OVERTIME CALCULATOR
At $20 an hour, working 45 hours in a week earns you $950: $800 for the first 40 hours plus $150 in overtime pay at your time-and-a-half rate of $30 an hour.
Enter your hourly rate and hours worked below to see your exact breakdown.
Federal overtime rules are simpler than a lot of people assume: under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), any hour worked beyond 40 in a single work week gets paid at 1.5 times your regular hourly rate, commonly called time-and-a-half. It doesn’t matter how those hours are spread across the week, working four 12-hour days and one 2-hour day still totals 50 hours, with 10 of them at the overtime rate. What does matter is that overtime is calculated weekly under federal law, not daily, so a single long shift by itself doesn’t automatically trigger overtime unless your total for the week crosses 40 hours.
This calculator shows gross pay only, before taxes and deductions. Overtime isn’t taxed at a special higher rate, it’s taxed the same as any other wage income, though a big overtime week can push that specific paycheck into higher withholding since payroll systems often annualize a single check’s rate when calculating tax. For your actual take-home pay after federal and state tax, run your total gross earnings through one of the state-specific paycheck calculators linked at the bottom of this page.
Calculate Your Overtime Pay
Gross pay shown before taxes and deductions. Based on federal FLSA rules; check your state for any daily or additional overtime requirements.
Overtime Pay at Common Hourly Rates
Time-and-a-half rates for common hourly wages, plus what a 45-hour and 50-hour week would earn.
| Regular Rate | Overtime Rate (1.5x) | 45-Hour Week Total | 50-Hour Week Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $22.50 | $712.50 | $825.00 |
| $18.00 | $27.00 | $855.00 | $990.00 |
| $20.00 | $30.00 | $950.00 | $1,100.00 |
| $22.50 | $33.75 | $1,068.75 | $1,237.50 |
| $25.00 | $37.50 | $1,187.50 | $1,375.00 |
| $30.00 | $45.00 | $1,425.00 | $1,650.00 |
| $35.00 | $52.50 | $1,662.50 | $1,925.00 |
| $40.00 | $60.00 | $1,900.00 | $2,200.00 |
How the Calculation Works
| Step | Formula | Example ($20/hr, 45 hours) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Regular pay | Regular rate × 40 hours (or your threshold) | $20 × 40 = $800 |
| 2. Overtime rate | Regular rate × 1.5 | $20 × 1.5 = $30 |
| 3. Overtime hours | Total hours – 40 | 45 – 40 = 5 |
| 4. Overtime pay | Overtime hours × overtime rate | 5 × $30 = $150 |
| 5. Total gross pay | Regular pay + overtime pay | $800 + $150 = $950 |
The same logic extends to any multiplier: if your employer or state requires double time for certain hours, just substitute 2.0 for 1.5 in step 2 and 4. The calculator above handles both a single overtime tier and an optional second double-time tier for situations like California’s rule for hours worked beyond 12 in a day.
Federal vs State Overtime Rules
The federal FLSA sets the baseline every employer in the country has to follow, but several states layer additional protections on top.
| Rule | Federal (FLSA) | Notable State Exceptions |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly overtime threshold | 1.5x pay after 40 hours/week | All states follow this as a floor |
| Daily overtime | Not required | California requires 1.5x after 8 hours/day |
| Daily double time | Not required | California requires 2x after 12 hours/day |
| Seventh consecutive day | Not required | California requires 1.5x for the first 8 hours, 2x after 8, on a 7th consecutive workday |
Because state rules can be more generous than federal law, but never less, always check your specific state’s labor department if you regularly work long single-day shifts or consecutive days without a break, since federal rules alone may understate what you’re legally owed.
Who Actually Qualifies for Overtime
Overtime eligibility comes down to whether you’re classified as “exempt” or “non-exempt” under the FLSA, and this trips up more people than the hourly math itself.
| Classification | Overtime Eligible? | Typical Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Non-exempt (usually hourly) | Yes | Retail, food service, most hourly manufacturing and warehouse roles |
| Exempt (salaried, meeting specific tests) | Generally no | Executive, administrative, professional roles meeting duties and salary thresholds |
| Salaried but non-exempt | Yes | Some salaried roles that don’t meet the exemption duties test still qualify |
Job title alone doesn’t determine exempt status, a “manager” title with mostly non-managerial duties and pay below the federal salary threshold could still be entitled to overtime. If you’re salaried and unsure whether you should be receiving overtime, the actual duties you perform and your salary level matter more than what your offer letter calls your position.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate overtime pay?
Under federal law, overtime pay is 1.5 times your regular hourly rate for every hour worked over 40 in a single work week. For example, at $20 an hour, your overtime rate is $30 an hour. If you work 45 hours in a week, you’d earn $800 for the first 40 hours plus $150 for the 5 overtime hours, for a total of $950.
Is overtime calculated daily or weekly?
Under federal law (the Fair Labor Standards Act), overtime is based strictly on a 40-hour work week, not on hours worked in a single day. Working 12 hours in one day and 4 the next, for example, does not trigger daily overtime under federal rules. Some states, most notably California, have their own daily overtime rules on top of the federal weekly rule, so check your specific state’s laws.
Who is eligible for overtime pay?
Generally, hourly non-exempt employees are eligible for overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Most salaried employees classified as exempt, typically executive, administrative, or professional roles meeting certain duties and salary thresholds, are not entitled to overtime pay. Whether a specific salaried position is exempt depends on the actual job duties and current salary threshold, not just the job title.
What is double time and when does it apply?
Double time means twice your regular hourly rate. It is not required under federal law at all; the federal standard tops out at 1.5x (time-and-a-half) for overtime hours. Some states and some union contracts or company policies require double time in specific situations, such as California’s rule for hours worked beyond 12 in a single day. Check your state’s labor laws or your employer’s policy to see if double time applies to you.
Does this calculator show gross or net overtime pay?
This calculator shows gross pay only, before taxes and other deductions. Overtime pay is taxed the same way as regular wages, it isn’t taxed at a higher rate, though it can sometimes push more of a single paycheck into a higher withholding bracket for that pay period specifically.
Overtime math is genuinely straightforward once you know the formula, the harder part is usually figuring out whether your specific situation qualifies, and whether your state adds any rules beyond the federal 40-hour weekly threshold. If you regularly work long single shifts, it’s worth a few minutes checking your state labor department’s rules specifically, since the federal calculator above may not capture daily overtime protections some states provide. For your full picture after taxes, run your total gross pay for the pay period through one of the state paycheck calculators below.
California Texas Florida New York Ohio Michigan Federal Tax Calculator Hourly to Salary Calculator All State Calculators
This calculator provides gross pay estimates based on federal FLSA overtime rules and does not constitute legal advice. Overtime rules vary by state, and some employers, industries, or union contracts have additional requirements. If you believe you are owed overtime pay your employer hasn’t provided, consult your state labor department or an employment attorney.