⏱️ Overtime Calculator

Calculate overtime pay at 1.5× and 2× rates, weekly hours over threshold, and total gross with base plus OT.

US FLSA Overtime — 1.5× and Double Time

BrainyCalculators editorial insight — unique to this tool

Non-exempt US employees earn 1.5× regular rate beyond 40 hours/week; California adds daily OT over 8 hours. Indian Factories Act limits overtime to 9 hours/week with 2× wages in some states. $25/hr base → $37.50/hr OT.

When to use this calculator

Use for hourly worker paycheck with OT rules. For salaried annual to hourly, use Hourly Wage.

Comparing annual salary to an hourly rate?

This page computes OT premiums. For salary/hourly conversion, use the Hourly Wage Calculator →

Regular Hourly Rate ($)

Overtime Rule

Standard Hours/Week

Total Hours Worked This Week

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Regular Pay

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Overtime Pay

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Total Gross Pay

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Overtime Hours

Daily Breakdown

Day	Total Hrs	Regular	OT (1.5×)	OT (2×)	Day Pay

What is Overtime Pay?

Overtime pay applies premium multipliers (often 1.5× or 2×) to hours worked beyond a weekly or daily threshold on top of base hourly rate.

Use this page when you know regular and OT hours. For comparing salaried vs hourly offer letters, use the Hourly Wage Calculator.

Freelance rate sets client billing from expenses and utilization, not employer OT rules.

How Overtime is Calculated

US Federal (FLSA)

OT Hours = Total Hours − 40 (if >40)

Regular Pay = Regular Rate × min(Total Hours, 40)

OT Pay = Regular Rate × 1.5 × OT Hours

California Daily Overtime

Hours 1–8: Regular rate

Hours 8–12: 1.5× rate

Hours 12+: 2× rate

7th consecutive day: 1.5× (first 8 hrs), 2× (over 8)

Overtime Tips for Employers & Employees

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Track Hours Accurately

Both employees and employers should keep detailed time records. US law requires employers to retain payroll records for at least 3 years.

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Know Exempt vs Non-exempt

Most salaried employees earning over $684/week are "exempt" from federal overtime rules. Hourly workers are almost always non-exempt.

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Understand Your Workweek

An FLSA workweek is any fixed 168-hour period. Your employer sets the start/end — it does not have to be Monday–Sunday.

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Check State Laws

State laws can be more generous than federal. California, Alaska, and Nevada have daily OT rules. Always apply whichever rule benefits the employee more.

How the Overtime Calculator Works

Formula, assumptions, and calculation steps for this business tool.

Methodology

Business calculators combine revenue, cost, margin, productivity, or pricing inputs into operating metrics that can be compared across scenarios.

Calculation Steps

Enter the business quantities, prices, costs, or rates.
Separate fixed values from variable values where the formula requires it.
Calculate the metric using standard business arithmetic.
Return the headline result with supporting totals or percentages.

Assumptions and Limits

Inputs should represent the same period or business unit.
One-time and recurring costs should not be mixed unless the calculator explicitly supports them.
Results are planning estimates and may differ from accounting statements.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is overtime calculated in the US?

Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), non-exempt employees must receive 1.5× their regular rate of pay for all hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. Some states (California, Alaska, Nevada) have additional daily overtime requirements that may result in higher OT pay.

What counts as overtime hours?

Under federal law, any hours worked beyond 40 in a single workweek count as overtime. California also counts hours beyond 8 in a single day (at 1.5×) and beyond 12 (at 2×). The 7th consecutive workday in California is also subject to premium pay. Paid time off, holidays, and sick days generally do not count toward the 40-hour threshold.

Who is exempt from overtime pay?

Employees classified as exempt under the FLSA are not entitled to overtime. To qualify as exempt, workers must generally be paid a salary of at least $684 per week AND perform executive, administrative, professional, or outside sales duties. Job titles alone do not determine exempt status — the actual duties and salary level matter.

Can my employer make me work overtime?

Yes, in most US states employers can require overtime as a condition of employment and can discipline or even terminate employees who refuse. However, they must pay the legally required overtime rate. Some states and union contracts provide additional protections. Check your state law and employment contract.

