How to calculate overtime pay
Overtime rate = hourly rate × overtime multiplier (1.5× for time-and-a-half), and overtime pay = overtime hours × overtime rate. Add that to your regular pay for the total. For $20/hr and 45 hours worked in a week:
- Regular pay: 40 hours × $20.00 = $800.00
- Overtime rate: $20.00 × 1.5 = $30.00
- Overtime pay: 5 hours × $30.00 = $150.00
- Total gross pay: $800.00 + $150.00 = $950.00
The 40-hour workweek rule (FLSA)
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act requires overtime pay (at least 1.5× the regular rate) for hours worked over 40 in a single workweek for non-exempt employees. It's a per-week rule: hours cannot be averaged across two weeks, even on a biweekly paycheck, and there is no federal daily-overtime rule (see the state note below). A "workweek" is any fixed, recurring 7-day period your employer sets -- it doesn't have to start on Sunday or Monday.
Exempt vs. non-exempt employees
Only non-exempt employees are guaranteed overtime under the FLSA. Whether someone is exempt depends on their job duties (executive, administrative, professional and some other categories) and being paid at least a minimum salary -- not simply on being salaried rather than hourly. That minimum salary threshold has changed hands in court: a 2024 rule that raised it was vacated in November 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor has enforced the earlier 2019 threshold ($684/week, $35,568/year) since then, and it formally rescinded the 2024 rule in May 2026. Some states set their own, higher thresholds.
Time and a half vs. double time
Time and a half (1.5×) is the federal minimum for overtime hours. Double time (2×) is not required by federal law at all -- it shows up only where a state, union contract or employer policy adds it, often for very long shifts, a 7th consecutive workday, or holiday work. At $20/hr with 52 hours worked and 4 of those hours paid at double time: $800.00 regular + $240.00 overtime (8 hours) + $160.00 double-time (4 hours) = $1,200.00 gross. Enter a double-time multiplier and hours in the calculator above if that applies to you; otherwise leave it at zero.
Overtime on a biweekly paycheck
Overtime is still figured one workweek at a time, even when you're paid every two weeks. Working 45 hours one week and 35 the next is 5 hours of overtime, not zero -- the two weeks are never averaged together. To check a full two-week pay period, including which week each overtime hour falls in, use the biweekly time card calculator.
State and daily overtime rules
A handful of states, most notably California, also require overtime for hours worked over 8 in a single day (1.5×) and over 12 in a single day (2×), on top of the standard 40-hour weekly rule. For example, a 10-hour Monday followed by four 8-hour days (42 hours total) comes to 40 regular hours, 2 overtime hours and 0 double-time hours at $22.00/hr, for $946.00 gross. Use the "Daily" mode above for this rule -- most other states use only the 40-hour weekly rule, so check your state labor department if you're not sure which applies.
| Total hours (week) | Regular pay | Overtime pay | Gross pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | $800.00 | $0.00 | $800.00 |
| 45 | $800.00 | $150.00 | $950.00 |
| 50 | $800.00 | $300.00 | $1,100.00 |
| 55 | $800.00 | $450.00 | $1,250.00 |
| 60 | $800.00 | $600.00 | $1,400.00 |
No tax on overtime? What it means for your paycheck
A 2025-2028 federal tax change lets many workers deduct the "extra half" of their time-and-a-half overtime pay from federal income tax, up to a cap -- it does not remove Social Security, Medicare or most state withholding, and it isn't a change to how overtime pay itself is calculated. For a worked example with your own numbers, see the no tax on overtime calculator.
More work-hours tools
- Time card calculator: add up a weekly timesheet with breaks, overtime and pay.
- Biweekly time card calculator: a two-week time card with overtime counted correctly for each workweek.
- Military time converter: convert 24-hour clock-in/out times to standard time and back.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my overtime pay?
Multiply your overtime hours by your overtime rate (hourly rate × 1.5, or your employer's multiplier), then add that to your regular pay. At $20/hr with 45 hours worked: 40 regular hours × $20 = $800.00, plus 5 overtime hours × $30.00 = $150.00, for a total of $950.00.
How do I calculate my overtime (OT) rate?
Overtime rate = hourly rate × overtime multiplier. At $18.50/hr and time-and-a-half (1.5×): $18.50 × 1.5 = $27.75 per overtime hour. At double time (2×) it would be $37.00.
What is the 40-hour rule for overtime?
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), most hourly (non-exempt) employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular rate for every hour worked over 40 in a single workweek. It's a weekly threshold, not a daily one (unless your state adds its own daily rule), and it can't be averaged across two weeks even if you're paid biweekly.
What's the difference between time and a half and double time?
Time and a half pays 1.5× your regular hourly rate; double time pays 2×. Federal law (FLSA) only requires time-and-a-half after 40 hours a week -- double time is not a federal requirement, but some states, union contracts or employer policies add it for very long days, the 7th consecutive day worked, or holidays.
Do salaried employees get overtime?
It depends on whether they're 'exempt' or 'non-exempt', which is based on job duties and salary, not just on being paid a salary. Non-exempt salaried employees still get overtime under the FLSA. Exempt employees (typically certain executive, administrative, professional or outside sales roles above a minimum salary) do not. Check the U.S. Department of Labor's rules or ask your employer if you're unsure which applies to you.
What is the new overtime rule for 2026?
The overtime rate itself hasn't changed: time-and-a-half after 40 hours a week is still the federal baseline. What changed is the exempt salary threshold, which decides who must get overtime at all. A 2024 rule that raised this threshold was struck down by a federal court in November 2024. Since then the Department of Labor has enforced the earlier 2019 threshold ($684 a week, $35,568 a year), and it formally rescinded the 2024 rule in May 2026. Several states set their own, higher thresholds or add daily-overtime rules, so check your state labor department if you're unsure whether you're exempt.
How does overtime work on a biweekly paycheck?
Overtime is still calculated one workweek at a time, even if you're paid every two weeks: working 45 hours one week and 35 the next means 5 hours of overtime, not zero (you can't average 45 and 35 into two 40-hour weeks). Each of the two weeks in a biweekly pay period is checked separately against the 40-hour threshold.
How is daily (California-style) overtime different from weekly overtime?
Some states, notably California, also require overtime for hours over 8 in a single day (at 1.5×) and over 12 in a single day (at 2×), on top of the standard 40-hour weekly rule. For a 13-hour day, that's 8 regular hours, 4 overtime hours and 1 double-time hour. Most states only use the 40-hour weekly rule -- check your state labor department for the rule that applies to you.
Does this calculator account for taxes?
No -- every figure here is gross pay (before tax) at the pay rate you enter. For an estimate of the 2025-2028 federal deduction for overtime premium pay ('no tax on overtime'), use the no tax on overtime calculator.
Is my data saved or sent anywhere?
Your entries are saved only in your own browser so they are there next time. Nothing is sent to our servers.