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Instantly calculate your gross pay by combining your regular hours with time-and-a-half or double-time overtime rates.
Enter hours and rates
to calculate earnings
In the United States, overtime rules are primarily governed by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), though state laws can offer even greater protections.
Under federal law, any hours worked over 40 in a single, fixed 168-hour workweek must be compensated at an overtime rate. Salaried non-exempt employees are also subject to this rule.
The standard overtime premium is 1.5 times the regular rate. If your base pay includes commissions, bonuses, or shift differentials, the "regular rate" must be recalculated to accurately apply the 1.5x multiplier.
States can enforce stricter overtime rules than the FLSA. For example, California requires overtime pay (1.5x) for hours worked beyond 8 in a single day, and double time (2.0x) for hours beyond 12.
Overtime pay is premium compensation for eligible employees who work beyond standard hour thresholds. It protects worker earnings, discourages unpaid overwork, and ensures payroll compliance under labor law.
For employees, accurate overtime forecasting helps with budgeting and shift planning. For employers and HR teams, it reduces compliance risk, payroll disputes, and costly wage-and-hour corrections.
Primary use cases
Payroll previews, shift optimization, and legal wage validation.
Business impact
Supports fair pay, retention, and predictable labor costs.
Total Gross Pay = (Regular Hours x Base Rate) + (OT Hours x 1.5x Rate) + (DT Hours x 2.0x Rate)
Employee works 46 hours at $20/hr. Pay = (40x20) + (6x30) = $980 gross.
Employee works 10 OT hours and 2 double-time hours at $24/hr. Premium pay materially increases weekly gross compensation.
Team projects expected OT by department to forecast labor cost spikes before holiday demand periods.
Compare how overtime and double-time hours change gross pay outcomes at the same base rate.
| Scenario | Regular Hours | OT Hours | DT Hours | Gross Pay Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No overtime week | 40 | 0 | 0 | Baseline |
| Moderate overtime | 40 | 6 | 0 | Noticeable increase |
| Heavy overtime + double time | 40 | 8 | 2 | Strongest increase |
Reuse this in policy docs, payroll SOPs, or team training pages.
| Scenario | Regular Hours | OT Hours | DT Hours | Gross Pay Trend |
|---|---:|---:|---:|---|
| No overtime week | 40 | 0 | 0 | Baseline |
| Moderate overtime | 40 | 6 | 0 | Noticeable increase |
| Heavy overtime + double time | 40 | 8 | 2 | Strongest increase |Using calendar week instead of the employer-defined fixed workweek.
Counting PTO/holiday hours as hours worked for OT thresholds.
Ignoring stricter state overtime rules where federal minimums are lower.
Time and a half is the standard overtime premium required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). It means for every overtime hour worked, you must be paid 1.5 times your regular hourly rate. If you make $20/hr, your overtime rate is $30/hr.
Under federal law (FLSA), overtime must be paid to covered, non-exempt employees for all hours worked over 40 hours in a single workweek. A workweek is a fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours (seven consecutive 24-hour periods).
Federal law does not require employers to pay double time (2.0x). However, some states, like California, have specific laws requiring double time for hours worked over 12 in a single day, or for working more than 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek. Some union contracts also stipulate double time.
No. The FLSA exempts certain employees from overtime rules (often salaried, professional, administrative, or executive roles making above a certain salary threshold). Hourly workers are almost always considered "non-exempt" and thus are legally entitled to overtime pay.
No, this calculator determines your Gross Pay—the total amount you earned before any federal taxes, state taxes, or benefits deductions are taken out of your paycheck.
For private sector employees, giving 'compensatory time off' instead of paying overtime is generally illegal under the FLSA. Only government/public sector employees can legally receive comp time.
No. The FLSA does not require overtime pay simply because work is performed on a holiday, weekend, or night, unless you have already exceeded 40 hours of actual work for that specific workweek.
Yes. There are no limits in the FLSA on the number of hours an employer can require an adult employee (over age 16) to work per week, as long as proper overtime rates are paid.
No. Only hours actually worked count towards the 40-hour threshold for overtime calculations. Paid time off, sick leave, and paid holidays do not count as 'hours worked'.
Non-exempt employees are legally entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA. Exempt employees (typically salaried professionals making over a specific threshold) are excluded from the law and do not legally accrue overtime pay.
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