How overtime pay is calculated
Gross pay, which is pay before anything is taken off, needs three sums.
The multiplier is 1.5 for time and a half and 2 for double time. Choose "Other" if your employer pays a different rate. Enter the hours for the whole pay period, so a full-time biweekly paycheck usually has 80 regular hours.
The take-home figure is an estimate. The calculator works it out like this:
- Scale the paycheck up to a year. Gross pay is multiplied by 52 for weekly pay or 26 for biweekly pay.
- Take off the standard deduction. For 2026 that is $16,100 for a single filer, $32,200 for a joint return and $24,150 for a head of household.
- Apply the 2026 federal tax brackets. The yearly tax is then divided by 52 or 26 to get the tax for one paycheck.
- Work out Social Security and Medicare. Social Security is 6.2% of pay up to $184,500 for the year. Medicare is 1.45% of all pay, plus 0.9% on pay above $200,000.
- Subtract all three from gross pay.
Worked examples
A retail worker on $18 an hour, paid weekly
Single. Worked 46 hours in the week: 40 regular hours and 6 overtime hours at time and a half.
- Regular pay$720.00
- Overtime rate$27.00 an hour
- Overtime pay$162.00
- Gross pay$882.00
- Federal income tax (estimate)−$63.92
- Social Security and Medicare−$67.47
- Estimated take-home$750.61
A machine operator on $26 an hour, paid every two weeks
Married, filing jointly. Worked 45 hours one week and 47 the next. That is 5 plus 7, so 12 overtime hours and 80 regular hours.
- Regular pay$2,080.00
- Overtime rate$39.00 an hour
- Overtime pay$468.00
- Gross pay$2,548.00
- Federal income tax (estimate)−$138.07
- Social Security and Medicare−$194.93
- Estimated take-home$2,215.00
An electrician on $32 an hour with double time
Single, paid weekly. The employer pays double time for an 8-hour Sunday shift on top of a 40-hour week.
- Regular pay$1,280.00
- Overtime rate$64.00 an hour
- Overtime pay$512.00
- Gross pay$1,792.00
- Federal income tax (estimate)−$224.43
- Social Security and Medicare−$137.08
- Estimated take-home$1,430.49
Overtime pay by hourly rate
Overtime pay only, before tax, for 5 and 10 overtime hours. Add your regular pay to get gross pay.
| Hourly rate | Time and a half rate | 5 hours at time and a half | 10 hours at time and a half | 5 hours at double time | 10 hours at double time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $12 | $18.00 | $90.00 | $180.00 | $120.00 | $240.00 |
| $14 | $21.00 | $105.00 | $210.00 | $140.00 | $280.00 |
| $15 | $22.50 | $112.50 | $225.00 | $150.00 | $300.00 |
| $16 | $24.00 | $120.00 | $240.00 | $160.00 | $320.00 |
| $18 | $27.00 | $135.00 | $270.00 | $180.00 | $360.00 |
| $20 | $30.00 | $150.00 | $300.00 | $200.00 | $400.00 |
| $22 | $33.00 | $165.00 | $330.00 | $220.00 | $440.00 |
| $24 | $36.00 | $180.00 | $360.00 | $240.00 | $480.00 |
| $25 | $37.50 | $187.50 | $375.00 | $250.00 | $500.00 |
| $28 | $42.00 | $210.00 | $420.00 | $280.00 | $560.00 |
| $30 | $45.00 | $225.00 | $450.00 | $300.00 | $600.00 |
| $35 | $52.50 | $262.50 | $525.00 | $350.00 | $700.00 |
| $40 | $60.00 | $300.00 | $600.00 | $400.00 | $800.00 |
| $45 | $67.50 | $337.50 | $675.00 | $450.00 | $900.00 |
| $50 | $75.00 | $375.00 | $750.00 | $500.00 | $1,000.00 |
The federal overtime rule
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is the federal law that sets overtime. Covered employees who are not exempt must be paid at least one and a half times their regular rate for every hour over 40 in a workweek.
- Overtime is counted by the workweek. A workweek is a fixed, repeating period of 168 hours, which is seven days in a row. It does not have to match the calendar week and can begin on any day.
- Not by the pay period. Hours cannot be averaged over two or more weeks. If you work 30 hours one week and 50 the next, you are owed 10 overtime hours. At $20 an hour that biweekly check is $1,700 gross, not the $1,600 you would get if 80 hours were all paid at the regular rate.
- Not by the day. Federal law has no daily overtime. A 12-hour shift is not overtime under the FLSA unless your week passes 40 hours.
- Weekends and holidays are ordinary days. The FLSA does not require overtime pay for Saturdays, Sundays or holidays as such.
- It cannot be signed away. An agreement between you and your employer cannot waive the overtime requirement.
