Quick answer: Overtime Pay Calculator is a free online tool that lets you calculate overtime earnings the right way. Enter your hourly rate, regular and overtime hours to see regular pay, overtime pay at time-and-a-half, and your total. Free with no signup or download: get results instantly, all inside your browser.
Calculate overtime earnings the right way. Enter your hourly rate, regular and overtime hours to see regular pay, overtime pay at time-and-a-half, and your total.
What is the Overtime Pay Calculator?
An overtime calculator splits weekly pay into regular earnings and premium overtime earnings. Under the US Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees earn at least 1.5x their regular rate for hours over 40 in a week — ‘time and a half.’ So 8 overtime hours at a $22 base rate pay $264 instead of $176.
This free overtime calculator accepts any multiplier because rules vary: some states require double time after 12 hours in a day, union contracts often pay more, and holidays may carry their own premiums. Enter your actual multiplier to match your situation.
The breakdown table shows regular and overtime lines separately, which is useful for checking pay stubs. Employers must list hours and rates clearly; if your stub’s overtime line does not match this math, ask payroll for an explanation before assuming the difference is a mistake — blended rates for multiple pay rates complicate the calculation.
Tracking overtime consistently also protects you during disputes. Keep your own log of hours — dates, start and end times — independent of the employer’s system, and reconcile it against every pay stub with this calculator. Accurate records turn a vague feeling of being underpaid into a documented claim.
How to use the Overtime Pay Calculator
Enter your regular hourly pay rate.
Enter your regular hours for the period (usually 40 per week).
Enter overtime hours worked beyond the regular hours.
Set the overtime multiplier — 1.5 for standard time-and-a-half.
Click Calculate to see regular, overtime and total pay broken out.
Overtime Pay Calculator use cases
Paycheck verification
Confirm your pay stub is correct. Multiply out regular and overtime lines separately and compare against the stub — catching a misapplied rate early is far easier than disputing it months later with payroll.
Evaluating extra shifts
Decide whether picking up a shift is worth it. Eight overtime hours at time-and-a-half on $22/hour is $264 gross; seeing the concrete number (and the after-tax reality) makes the trade-off against your free time explicit.
Small business payroll
Employers budgeting hourly labor can model the true cost of overtime versus hiring. When regular staff consistently log 10+ overtime hours, the 50% premium often makes an additional part-time hire the cheaper option.
Two-job planning
Workers juggling jobs can compare overtime at the primary job against straight-time hours at a second job. Sometimes extra hours at 1.5x beat a second job’s base rate — sometimes the flexibility of the second job wins.
Tips
US federal law requires 1.5x for non-exempt hours over 40/week.
Some states and contracts pay double time — set the multiplier to 2.
Salaried exempt employees generally do not earn overtime.
Figures are gross pay; taxes still apply to overtime earnings.
Frequently asked questions
How is overtime pay calculated?
Multiply overtime hours by the overtime rate (regular rate × multiplier), then add regular pay. Example: $20/hour with 40 regular + 10 overtime hours at 1.5× = $800 + $300 = $1,100. This calculator performs the split automatically and shows each line separately. The calculator itemizes regular pay, overtime pay, and the total, so you can verify each component against your pay stub.
What is time-and-a-half?
Time-and-a-half means 1.5 times the regular hourly rate — the federal minimum overtime premium in the US. It applies to non-exempt employees working over 40 hours in a week. At $20/hour, time-and-a-half is $30/hour. Some states and contracts require double time (2×) instead. The 1.5× premium has been federal law since the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 — it is one of the oldest worker protections in the US.
Who qualifies for overtime pay?
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, ‘non-exempt’ employees must receive overtime. Exempt status depends on salary level and job duties (executive, administrative, professional categories), not just being paid a salary. When in doubt, check the Department of Labor’s criteria — misclassification is common. Salaried does not automatically mean exempt: many salaried workers are legally non-exempt and owed overtime. Duties and pay level decide, not the label.
Is overtime taxed at a higher rate?
No — this is a persistent myth. Overtime is taxed as ordinary income at your normal marginal rates. A larger paycheck may have more withheld in that pay period, but your actual annual tax is based on total yearly income, and any over-withholding comes back as a refund. What feels like a ‘higher tax’ is just withholding math catching up — your annual return reconciles everything at the correct rates.
What is double time and when does it apply?
Double time is 2× the regular rate. California requires it for hours over 12 in a single day and for hours over 8 on the seventh consecutive workday. Many union contracts and company policies also include double-time provisions — set the multiplier to 2 in the calculator. California’s daily overtime rules are the strictest in the nation, which is why the calculator lets you set custom multipliers.
Can my employer require overtime?
Generally yes — in most US states employers can mandate overtime for non-exempt workers, and must pay the premium. Some states limit mandatory overtime for healthcare workers, and union contracts may add restrictions. Refusing required overtime can be grounds for discipline, so know your local rules. Keep your own timesheet even when the employer tracks hours — independent records resolve most pay disputes before they start.
How do I check overtime on my pay stub?
Find the overtime line: it should show overtime hours multiplied by your overtime rate. Verify the rate equals your regular rate times the correct multiplier, and that the hours match your records. If you work at multiple rates, employers use a weighted ‘regular rate’ — ask payroll to show that calculation if the numbers look off. Photograph or save every pay stub; reconstructing a year of overtime from memory is nearly impossible.