When your workweek stretches past 40 hours, your pay rate should stretch too. Under the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), non-exempt employees must receive at least 1.5 times their regular hourly rate — known as time-and-a-half — for every hour worked beyond 40 in a single workweek. This overtime pay calculator applies that rule to your hours so you can verify your paycheck, plan extra shifts, or negotiate your schedule with hard numbers. Everything runs privately in your browser; no data is uploaded or stored.
The core formula is simple: overtime pay = regular hourly rate × 1.5 × overtime hours. If you earn $25 per hour and work 50 hours, the extra 10 hours pay $37.50 each, adding $375 on top of your $1,000 base week. Some employers and union contracts go further with double time (2× the rate) for holiday shifts or very long days — California even requires double pay after 12 hours in a day or after 8 hours on the seventh consecutive workday. Salaried workers can use this tool too: enter your annual salary and it converts it to an effective hourly rate automatically.
Keep in mind that federal law sets a floor, not a ceiling — your state may be more generous, and your employer's policy may exceed the legal minimum. Also note that some workers are exempt from overtime: typically salaried executive, administrative, professional, computer, or outside-sales employees earning at least $684 per week ($35,568 per year) who meet specific duties tests. If you are hourly, you are almost certainly non-exempt and entitled to overtime.
How to use the Overtime Pay Calculator
- Choose hourly or salary — pick "Hourly rate" or "Annual salary" mode.
- Enter your rate — your hourly wage or annual salary before taxes.
- Enter total hours worked for the week (e.g. 50).
- Set standard hours — usually 40; hours above this count as overtime.
- Pick the overtime rate — 1.5× for standard time-and-a-half or 2× for double time.
- Click Calculate to see regular pay, overtime premium, gross pay, and your effective hourly rate.
Tips for getting your overtime right
- Overtime is calculated per workweek, not per paycheck — two 35-hour weeks don't combine into overtime, but one 50-hour week does.
- Salaried non-exempt employees are still entitled to overtime; "salary" alone does not make you exempt.
- Bonuses and shift differentials can raise your "regular rate" — which raises your overtime rate too.
- Track your hours independently (a notes app works) so you can cross-check your pay stub line by line.
Why overtime math matters
Small rounding differences compound fast: an employer who pays overtime at the straight rate instead of 1.5× underpays you by 50% of every overtime hour — on 10 overtime hours a week at $25/hour, that's $1,000 a month in missing wages. Knowing the formula lets you spot errors immediately and raise them with HR or your state's labor department before they stack up. Running the numbers before you volunteer for extra shifts also shows the real dollar value of your time, which is the strongest basis for deciding whether that weekend shift is worth it.
Frequently asked questions
How is overtime pay calculated in the US?
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for every hour worked over 40 in a workweek. The formula is: overtime pay = regular hourly rate × 1.5 × overtime hours.
Does double time apply to overtime?
Federal law does not require double time, but some states and employers do. California requires double the regular rate for hours over 12 in a day or over 8 hours on the seventh consecutive workday. Many union contracts and company policies also pay double time on holidays.
How do I convert a salary to an hourly rate for overtime math?
Divide your annual salary by 52 to get weekly pay, then divide by your standard weekly hours (usually 40). For example, a $60,000 salary equals about $28.85 per hour. This calculator does that conversion for you automatically.
Who is exempt from overtime pay?
The FLSA exempts certain salaried executive, administrative, professional, computer, and outside-sales employees who earn at least $684 per week ($35,568 per year) and meet specific duties tests. Hourly workers and most non-exempt salaried workers qualify for overtime.
Estimates for personal use only. Overtime rules vary by state and employer; this is not legal or financial advice.