How to calculate overtime pay
Overtime pay is your hourly rate times 1.5 for every hour over 40 in a workweek. That is what people mean by time and a half. Your total pay for the week is the first 40 hours at your normal rate plus the overtime hours at one and a half times the rate.
Total pay = hourly rate × 40 + overtime pay
Example. You earn $20.00 an hour and work 50 hours this week. The first 40 hours pay 40 × $20.00 = $800.00. The other 10 hours are overtime at $30.00, which adds $300.00. Your gross pay is $1,100.00 before taxes.
Hours can be entered as decimals or as hours and minutes. 45:30 means 45 hours 30 minutes, the same as 45.5 hours. If you only have clock in and clock out times, total them first with the time card calculator.
Time and a half pay chart
Time and a half for common hourly rates, with double time and the gross pay for a 50 hour week (40 regular hours plus 10 overtime hours).
| Hourly rate | Time and a half | Double time | 50 hour week |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $15.00 | $20.00 | $550.00 |
| $12.00 | $18.00 | $24.00 | $660.00 |
| $15.00 | $22.50 | $30.00 | $825.00 |
| $16.00 | $24.00 | $32.00 | $880.00 |
| $17.00 | $25.50 | $34.00 | $935.00 |
| $18.00 | $27.00 | $36.00 | $990.00 |
| $19.00 | $28.50 | $38.00 | $1,045.00 |
| $20.00 | $30.00 | $40.00 | $1,100.00 |
| $22.00 | $33.00 | $44.00 | $1,210.00 |
| $23.00 | $34.50 | $46.00 | $1,265.00 |
| $25.00 | $37.50 | $50.00 | $1,375.00 |
| $28.00 | $42.00 | $56.00 | $1,540.00 |
| $30.00 | $45.00 | $60.00 | $1,650.00 |
| $35.00 | $52.50 | $70.00 | $1,925.00 |
| $40.00 | $60.00 | $80.00 | $2,200.00 |
| $45.00 | $67.50 | $90.00 | $2,475.00 |
| $50.00 | $75.00 | $100.00 | $2,750.00 |
Is overtime calculated weekly or biweekly?
Weekly. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) each workweek stands alone, even when you are paid every two weeks. A workweek is a fixed, recurring period of 168 hours, seven days in a row, that your employer sets. If you work 45 hours in week one and 35 in week two, the paycheck covers 80 hours but you are still owed 5 hours of overtime for week one. Choose 2 weeks above to see each week worked out on its own.
Federal law has no daily overtime and no overtime for weekends or holidays. A single 10 hour day earns overtime only in a state with a daily rule.
When is double time paid?
Federal law never requires double time. It is owed in California, and anywhere a union contract or company policy promises it, often for holidays or a seventh day in a row. California requires double time for:
- Hours over 12 in a workday.
- Hours over 8 on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek.
Double time is twice the regular rate, so $20.00 an hour becomes $40.00.
California overtime rules
- Over 8 hours in a workday, up to 12 hours: 1.5 × the regular rate.
- Over 12 hours in a workday: 2 × the regular rate.
- Seventh consecutive day in a workweek: the first 8 hours at 1.5 ×, the rest at 2 ×.
- Over 40 regular hours in a workweek: 1.5 ×. Hours already paid as daily overtime are not counted twice.
Example. Four 12 hour shifts at $25.00 an hour. Each day has 8 regular hours and 4 overtime hours. That is 32 regular hours ($800.00) and 16 overtime hours at $37.50 ($600.00), so gross pay is $1,400.00. Under federal rules alone the same 48 hours would earn only 8 hours of overtime.
Choose California under Overtime law and enter each day. California's exempt salary minimum in 2026 is $70,304 a year, twice the $16.90 state minimum wage for full-time work.
