Overtime Pay Calculator

How Federal FLSA Overtime Pay Works in the United States

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), covered non-exempt employees who work more than 40 hours during a fixed and regularly recurring seven-day workweek are legally entitled to overtime compensation at a rate ofnot less than one and one-half times (1.5x) their regular rate of pay. This standard premium multiplier is commonly known as "time-and-a-half."

For covered, non-exempt U.S. employees, federal FLSA generally requires at least 1.5x the regular rate after 40 hours in a fixed workweek. Federal law does not require extra or premium pay simply for working on a Saturday, Sunday, or statutory holiday unless those hours exceed the 40-hour weekly threshold or an employment agreement or applicable state statute requires it. For complete statutory rules, review the officialU.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Fact Sheet #23 on Overtime Pay.

Overtime-Hours Pay vs. Overtime Premium Above Base Rate

When reviewing pay stubs or running payroll projections, it is essential to distinguish between pay for overtime hours and the overtime premium portion above base pay:

• Pay for Overtime Hours: The total gross compensation paid for hours worked at overtime rates (Hours × Regular Rate × 1.5). For example, working 8 overtime hours at a $25.00/hr base rate yields $300.00 in overtime-hours pay ($37.50/hr × 8 hrs).
• Overtime Premium (Above Base): The additional extra pay earned strictly beyond your standard straight-time wage (Hours × Regular Rate × (Multiplier − 1)). In the example above, the straight-time portion ($25.00 × 8 = $200.00) is already accounted for in baseline compensation, so the overtime premium is exactly $100.00 ($12.50 × 8 hrs).
• Gross Total Earnings: The sum of regular straight-time pay plus total overtime pay: (40 × $25) + (8 × $37.50) = $1,000 + $300 = $1,300.00.

Example Overtime Calculations

Daily Overtime and State-Specific Rules

While the federal FLSA measures overtime solely on a weekly workweek threshold (hours worked over 40), certain state jurisdictions and collective bargaining agreements establish daily thresholds. The 7-Day Daily Timesheet mode in this calculator allows you to model both daily thresholds and an overarching weekly threshold without double-counting hours:

• California: Under general California labor law for covered non-exempt workers, rules may include overtime (1.5x) for hours worked over 8 in a single workday up to 12 hours, hours over 40 in a workweek, and the first 8 hours worked on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek. Double-time (2.0x) generally applies to hours worked beyond 12 in a single workday and hours worked beyond 8 on the seventh consecutive day, subject to specific industry exemptions and alternative workweek schedules.
• Alaska: Alaska wage and hour statutes generally provide that covered non-exempt employees receive overtime compensation at 1.5x for hours worked in excess of 8 hours per day and/or 40 hours per workweek, subject to specific statutory exemptions for small employers and specialized occupations.
• Other Jurisdictions & Contracts: Other states (such as Colorado and Nevada) and union collective bargaining agreements have unique daily, shift-length, or weekend overtime rules.

The daily-timesheet calculator applies the same daily and weekly thresholds to all seven entered days. It does not determine which entry is the seventh consecutive workday or apply California's distinct seventh-day thresholds. For covered California employees, the first 8 hours on that seventh day are generally overtime and hours beyond 8 are generally double-time, subject to exceptions. See the officialCalifornia overtime FAQ.

Note: This calculator provides pure mathematical arithmetic based on the thresholds and multipliers you select. It is not an automated state compliance system or legal determination engine. Always verify rules with the official department of labor for your specific jurisdiction and pay period.

Base Hourly Rate vs. Legal Regular Rate of Pay

For covered non-exempt employees, statutory overtime must be calculated from the employee's regular rate of pay, which is not necessarily identical to their stated base hourly wage. Under federal regulations, the regular rate includes all remuneration paid to the employee, with specific statutory exclusions:

• Nondiscretionary Bonuses & Commissions: Bonuses tied to productivity, attendance, safety, or quality must generally be apportioned across the workweeks in which they were earned and factored into the regular rate.
• Shift Differentials & Hazard Pay: Additional premiums paid for working night shifts, weekend shifts, or hazardous assignments are included in the regular rate before overtime multipliers are applied.
• Excluded Payments: Discretionary gifts, holiday bonuses unconnected to hours or performance, reimbursed business expenses, and paid time off (sick leave, vacation) are generally excluded from regular rate calculations under FLSA Section 7(e).

Review the DOL Fact Sheet #56A on the Regular Rate of Pay for detailed federal guidance. Our calculator uses the hourly rate you enter; if you receive incentive pay or differentials, calculate your effective regular rate first or check with your employer's payroll specialist.

Related Work & Pay Calculators & Guides

Explore our companion compensation tools and calculation guides:

• How to Calculate Overtime Pay Guide – Comprehensive step-by-step walkthrough covering weekly FLSA thresholds, daily rules, and bonus allocations.
• Salary ↔ Hourly Calculator – Convert between annual salary and equivalent hourly rates based on standard working schedules.
• Time Card Calculator – Log clock-in/out times, deduct unpaid lunch breaks, and tally weekly decimal work hours.
• Annual Income Calculator – Project annual pre-tax earnings including base pay, overtime estimates, and bonuses across multiple pay cadences.
• Pay Raise Calculator – Model the percentage increase and dollar impact of an upcoming wage adjustment on hourly and overtime earnings.