Overtime Pay Calculator

How to Read Your Overtime Result

The highlight result is the extra weekly pay tied to overtime hours at the multiplier you entered. The supporting cards help you answer different questions:

• Regular weekly: your baseline earnings without overtime.
• Overtime weekly: the incremental value created by overtime hours.
• Total weekly: the paycheck-level impact when regular and overtime are combined.
• Total annual: how much overtime changes your full-year income if the pattern continues.

What This Tool Does Not Determine for You

• Whether you are legally exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA
• Whether bonuses, shift differentials, or local rules should change the regular rate
• State-specific daily overtime or seventh-day rules unless you model them manually
• Net pay after taxes

This tool is best for checking the math. It is not a legal classification engine, and it should not replace a state-specific wage review if the dispute is serious.

Checking Your Paycheck: Common Errors to Watch For

Overtime underpayment is one of the most common wage violations in the US — and it often happens accidentally, not maliciously. Here's what to watch for:

• Non-discretionary bonuses not included in the regular rate: If you receive a production bonus, attendance bonus, or any bonus tied to a fixed criterion, FLSA requires it to be included when calculating your regular rate for overtime purposes. Many employers miss this.
• Misclassified "exempt" status: If your pay or duties do not satisfy the federal exemption tests, you may still be entitled to overtime even if you are paid on a salary basis. Titles like "assistant manager" do not automatically make someone exempt.
• Averaging hours across a two-week period: Overtime is calculated weekly, not bi-weekly. If you worked 50 hours one week and 30 the next, you're owed 10 hours of overtime — not zero because the average is 40. Some employers average the hours incorrectly.

If your calculated figure doesn't match your paycheck, the DOL's Wage and Hour Division handles complaints confidentially.

How Overtime Pay Works in the United States

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), eligible non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5× their regular rate for every hour worked beyond 40 in a single workweek. This is commonly called "time-and-a-half."

Who Qualifies for Overtime?

Not all workers are covered by FLSA overtime rules. Employees classified as exempt — typically salaried professionals, executives, and administrative workers who meet both a salary-basis threshold and a duties test — generally do not receive overtime pay regardless of hours worked.

Non-exempt employees — most hourly workers and lower-salaried employees — are entitled to overtime pay under federal law. Some states (including California and Alaska) have additional daily overtime rules.

Overtime Pay Calculation Examples

Here's how overtime earnings break down at common hourly rates, assuming 10 overtime hours worked at 1.5×:

Double Time: When Does It Apply?

Federal law does not require double-time (2×) pay — only time-and-a-half. However, several states and many union contracts mandate double time in specific situations:

• California: 2× pay required for hours over 12 in a workday, or for all hours on the 7th consecutive day of a workweek after 8 hours
• Union contracts: Many collective bargaining agreements include double-time provisions for holidays, weekends, or extreme overtime situations
• Employer policy: Some employers voluntarily offer double time as a retention incentive

Always review your employment contract, state labor laws, and any applicable union agreements to understand your specific overtime entitlements.

How Overtime Affects Your Taxes

Overtime income is taxed as ordinary income — the same as your regular wages. However, receiving a larger paycheck temporarily increases your withholding rate because payroll systems calculate taxes as if you'll earn that amount every pay period. Your actual annual tax liability is based on total yearly earnings, not per-paycheck amounts.

If you work significant overtime, you may want to adjust your W-4 to avoid under-withholding. Use our Tax Estimator to calculate your expected annual tax bill including overtime income, and our Take Home Pay Calculator to see your net pay after all deductions.

Exempt vs. Non-Exempt: Know Your Classification

Your FLSA classification determines whether you're entitled to overtime pay. The three most common exempt categories are:

• Executive exemption: Primary duty is managing the company or a recognized department, directs at least 2 full-time employees, and has authority to hire/fire
• Administrative exemption: Primary duty is office work directly related to management or business operations, with discretion and independent judgment on significant matters
• Professional exemption: Work requires advanced knowledge in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized instruction

If you're unsure of your classification, ask your HR department or consult the Department of Labor's FLSA resources. Misclassification is one of the most common wage theft issues in the US — if you believe you've been wrongly classified, you may be owed back overtime pay.

Overtime Pay Questions Answered