Overtime Pay Calculator
What a week with overtime is actually worth, before taxes.
How overtime pay works
Overtime is built on a simple idea: hours beyond your regular schedule pay a premium. Under the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), most hourly — "nonexempt" — employees must be paid at least time-and-a-half, 1.5 times their regular hourly rate, for every hour worked past 40 in a single workweek. There is no federal daily overtime rule: working 12 hours on Tuesday doesn't trigger the premium by itself if your week stays at or under 40 hours. Some states go further — California, for example, requires daily overtime after 8 hours in a day and double time after 12 — so your state's rule may pay you more than the federal floor.
The math itself is two lines. Regular pay is your wage times your regular hours. Overtime pay is your wage times 1.5, times your overtime hours. Add them and you have your gross pay for the week, before taxes and other deductions.
Worked example: you earn $18 an hour and work 40 regular hours plus 6 overtime hours. Regular pay is $18 × 40 = $720.00. Your overtime rate is $18 × 1.5 = $27 an hour, so 6 hours earns $162.00. Total for the week: $882.00. Put another way, those 6 extra hours paid like 9 regular hours — the half-time premium added $54 over straight time.
Who qualifies? Generally, nonexempt employees — most hourly workers and many salaried workers below a pay threshold whose duties don't fall into an exemption. Truly exempt employees (many managers, professionals, and outside sales roles) aren't owed overtime at any hour count.
Overtime pay FAQ
When does overtime kick in?
Under federal law, after 40 hours worked in one workweek — a fixed, repeating 7-day period your employer defines, which isn't necessarily Monday to Sunday. Hours don't average across weeks: 50 hours one week and 30 the next is still 10 overtime hours in week one. Some states, like California, add daily rules on top.
What is double time, and am I owed it?
Double time means twice your regular rate. Federal law never requires it, but some state laws do in narrow cases (California after 12 hours in a day, for instance), and many employers pay it voluntarily for holidays or Sundays under their own policy or a union contract. Check your handbook — don't assume.
I'm salaried. Do I get overtime?
Maybe. Salary alone doesn't decide it — what matters is whether you're "exempt" under the FLSA, which depends on your pay level and actual job duties. Many salaried workers are nonexempt and are legally owed overtime; others are exempt and aren't. If you're unsure, your state labor department can tell you where you stand.
Is overtime taxed differently?
Overtime is taxed like any other wages — it's withheld and taxed at your normal rates, though a big overtime week can push that paycheck's withholding higher (it evens out when you file). Note that under current federal law for 2025–2028, a portion of overtime pay — the premium half of time-and-a-half — may be deductible when you file your taxes, so keep your pay stubs.
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