Overtime rules in other states
| State | Daily overtime | Weekly overtime |
|---|---|---|
| California | Over 8 h (1.5×), over 12 h (2×) | Over 40 h |
| Alaska | Over 8 h, employers with 4 or more employees | Over 40 h |
| Colorado | Over 12 h in a workday or 12 consecutive hours | Over 40 h |
| Nevada | Over 8 h in 24 hours if paid under $18.00 an hour | Over 40 h |
| Texas, Florida and most states | None | Over 40 h (federal FLSA) |
Texas, Florida, Georgia, Arizona and most other states have no overtime law of their own, so the federal 40 hour weekly rule applies. A few states set their own salary limits for exempt workers or cover workers the FLSA leaves out, but the overtime math is the same.
Overtime for salaried employees
Being paid a salary does not by itself rule out overtime. You are exempt from overtime only when you earn at least $684 a week ($35,568 a year) and your main duties are executive, administrative or professional. The 2024 rule that would have raised that limit was struck down, so $684 a week is still the federal figure in 2026. Highly compensated employees earning $107,432 or more face a looser duties test.
If you are salaried but non-exempt, your regular rate is your weekly salary divided by the hours the salary is meant to cover. A $52,000 salary is $1,000 a week. For a 40 hour week that is $25.00 an hour, so overtime is $37.50 an hour and a 50 hour week pays $1,375.00. Choose Salary above and enter the pay and the hours it covers.
Some employers pay a fixed salary for whatever hours you work, called a fluctuating workweek. Overtime is then only half the regular rate for each hour over 40, and the regular rate changes every week. This calculator assumes a fixed schedule.
Shift differentials and bonuses change your overtime rate
Overtime is based on your regular rate, not just your base hourly wage. Shift differentials and nondiscretionary bonuses, such as attendance, production or safety bonuses promised in advance, must be added in. Divide all straight-time pay for the week by the hours worked to get the regular rate, then pay half of that rate again for each overtime hour.
Example. $20.00 an hour plus a $2.00 night differential for all 50 hours and a $100 production bonus. Straight-time pay is $1,000 + $100 + $100 = $1,200, so the regular rate is $24.00 and overtime is $36.00 an hour. Gross pay is $1,320.00, not the $1,100 you would get from the base rate alone. Open Shift differential and bonus above to include them.
Gifts, discretionary holiday bonuses, paid time off and expense reimbursements stay out of the regular rate.
No Tax on Overtime: what counts as qualified overtime
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act created a federal income tax deduction for qualified overtime compensation for tax years 2025 through 2028. It does not make all overtime pay tax free. Only the extra half of time and a half that the FLSA requires counts.
- Example: at $20.00 an hour, 10 overtime hours pay $300.00. Your regular rate covers $200.00 of that, so $100.00 is qualified overtime.
- Only hours over 40 in a workweek count. California daily overtime, overtime from a union contract and holiday premiums do not count unless the hours are also over 40 that week.
- For double time on hours over 40, only the half time portion counts.
- The deduction is capped at $12,500 a year, or $25,000 on a joint return. It shrinks by $100 for each $1,000 of modified adjusted gross income above $150,000 ($300,000 joint).
- You can take it whether or not you itemize, on Schedule 1-A of Form 1040. Married couples must file jointly, and you need a valid Social Security number.
- Social Security and Medicare taxes still apply to all overtime pay, and most states still tax it.
For 2025 returns you could use a reasonable method, such as dividing time and a half overtime pay by three. From tax year 2026 employers report qualified overtime on Form W-2 in box 12 with code TT, and that box is the amount you can deduct. The calculator shows the qualified amount for the period you entered and what it adds up to over a year at the same pace. Your tax saving is roughly the deduction times your federal tax bracket, so $5,200 of qualified overtime in the 12% bracket saves about $624.
Is overtime taxed more than regular pay?
No. Overtime is ordinary wages and is taxed at the same rates as the rest of your pay. A paycheck with a lot of overtime can look over-withheld because payroll software treats that check as if you earned it every pay period of the year. Any extra withholding comes back when you file. Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) are taken from every overtime dollar.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA
- 29 CFR 778.104: each workweek stands alone
- 29 CFR 778.113: salaried employees, regular rate
- 29 CFR 778.207 and 778.208: shift differentials and bonuses in the regular rate
- California Labor Commissioner: Overtime FAQ
- IRS: One, Big, Beautiful Bill provisions
- IRS: guidance for individuals who received tips or overtime in tax year 2025