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Free Overtime Pay Calculator
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, overtime is 1.5 times the regular rate of pay for hours over 40 in a workweek — time and a half — though state rules and union agreements can vary. So a $24.00 hourly employee who works 47.5 hours is paid 40 hours at $24.00 ($960.00) plus 7.5 hours at $36.00 ($270.00), for $1,230.00 gross. Enter a rate and hours below for your own numbers, or switch to California mode for that state’s daily overtime and double-time rules.
Overtime pay calculator
Calculate a week of overtime pay
Federal mode needs two numbers: the hourly rate and the hours worked in the workweek. California mode asks for each day instead, because that state pays overtime on daily hours as well as weekly ones. Enter hours as decimals like 9.5 or as 9:30.
Overtime starts after 40 hours because that is the federal Fair Labor Standards Act threshold: in most cases the pay premium is time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek, though state rules and union agreements can vary. Switch to California above for that state’s daily rules, and see how to track overtime costs accurately for what those premium hours really cost a service business.
Overtime Pay Chart: Common Rates at 45, 50 and 55 Hours
Gross pay for one workweek under the federal rules — 40 hours at the regular rate plus the remaining hours at time and a half. Pure arithmetic, no deductions or taxes withheld.
| Hourly rate | Overtime rate (1.5×) | 45 hours | 50 hours | 55 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $22.50 | $712.50 | $825.00 | $937.50 |
| $18.00 | $27.00 | $855.00 | $990.00 | $1,125.00 |
| $20.00 | $30.00 | $950.00 | $1,100.00 | $1,250.00 |
| $22.50 | $33.75 | $1,068.75 | $1,237.50 | $1,406.25 |
| $25.00 | $37.50 | $1,187.50 | $1,375.00 | $1,562.50 |
| $30.00 | $45.00 | $1,425.00 | $1,650.00 | $1,875.00 |
| $35.00 | $52.50 | $1,662.50 | $1,925.00 | $2,187.50 |
Need to turn a time card’s hours and minutes into the decimal hours these figures assume? Use the free time card calculator.
How to Calculate Overtime Pay
1. Total the hours for the workweek
One workweek at a time, not one paycheck at a time. Convert every time card entry to decimal hours first — 8 hours 45 minutes is 8.75, not 8.45 — using the time card calculator if you are adding punches by hand.
2. Split the hours at the threshold
Federally, hours up to 40 in the workweek are regular and everything above 40 is overtime. In California, apply the daily rules first — hours beyond 8 in a day, and beyond 12 in a day — then the weekly threshold to what is still straight time, so no hour earns a premium twice.
3. Multiply each bucket by its rate
Regular hours × the regular rate. Overtime hours × 1.5 × the regular rate. In California, double-time hours × 2 × the regular rate. Base the premium on the regular rate of pay, which includes compensation like bonuses, commissions and shift differentials — not on the base wage alone.
4. Add the buckets for gross pay
Gross pay is the sum of the straight-time and premium lines, rounded to the cent once per line. That is the figure before taxes and deductions. Watching those premium lines by job — not just by employee — is what job costing is for.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is time and a half?
Time and a half is 1.5 times the regular rate of pay — the overtime premium the federal Fair Labor Standards Act requires in most cases for hours over 40 in a workweek, though state rules and union agreements can vary. At $24.00 an hour, time and a half is $36.00 an hour, so an overtime hour costs $12.00 more than a regular one. That gap is the entire reason overtime is worth watching daily instead of discovering it on the timesheet: how to track overtime costs accurately walks through the full cost.
How do you calculate overtime pay? (worked example)
Four steps. Total the hours in the workweek: 47.5. Split them at 40 — 40 regular hours and 7.5 overtime hours. Pay the regular hours at the regular rate: 40 × $24.00 = $960.00. Pay the overtime hours at 1.5× that rate: 7.5 × $36.00 = $270.00. Gross pay is $960.00 + $270.00 = $1,230.00. The calculator above does exactly this, and the reference table shows the same math at seven common rates.
When does overtime start under federal law?
After 40 hours in a workweek. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, nonexempt employees earn a premium for hours worked over 40 in a workweek — in most cases time and a half, though state rules and union agreements can vary. There is no federal daily threshold, so a 12-hour day inside a 38-hour week creates no federal overtime; some states, California among them, do have daily rules.
Does California have daily overtime?
Yes. Our California overtime compliance guide states that employers must pay 1.5× the regular rate for hours beyond 8 in a single day or for the first 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day, and 2× the regular rate for hours beyond 12 in a single day or for all hours beyond 8 on the seventh consecutive day. Any work beyond 8 hours in a single day qualifies for overtime, even if total weekly hours are under 40 — the guide’s own example is an employee who works five hours on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and 13 hours on Tuesday: despite a 33-hour week, Tuesday is 8 hours at regular pay, 4 hours at 1.5×, and 1 hour at 2×. Switch the calculator to California mode to run your own week.
Is overtime calculated per week or per paycheck?
Per workweek. The premium applies to hours over 40 in a workweek, so a biweekly paycheck covers two separate workweeks and each is measured on its own: 48 hours followed by 32 hours is 8 overtime hours, not zero, even though the two weeks average 40. Averaging across a pay period is one of the quieter ways overtime gets underpaid. Chronotek Pro’s job costing reports show those premium hours by job and by week rather than by check date.
Does the overtime rate include bonuses and commissions?
In California it has to. The overtime compliance guide explains that overtime must be based on the regular rate of pay, which includes additional compensation like bonuses, commissions and shift differentials — paying overtime solely on an employee’s base hourly rate is a common compliance error. Discretionary bonuses and gifts, expense reimbursements, pay for non-worked periods, premium pay and tips are excluded from that calculation, and an employee working multiple rates in a week is paid overtime on a weighted average of them. This calculator takes one rate, so enter the regular rate rather than the base wage when they differ.
A note on what this calculator is — and isn’t.
This page provides general product and operational information, not legal advice. Chronotek Pro does not determine an employer’s legal obligations, replace legal counsel, or guarantee compliance. Overtime requirements vary by employee classification, wage order, industry, collective bargaining agreement, and other circumstances, and California mode implements only the rules stated in our California overtime compliance guide — it does not model alternative workweek schedules, exemption tests, or the regular rate of pay as distinct from a single hourly rate. Consult qualified employment counsel about your company’s specific obligations, and see California compliance for how Chronotek Pro supports those workflows.
See overtime coming, not after it is paid
A calculator prices overtime after the week is over. Chronotek Pro records GPS-verified clock-ins from the job site, totals daily and weekly hours as they happen, and shows which jobs are driving premium hours — while there is still time to change the schedule. Start a 30-day free trial, no credit card required.
Related reading: How to track overtime costs accurately · California overtime compliance guide · California compliance · Free time card calculator