How to use the overtime calculator
- Enter your hourly rate before tax.
- Enter total hours worked in the week.
- Set where overtime starts: 40 is the federal line.
- Choose the multiplier: 1.5 for time and a half, 2 for double time.
- Read the gross pay and the overtime share.
How overtime pay is figured
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, covered employees must be paid at least one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. The workweek is a fixed recurring period of 168 hours, and the hours cannot be averaged across weeks, so 50 hours one week and 30 the next still creates 10 hours of overtime in the first week (US Department of Labor, Fact Sheet 23). This overtime calculator applies that rule to one week: regular hours are paid at your rate, overtime hours at your rate times the multiplier.
A worked week
$22 an hour for 48 hours. Regular pay is 40 x $22 = $880.00. The overtime rate is $33.00, and 8 overtime hours pay $264.00. Gross pay for the week is $1,144.00, which works out to $23.83 for every hour worked. Overtime is 23.1% of the check.
Double time changes it quickly: at $30 an hour for 52 hours, 12 overtime hours at 2x add $720.00 to a $1,200.00 base.
Things the simple version leaves out
The federal "regular rate" includes more than the hourly wage: non-discretionary bonuses, shift differentials and similar pay are added in before the one-and-a-half multiplier applies, so your true overtime rate can be higher than the number here. Some states, California among them, require overtime after eight hours in a day or double time at higher hours; use the threshold and multiplier fields only for a rule you have confirmed. Salaried workers who are exempt from overtime, such as many executives and some professionals, are not covered by this arithmetic at all.
From gross to take-home
The result is gross pay. Overtime is taxed like any other wage, but a larger check can be withholding-heavy because payroll systems annualise it. To see the take-home, enter the gross pay in the paycheck calculator for your state or the general paycheck calculator. To compare with a salary, convert with the hourly to salary calculator.
If you are paid a salary
A salaried employee who is not exempt is still owed overtime. The usual way to find the rate is to divide the weekly salary by the hours the salary is meant to cover, then pay overtime on top. For a $1,000 weekly salary meant to cover 40 hours, the hourly rate is $25, so enter 25 here. Some pay arrangements treat the salary as covering all hours worked, which gives half-time instead of time and a half for the overtime hours, but that depends on a written agreement and state law, so ask your employer or a labor agency before relying on either figure.
Method and sources
Regular pay = min(hours, threshold) x rate. Overtime pay = hours over the threshold x rate x multiplier. The 40-hour workweek and one-and-a-half rule are from US Department of Labor Fact Sheet 23, Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA (page fetched 2026-11-04). This is an arithmetic aid, not legal advice; state law and your contract may require more.
Worked examples
| Example | Input | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 48 hours at $22 | Hourly rate ($): 22; Hours worked this week: 48; Overtime starts after (hours): 40; Overtime multiplier: 1.5; Weeks to project: 1 | Regular hours: 40; Overtime hours: 8; Overtime rate: $33.00; Regular pay per week: $880.00; Overtime pay per week: $264.00; Gross pay per week: $1,144.00; Average pay per hour worked: $23.83; Overtime share of the paycheck: 23.1% |
| Double time on a holiday week | Hourly rate ($): 30; Hours worked this week: 52; Overtime starts after (hours): 40; Overtime multiplier: 2; Weeks to project: 1 | Regular hours: 40; Overtime hours: 12; Overtime rate: $60.00; Regular pay per week: $1,200.00; Overtime pay per week: $720.00; Gross pay per week: $1,920.00; Average pay per hour worked: $36.92; Overtime share of the paycheck: 37.5% |
| Two weeks with a 35-hour line | Hourly rate ($): 18.5; Hours worked this week: 44; Overtime starts after (hours): 35; Overtime multiplier: 1.5; Weeks to project: 2 | Regular hours: 35; Overtime hours: 9; Overtime rate: $27.75; Regular pay per week: $647.50; Overtime pay per week: $249.75; Gross pay per week: $897.25; Average pay per hour worked: $20.39; Overtime share of the paycheck: 27.8%; Gross pay over 2 weeks: $1,794.50 |
FAQ
How is overtime calculated?
Multiply your regular hourly rate by 1.5, then multiply that by the hours worked beyond 40 in the workweek. Add it to your regular pay for the first 40 hours.
What is time and a half?
It means one and a half times your regular rate: $22 an hour becomes $33 an hour for overtime hours.
Can my employer average hours over two weeks?
Not for federal overtime. Each workweek is counted on its own, so hours cannot be averaged across weeks.
Do bonuses change my overtime rate?
Yes for non-discretionary bonuses, which must be included in the regular rate. This calculator uses the hourly rate you enter.
Is overtime taxed at a higher rate?
No. Overtime is taxed as ordinary income. A large check can have more withheld because payroll systems annualise it, but any excess comes back on your return.
Does everyone get overtime?
No. Exempt employees, who must meet salary and duties tests, are not entitled to overtime under the FLSA. Check with the Department of Labor or your state agency if you are unsure.