Is overtime pay the same in every country?

No. Requirements vary widely. The US mandates 1.5× for hours over 40/week (federal). The UK has no statutory overtime rate — employers must pay at least minimum wage overall but can set any overtime rate. Australia requires 1.5× for the first 3 overtime hours and 2× thereafter under the National Employment Standards. Always check the specific rules for your country, state/province, and award or agreement.

Real-World Applications

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Manufacturing Surge Capacity

Calculate the payroll cost of running overtime shifts to meet a temporary production surge — comparing the per-unit cost of overtime versus hiring temporary workers or adding a permanent shift.

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Construction Project Labour Budgeting

General contractors estimate overtime costs when projects fall behind schedule — accounting for state-specific daily overtime rules (California: 1.5× after 8 hrs, 2× after 12 hrs) that may apply to site workers.

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Healthcare Staffing

Hospitals use overtime calculations to budget for on-call and extended shift costs for nurses and technicians — overtime in healthcare is common and significant, sometimes representing 15–25% of total labour cost.

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Logistics & Delivery Operations

Calculate driver overtime during peak season (holidays, peak shopping periods) — especially important given DOT hours-of-service regulations that limit driving hours and affect when overtime thresholds are reached.

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Payroll Verification

Employees use overtime calculators to verify payslip accuracy — confirming that the employer has correctly applied the 1.5× or 2× overtime rate to qualifying hours under FLSA or applicable state law.

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HR Workforce Planning

HR managers analyse overtime trends to identify chronic understaffing — departments consistently paying overtime are candidates for headcount approval requests, often justified by comparing annualised overtime cost to salary cost of a new hire.

Common Mistakes

Miscalculating the "regular rate of pay" for non-hourly workers

For salaried non-exempt employees, the regular rate of pay is calculated by dividing total weekly compensation (including non-discretionary bonuses) by total hours worked — not by dividing the weekly salary by 40 hours. Using the salary/40 method understates overtime pay when hours exceed 40.

Ignoring state daily overtime rules

Federal FLSA only requires overtime for hours beyond 40 per week. But California, Alaska, Nevada, and a handful of other states require daily overtime — 1.5× pay after 8 hours in a single day. Applying only the federal weekly rule in these states underpays employees.

Classifying non-exempt employees as exempt

The FLSA exemption tests (salary level + duties) are strict. Misclassifying non-exempt employees as exempt to avoid overtime is one of the most common wage-and-hour violations — resulting in back pay, liquidated damages, and legal fees.

Not including non-discretionary bonuses in the regular rate

Production bonuses, attendance bonuses, and other non-discretionary bonuses must be included in the regular rate of pay before calculating overtime. Failing to do so understates the overtime premium and creates liability for back pay.

Starting the workweek mid-cycle to avoid overtime thresholds

The FLSA workweek is a fixed, regularly recurring period of 168 hours. Employers cannot retroactively change the workweek designation to avoid overtime liability. Workweek changes must be made in advance and cannot be used to manipulate overtime calculations.

Overtime Rules by Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction	Weekly Trigger	Daily Trigger
US Federal (FLSA)	1.5× after 40 hrs/wk	None
California	1.5× after 40 hrs/wk	1.5× after 8 hrs/day; 2× after 12 hrs/day
Alaska	1.5× after 40 hrs/wk	1.5× after 8 hrs/day
United Kingdom	None (NMW floor only)	None statutory
Canada (Federal)	1.5× after 8 hrs/day or 40 hrs/wk	Varies by province
Australia	1.5× or 2× by agreement	Varies by award/enterprise agreement

References

US Department of Labor. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) — Overtime Pay. dol.gov/agencies/whd/overtime, 2024.
California DIR. Overtime and the California Labor Code § 510. dir.ca.gov, 2024.
SHRM. How to Calculate Overtime Pay. Society for Human Resource Management, 2024.
IRS. Supplemental Wages — Tax Treatment of Overtime Pay. irs.gov, 2024.
Employment and Social Development Canada. Hours of Work and Overtime. Government of Canada, 2024.