Overtime must normally be paid on the regular payday for the pay period in which you earned it.
Exempt and non-exempt
"Non-exempt" means the overtime rule covers you. "Exempt" means it does not. The main exemptions are for executive, administrative, professional and outside sales employees, and some computer employees.
To be exempt under these rules, an employee generally has to meet tests about their job duties and be paid a salary of at least $684 a week, which is $35,568 a year. Outside sales employees have no salary test, and computer employees can instead be paid at least $27.63 an hour. Job titles do not decide it. Someone called a manager who does not meet the duties tests is still owed overtime.
Regular rate of pay
Overtime is based on your regular rate, which is not always your base hourly wage. The regular rate is your total pay for the workweek, apart from a few payments the law leaves out, divided by the total hours you worked. It cannot be lower than the minimum wage.
Payments left out include gifts, repaid business expenses, discretionary bonuses (ones your employer chooses freely) and pay for time off such as holidays and sick days. Other pay for your work counts, including bonuses promised in advance for production or attendance. For example, a $45 production bonus in a 45-hour week at $20 an hour makes the regular rate $21.00, not $20. If you receive pay like that, enter the higher rate.
State overtime rules
States can set stronger rules than the federal one. The Department of Labor lists a few with daily overtime. In its table, California requires time and a half after 8 hours in a day and double time after 12, Alaska requires overtime after 8 hours in a day, and Colorado after 12. Details and exceptions vary, so check with your state labor agency. In the calculator, enter any hours your state treats as overtime in the overtime box.
What the estimate leaves out
- State and local income tax. None is taken off.
- Benefits and other deductions. Health insurance, retirement contributions, union dues and wage garnishments are not included.
- Your Form W-4. Your employer withholds based on the form you filled in. Extra withholding, dependents or a second job will change the figure.
- Weeks that differ. The estimate treats this paycheck as typical for the whole year. If overtime is rare for you, your tax for the year will be lower than this suggests.
- The federal overtime deduction. For 2025 to 2028 part of overtime pay can be deducted on your tax return. It is not in this estimate. See the no tax on overtime calculator.
Common mistakes
- Counting overtime over two weeks. Under 80 hours in a biweekly period can still include overtime if one week passed 40.
- Assuming a salary means no overtime. Exempt status depends on duties and pay level, not on how you are paid.
- Expecting double time by law. Federal law stops at time and a half.
- Multiplying the wrong rate. If bonuses or other pay for work count toward your regular rate, overtime is owed on the higher figure.
- Reading the estimate as your net pay. It covers federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, and nothing else.
Questions people ask
How do I calculate overtime pay?
Multiply your regular hourly rate by the overtime multiplier, then by your overtime hours. At $20 an hour and time and a half, the overtime rate is $30, so 5 overtime hours pay $150. Add your regular pay to get gross pay.
Is overtime after 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week?
Under federal law it is 40 hours in a workweek. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not count overtime by the day. A few states add daily rules of their own, so check with your state labor agency.
How is overtime calculated on a biweekly paycheck?
One week at a time. Federal law does not allow hours to be averaged over two weeks, so 30 hours one week and 50 the next is 10 overtime hours, even though the total is 80.
Is double time required by law?
Not by federal law, which requires time and a half. Double time comes from an employer policy, a union contract or a state rule. California, for example, requires it after 12 hours in a day.
Do salaried employees get overtime?
Some do. Being paid a salary does not make you exempt on its own. For the main office exemptions, the job must also meet the duties tests in the federal rules and the salary must be at least $684 a week.
Is overtime taxed at a higher rate?
No. There is no separate federal tax rate for overtime. It is added to your other wages and taxed under the same brackets, and Social Security and Medicare apply at the same rates.
Does working a weekend or holiday count as overtime?
Not on its own. Federal law does not require overtime pay for Saturdays, Sundays or holidays unless those hours take you past 40 in the workweek. Extra pay for those days is up to your employer or your contract.
Is there a limit on how much overtime I can work?
The Fair Labor Standards Act sets no limit on the hours an employee aged 16 or older can work in a workweek. It only sets how those hours must be paid.
Related calculators
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: Overtime Pay
- DOL Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA
- DOL Fact Sheet #17A: Exemption for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Computer and Outside Sales Employees
- DOL: Earnings thresholds for the executive, administrative and professional exemption
- DOL Fact Sheet #56A: Overview of the Regular Rate of Pay Under the FLSA
- DOL Fact Sheet #56C: Bonuses under the FLSA
- DOL: State minimum wage laws, including premium pay after designated hours
- IRS: tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026
- IRS Topic no. 751: Social Security and Medicare withholding rates
- Social Security Administration: Contribution and benefit base
Figures last checked against these sources on October 10, 2026. This page gives general information and estimates, not tax, legal or financial advice.