Overtime pay is your hourly rate multiplied by an overtime premium — most often 1.5×, called time and a half — for each overtime hour. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must earn at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek.
How to calculate overtime pay
- Find your overtime rate: multiply your hourly rate by the overtime multiplier. At $20/hour, time and a half is 20 × 1.5 = $30/hour.
- Count your overtime hours. Under federal law that's every hour actually worked beyond 40 in one workweek; your employer's policy may also pay a premium past a daily limit.
- Multiply overtime hours by the overtime rate: 6 hours × $30 = $180.
- Add your regular pay (regular hours × base rate) to get total gross pay for the period.
How the math works
The calculator computes three lines and adds them up:
regular pay = regular hours × hourly rate
overtime pay = overtime hours × hourly rate × multiplier
second-tier pay = tier-2 hours × hourly rate × tier-2 multiplier
The federal floor comes from the FLSA overtime rules: covered, non-exempt employees get at least one and one-half times their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Federal law sets a weekly threshold only — there is no federal daily overtime, and nothing in the FLSA caps how many overtime hours an adult employee may work. The federal overtime basics guide walks through the rules in more detail.
One detail worth knowing: the "regular rate" in the law is not always the same as the number printed on your offer letter. It's a per-hour figure that includes most compensation earned in the workweek — nondiscretionary bonuses, shift differentials, and commissions all get divided across the hours worked before the 1.5× premium is applied. If your pay is a single hourly wage with no add-ons, your regular rate and your hourly rate are the same thing, which is what this calculator assumes. If you earn a production bonus or differential, your true overtime rate is slightly higher than base × 1.5.
The second tier exists because many employers pay more than the federal floor — a common policy is double time after a certain number of hours in a day, or for the seventh consecutive day worked. Enter those hours in the second tier with a 2× multiplier and the calculator keeps the two premiums separate so the breakdown matches your pay stub.
Worked example
Maria earns $18.00/hour and worked 46 hours in one workweek — 40 regular hours plus 6 overtime hours at time and a half.
- Regular pay: 40 × $18.00 = $720.00
- Overtime rate: $18.00 × 1.5 = $27.00/hour
- Overtime pay: 6 × $27.00 = $162.00
- Total gross: $720.00 + $162.00 = $882.00
Across all 46 hours that works out to an effective average of about $19.17/hour. Note that the overtime premium — the extra money the overtime rule added — is only 6 × $9.00 = $54.00; the other $108.00 of the overtime line is straight-time pay she would have earned for those hours anyway.
Time-and-a-half rates for common wages
The table below shows the overtime rate at 1.5× and 2× for common hourly wages, plus what 10 overtime hours at time and a half adds to a paycheck.
| Hourly rate | Time and a half (1.5×) | Double time (2×) | 10 OT hours at 1.5× |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $22.50 | $30.00 | $225.00 |
| $20.00 | $30.00 | $40.00 | $300.00 |
| $25.00 | $37.50 | $50.00 | $375.00 |
| $30.00 | $45.00 | $60.00 | $450.00 |
| $35.00 | $52.50 | $70.00 | $525.00 |
| $40.00 | $60.00 | $80.00 | $600.00 |
For a wage that isn't listed, the pattern is simple: time and a half adds 50% of your rate, so it's your rate plus half of it again. Double time is exactly twice the rate.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get time and a half for working holidays or weekends?
Not under federal law. The FLSA does not require premium pay for nights, weekends, or holidays as such — only for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. Holiday premiums are common, but they come from employer policy, an employment contract, or a union agreement, not from a federal mandate.
Is double time ever required?
Federal law never requires double time. Where it exists, it comes from employer policy, collective bargaining agreements, or state or local law — rules vary, so check the policies and laws that apply to your job. If your employer pays double time, use the second tier in the calculator to add it to the breakdown.
Can salaried employees get overtime?
Yes, if they are non-exempt. Exemption depends on job duties and pay, not on whether someone is called "salaried." A salaried non-exempt employee's overtime is based on the hourly equivalent of their salary — divide weekly salary by the hours it covers, then apply 1.5×. The salary to hourly calculator handles the conversion.
Do PTO, sick days, or paid holidays count toward the 40 hours?
Not for federal overtime. The 40-hour threshold counts hours actually worked. If you take a paid holiday Monday and work 36 hours the rest of the week, you're paid for 44 hours but none of them are federal overtime, because only 36 were worked. Some employers count paid leave toward overtime voluntarily — that's a policy choice, not a requirement.
What if I work two different pay rates in the same week?
Federally, the default is a weighted average: total straight-time earnings from both rates divided by total hours worked gives the regular rate, and the overtime premium is half that rate for each overtime hour. To approximate it here, enter the weighted-average rate as the hourly rate.
Is overtime calculated per day or per week?
The federal rule is weekly only — hours over 40 in a defined workweek. Each workweek also stands alone: a 50-hour week followed by a 30-hour week is 10 overtime hours, even though the two weeks average 40. Daily overtime thresholds exist only under certain state laws and employer policies. The time card calculator can apply daily and weekly thresholds together if you want to total a full timesheet.