those hours add 5 × $37.50 = $187.50. Total gross is $1,187.50 for 45 hours.
A useful derived number is the effective hourly rate. You worked 45 hours for $1,187.50, so your blended rate is $1,187.50 ÷ 45 = $26.39/hour, not $25. That is why a small amount of overtime makes a surprisingly large difference to your weekly cash.
If your overtime multiplier is 1.0x (no premium), overtime hours simply pay the base rate and the effective rate equals your base rate. If it is 2.0x, those hours pay double.
Who Gets Overtime (and Who Does Not)
The FLSA requires overtime at 1.5x only for non-exempt workers. Salaried professionals, executives, administrators, and certain outside sales and computer employees are often classified as exempt and receive no overtime premium at all, regardless of hours worked. Some states — California being the strictest — add daily overtime (anything over 8 hours in a day) and double time beyond 12 hours, on top of the weekly 40-hour rule.
This calculator uses the federal weekly model: a single regular-hours threshold and one overtime multiplier. If your state or contract uses daily overtime or multiple tiers, add those premium hours into the overtime line and set the multiplier to match the blended premium you were promised.
Examples
Example 1 — The default paycheck. A warehouse associate earns $25/hour, works 40 regular hours and 5 overtime hours at time-and-a-half. Regular pay is $1,000.00, overtime pay is $187.50, and the gross weekly check is $1,187.50. Projected over 52 weeks that is roughly $61,750.00 in annual gross — before taxes and deductions.
Example 2 — Double-time on a holiday. A hospital technician earns $20/hour, works 40 regular hours and 3 double-time hours on a holiday. Regular pay is 40 × $20 = $800.00. The double-time rate is $20 × 2.0 = $40.00/hour, so the 3 holiday hours add $120.00. Gross weekly pay is $920.00, and the effective rate across 43 hours is about $21.40/hour.
Example 3 — Zero overtime week. An office worker clocks 40 hours at $30/hour and no overtime. Regular pay is $1,200.00, overtime pay is $0.00, and the gross weekly pay is $1,200.00. With no premium, the effective hourly rate stays exactly $30.00 — showing how overtime is the lever that lifts the blended rate above base.
FAQ
How is weekly gross pay calculated?
Multiply your regular hours by your hourly rate, then add your overtime hours multiplied by your hourly rate times the overtime multiplier. For 40 regular and 5 overtime hours at $25/hour and 1.5x: 40 × $25 = $1,000, and 5 × $25 × 1.5 = $187.50, giving a gross of $1,187.50.
What does "time and a half" mean?
Time and a half means overtime hours are paid at 1.5 times your regular hourly rate. On a $20/hour wage, each overtime hour pays $30 instead of $20. This is the federal minimum overtime premium required by the FLSA for non-exempt workers.
Am I required to be paid overtime?
Only non-exempt employees are legally entitled to overtime at 1.5x for hours over 40 in a workweek. Many salaried professionals, managers, and certain administrative, sales, and technology roles are classified as exempt and do not earn overtime, even when they work far more than 40 hours.
How do I convert my weekly timesheet into annual pay?
Multiply your gross weekly pay by 52. If your gross weekly pay is $1,187.50, your estimated annual gross is $1,187.50 × 52 = $61,750.00. Remember this is gross before taxes, health insurance, retirement contributions, and any other deductions.
Why is my effective hourly rate higher than my base rate?
Because overtime hours pay a premium. When you fold overtime pay into total hours worked, the average (effective) rate rises above your base wage. Working 45 hours for $1,187.50 equals an effective $26.39/hour, even though your base rate is only $25.
Do overtime rules differ by state?
Yes. The federal rule requires overtime only after 40 hours in a week, but states like California add daily overtime after 8 hours in a day and double time after 12 hours. A few states also have higher thresholds or different salary tests for exempt employees, so check your state's labor department for the rules that apply to you.
Disclaimer
This timesheet calculator is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, payroll, tax, or employment advice. Gross-pay estimates are based on the hours and rate you enter and the standard FLSA weekly overtime formula; actual pay depends on your employer's classification (exempt vs. non-exempt), your state's overtime laws, shift differentials, tips, bonuses, and all pre-tax and post-tax deductions. Always confirm your earnings and overtime eligibility with your employer or a qualified payroll or labor professional.