How much do you actually earn in a week? For hourly workers, the number on your paycheck depends on far more than the wage printed on your hiring letter. A normal 40-hour week is one thing; adding even five overtime hours at time-and-a-half can move your weekly pay by double digits — and that difference compounds across 52 weeks. This weekly pay calculator takes your hourly rate, your regular hours, and any overtime, then shows your gross weekly, biweekly, and annual earnings before taxes.
Adjust any field and every figure updates instantly. The point is to see the gross number clearly so you can plan a budget, compare a job offer against your current wage, or understand exactly what a few extra overtime hours are worth.
How to Use
- Enter your Hourly Rate — your base wage per hour of straight-time work, before any overtime premium.
- Set your Regular Hours — the number of hours you work in a normal week. For most full-time jobs this is 40; part-time workers commonly enter 20 or 30.
- Add your Overtime Hours — the hours beyond your standard week that are paid at a premium. If you had no overtime, leave this at 0.
- Choose your Overtime Multiplier. The US federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires at least 1.5x (time-and-a-half) for hours over 40 in a week. Some union contracts, holidays, or second-shift rules pay 2.0x (double time), so adjust it to match your agreement.
- Read the result card. It breaks your weekly pay into straight-time and overtime, then rolls it up into biweekly and annual estimates.
The math is straightforward: straight-time pay is your hourly rate times regular hours, overtime pay is your rate multiplied by the overtime multiplier and then by overtime hours, and your gross weekly pay is the sum of the two.
The Weekly Pay Formula
US federal law sets the baseline: non-exempt employees must be paid at a rate of at least one and one-half times their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. That rule produces the formula this calculator uses:
Gross Weekly Pay = (Regular Hours × Hourly Rate) + (Overtime Hours × Hourly Rate × Multiplier)
Where:
- Regular Hours × Hourly Rate is your straight-time pay for a normal week.
- Overtime Hours × Hourly Rate × Multiplier is your premium pay. At the federal minimum of 1.5x, an overtime hour pays 1.5 times your base wage.
Worked example: at $25 per hour, a standard 40-hour week pays $1,000. Five overtime hours at 1.5x push your effective overtime rate to $37.50 per hour, adding $187.50. Your gross weekly pay is therefore $1,187.50. Spread across two checks, that is $2,375 biweekly, and across the year it comes to about $61,750 before taxes and deductions.
Notice the overtime effect: those five extra hours are only 12.5% more time, but they add 18.75% more pay because of the premium rate. That is why overtime is such a powerful lever for hourly workers — and why understanding it matters when comparing offers.
Regular vs Overtime: Why the Premium Matters
The overtime multiplier is not optional for most hourly employees under federal law. If you are a non-exempt worker and your employer lets you work past 40 hours in a week, those hours must be paid at least at time-and-a-half. A few practical rules of thumb:
- 40 hours is the federal cutoff. Overtime under FLSA is counted weekly, not daily, even if you work 10 hours on Monday and the rest short.
- Time-and-a-half (1.5x) is the floor. Many union contracts and some states push higher for holidays, seventh consecutive days, or double-time tiers.
- Salaried "exempt" employees are often not owed overtime at all — roughly, you must earn over the federal salary threshold ($684 per week, about $35,568 per year as of recent rules) and meet duties tests.
- Tips and commissions can shift your regular rate, so this calculator models the clean hourly case; tipped or commissioned workers should use a dedicated paycheck tool.
A worker earning $20 per hour who consistently logs 45 hours a week brings home $950 gross weekly instead of $800 — a difference of $7,800 over a year. Over a decade, that single habit is worth well into six figures.
Examples
Example 1 — The default scenario. Someone earns $25 per hour, works 40 regular hours, and picks up 5 overtime hours at 1.5x. Straight-time pay is $1,000, overtime pay is $187.50, and gross weekly pay is $1,187.50, which annualizes to roughly $61,750.
Example 2 — Part-time with no overtime. A retail worker earns $17 per hour for 25 hours each week and has 0 overtime hours. Weekly pay is simply $17 × 25 = $425, biweekly $850, and annual gross about $22,100. Leaving overtime at 0 removes any premium line and keeps the calculation clean.
Example 3 — Double-time holiday week. A construction worker at $32 per hour works 40 regular hours plus 6 overtime hours at 2.0x double time. Straight-time is $1,280; the double-time rate is $64 per hour, adding $384; gross weekly pay is $1,664. That single heavy week is worth about $86,528 if sustained, illustrating how a higher multiplier inflates earnings fast.
Example 4 — A high-rate stress case. At a very high hourly rate of $1,000,000 per hour for 40 hours, straight-time pay reaches $40,000,000 per week. This is unrealistic for real employment but shows the engine handles large magnitudes without rounding errors or overflow.
FAQ
How do I calculate my weekly pay from an hourly wage?
Multiply your hourly rate by the number of regular hours, then add your overtime hours times your hourly rate times the overtime multiplier. For example, $25 per hour for 40 hours is $1,000, and 5 overtime hours at 1.5x add $187.50, for a gross weekly total of $1,187.50.
What is time-and-a-half?
Time-and-a-half means overtime is paid at 1.5 times your regular hourly rate. If you earn $20 per hour, each overtime hour pays $30. This is the federal minimum under the FLSA for hours worked beyond 40 in a week.
How many weeks are in a year for pay calculations?
There are 52 weeks in a year, so gross annual pay is typically weekly pay multiplied by 52. This calculator also shows biweekly pay, which is two weekly checks, and is the most common pay frequency in the United States.
Am I entitled to overtime?
Most hourly (non-exempt) workers in the US are entitled to at least time-and-a-half for hours over 40 in a week. Salaried workers earning above the federal threshold and meeting executive, administrative, or professional duties tests are usually classified as exempt and not owed overtime.
How do I convert my weekly pay to an annual salary?
Multiply your gross weekly pay by 52. If you earn $1,187.50 each week, your estimated annual gross salary is about $61,750 before taxes, insurance premiums, and retirement contributions.
Does this calculator show my take-home pay?
No. This tool calculates gross pay before federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state taxes, and any pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions. To estimate your actual take-home amount, use a paycheck or after-tax calculator instead.
Are overtime hours calculated daily or weekly?
Under federal FLSA rules, overtime is calculated by total hours worked in a single workweek, not by hours worked in a single day. Some states and union contracts add daily overtime rules, but the standard federal approach is weekly after 40 hours.
Disclaimer
This weekly pay calculator is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, payroll, or legal advice. Figures are gross estimates based on the inputs you enter; actual pay depends on federal, state, and local wage laws, overtime eligibility, tips, commissions, shift differentials, and deductions. Always confirm your wages and overtime entitlement with your employer, a payroll specialist, or the relevant labor authority.