Comprehensive Guide
Learn more in our Personal Finance Guide.
How it works
Overtime pay is the premium — normally 1.5 times the regular rate — owed on hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek under the Fair Labor Standards Act. This calculator computes the week's gross pay in two modes. Hourly workers enter a rate and total hours: the first 40 earn straight time, the remainder earn the multiplier. Salaried non-exempt workers enter the weekly salary and the hours it is meant to cover; the engine derives the implied regular rate and adds the overtime premium on top of the salary. A $22 hourly rate across 46 hours earns $880 regular plus $198 of overtime — $1,078 for the week. Three boundaries matter. The threshold counts hours per workweek, not per day or averaged per pay period, so two 25-hour weeks owe nothing federally. Some states go further: California owes 1.5x beyond 8 hours in a day and double time beyond 12. And salaried does not mean exempt — the exemption requires both a duties test and a minimum salary level, so many salaried workers are legally owed the very premium this calculator computes.Formula
OT hours = hours over 40 | Hourly: OT = rate x multiplier x OT hrs | Total = regular + OT
Tips
- Federal overtime triggers at 40 hours in a workweek — not per day, not per paycheck average.
- Salaried non-exempt workers are owed overtime; exemption needs duties plus a minimum salary.
- California adds daily overtime: 1.5x after 8 hours in a day, double time after 12.
- PTO and holidays do not count toward the 40 — only hours actually worked do.
- Non-discretionary bonuses raise the regular rate, and with it the overtime owed.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate time and a half?
Multiply the hourly rate by 1.5 to get the OT rate, then by overtime hours. Time and a half on $22 is $33; eight such hours add $264 to the paycheck. The calculator handles the full week, including the straight-time portion below 40 hours.
What is time and a half for $20 an hour?
$30 per overtime hour. A week of 46 hours at $20 therefore earns $800 regular plus $180 overtime — $980 total. Double time on the same rate would be $40 an hour.
Do salaried employees get overtime?
Many do. Salaried workers are owed overtime unless both the duties test (executive, professional, administrative and similar exemptions) and the federal minimum salary threshold are met. Misclassification is one of the most common wage violations — salaried alone exempts nobody.
Is overtime calculated daily or weekly?
Federally, weekly: anything past 40 hours in a defined workweek earns the premium, regardless of daily length. States layer daily rules on top — California owes 1.5x past 8 hours in a day even within a 35-hour week, plus double time past 12.
Do PTO and holidays count toward overtime hours?
No. Federal law counts only hours actually worked, so 38 worked hours plus 8 hours of holiday pay is a 38-hour week with no overtime due — however generous the payroll stub makes it look.