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Overtime Calculator
Under the federal rule, overtime is every hour over 40 in a work week, paid at 1.5 times the hourly rate. A 45-hour week at $20 an hour is 40 regular hours ($800.00) plus 5 overtime hours at $30.00 ($150.00): $950.00 gross.
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Work out regular, overtime and double-time pay for one week
Pre-filled with a 45-hour week at $20 an hour. Change any box and the answer updates.
| Hours | Rate | Pay | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | 40.00 | $20.00 | $800.00 |
| Overtime (1.5×) | 5.00 | $30.00 | $150.00 |
| Total | 45.00 | $950.00 |
| Day | Hours | Regular | Overtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 9.00 | 9.00 | 0.00 |
| Tuesday | 9.00 | 9.00 | 0.00 |
| Wednesday | 9.00 | 9.00 | 0.00 |
| Thursday | 9.00 | 9.00 | 0.00 |
| Friday | 9.00 | 4.00 | 5.00 |
Weekly rule: hours over 40 in the work week are overtime at 1.5× the hourly rate.
How overtime is calculated
Under the federal rule (the Fair Labor Standards Act), overtime is counted by the work week, not by the day and not by the pay period:
overtime hours = max(0, hours worked in the week − 40)
regular hours = hours worked − overtime hours
gross pay = regular hours × rate + overtime hours × rate × 1.5
The calculator walks through the week in order, Monday to Sunday, and keeps a running total. The day that pushes the running total past 40 is the day overtime starts, which is why the day-by-day table above shows Monday to Thursday as all regular and puts the 5 overtime hours on Friday. On a real timesheet that matters: if Friday's shift was the one that ran long, Friday is where the overtime belongs.
A work week is any fixed run of seven days you choose, and it does not have to start on Monday. What you cannot do is average two weeks together. A 50-hour week followed by a 30-hour week is 10 hours of overtime in the first week, even though the two-week total is exactly 80.
Daily overtime and double time (California-style)
A few states also count overtime by the day. Choose Daily + weekly and each day is split first:
double time = max(0, hours − 12)
daily overtime = min(max(0, hours − 8), 12 − 8)
daily regular = min(hours, 8)
Then the weekly rule runs over the regular hours only: once the running total of daily regular hours passes 40, the rest of those regular hours become overtime too. Hours already paid as daily overtime or double time are never counted a second time.
That last step is where hand calculations usually go wrong. Four 12-hour days and a 6-hour day is 54 hours. Under the weekly rule it is 40 regular and 14 overtime. Under daily + weekly it is 38 regular and 16 overtime, because each 12-hour day already carries 4 hours of daily overtime, which leaves only 38 regular hours, so the weekly threshold is never reached. Add the weekly overtime on top of the daily overtime and you would pay for the same hours twice.
Worked example
The calculator opens on a plain week: 9 hours a day, Monday to Friday, at $20 an hour, under the federal weekly rule.
- Hours worked: 5 × 9 = 45.
- Overtime: 45 − 40 = 5 hours, all on Friday (the running total reaches 36 on Thursday).
- Regular pay: 40 × $20.00 = $800.00.
- Overtime pay: 5 × $20.00 × 1.5 = 5 × $30.00 = $150.00.
- Gross for the week: $950.00, before taxes and deductions.
Switch the rule to Daily + weekly and the totals do not change: each 9-hour day is 8 regular and 1 overtime, which is still 40 regular and 5 overtime. The difference is only where the overtime sits, one hour on each day instead of five on Friday. Daily rules change the total when the days are uneven. Make Monday 13 hours and Tuesday 5 and the week is still 45 hours, but Monday now carries 4 hours of overtime and 1 hour of double time. The week comes out at 37 regular, 7 overtime and 1 double time, against 40 regular and 5 overtime under the weekly rule alone.
Common questions
How do I calculate time and a half?
Multiply the hourly rate by 1.5 to get the overtime rate, then multiply by the overtime hours. At $20 an hour, time and a half is $30 an hour, so 5 overtime hours add $150 to the week's regular pay.
Is overtime calculated per day or per week?
Under federal law, per week: hours over 40 in a fixed seven-day work week. A few states add a daily rule on top (California is the best known: over 8 hours in a day is overtime and over 12 is double time). Pick the rule that applies to you in the Overtime rule box.
Do paid holidays, PTO or sick days count toward 40 hours?
Under the federal rule, no. Overtime is based on hours actually worked, so paid time off is paid at the regular rate and left out of the 40. Some employers count it anyway as a policy choice. Enter only worked hours here.
Can overtime be averaged over a two-week pay period?
No. Each work week stands on its own, even when you run payroll every two weeks. Work out each week separately and add the results.
Why is my overtime different under daily + weekly?
Daily overtime is taken out first, and the weekly 40 then applies only to the regular hours that remain. With long days and a short one, that can mean more overtime than the weekly rule alone and fewer regular hours, never the same hour counted twice.
Is anything I type here saved or sent anywhere?
No. The calculator runs in your browser. If you change a box, the inputs are added to the page address so you can bookmark or share that week. That part of the address never reaches a server.
Honest scope
This calculator applies the federal FLSA weekly rule by default: overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a work week. It is a quick check, not payroll software and not legal advice.
- State rules vary. Some states count daily overtime, some pay double time, and California also has a seventh-consecutive-day rule that this calculator does not apply. The daily + weekly option covers the common 8-hour and 12-hour pattern only.
- The regular rate is not always the hourly rate. Nondiscretionary bonuses, shift differentials and some commissions have to be folded into the rate overtime is calculated from. Here, overtime is the number you enter times the multiplier.
- Exempt employees (most salaried managers and professionals) are not owed overtime under federal law. Whether someone is exempt depends on their pay and duties, not their job title.
- Gross pay is before taxes and deductions. Rounding of clock times, unpaid breaks and paid time off are not handled here.
Check your state's labor department or your payroll provider before you pay from these numbers.
Running PTO, attendance and shift schedules as well? The Small Team HR System includes this timesheet and overtime module alongside five others on one employee roster.
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