Overtime Paycheck Calculator
Compute the gross paycheck for a US non-exempt hourly worker with overtime, using the Fair Labor Standards Act 1.5× time-and-a-half rate or a 2.0× double-time premium.
Gross paycheck
£1,100.00
- Regular pay
- £800.00
- Overtime pay
- £300.00
- Overtime rate
- £30.00
- Total hours
- 50
Total gross paycheck of $1,100.00 = $800.00 regular pay + $300.00 overtime pay. The overtime portion carries a $100.00 premium above what the same 10 hours would have paid at your regular rate. Gross figures are before federal and state income tax withholding, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%) — your net paycheck will be lower.
How to use this calculator
Enter your hourly rate in dollars, the number of regular hours worked in this pay period, and the number of overtime hours worked in this pay period. Pick the overtime multiplier that applies — 1.5× is the federal FLSA time-and-a-half required for hours over 40 in a workweek, and 2.0× (double time) is used by some employers, union contracts, and state laws (notably California Labor Code §510) for specified hours such as after 12 hours in a workday or after 8 hours on the seventh consecutive workday. The calculator returns your gross paycheck along with a breakdown showing the regular pay, the overtime pay, the overtime hourly rate, and total hours. Defaults use $20/hr with 40 regular and 10 overtime hours at 1.5×, giving a gross paycheck of $1,100 — matching the standard DOL worked example scaled to $20.
How the calculation works
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (29 U.S.C. §207(a)(1)), covered non-exempt employees must be paid at least one-and-a-half times their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The federal formula is deliberately simple: regular pay is the regular hours multiplied by the regular hourly rate, overtime pay is the overtime hours multiplied by the regular hourly rate scaled up by the multiplier (1.5× for standard overtime), and the gross paycheck is the sum. FLSA sets the floor — nothing prevents employers, states, or collective bargaining agreements from setting a higher overtime rate, a lower threshold for when overtime begins (California uses daily as well as weekly thresholds), or a 2.0× double-time premium for specified hours. The calculator does not model federal or state income tax withholding, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), or benefit deductions — those come off the gross to produce net take-home pay and depend on your W-4, filing status, and state of residence.
Worked example
A DOL Fact Sheet #23 example uses an employee earning $10/hr who works 50 hours in a workweek. Regular pay is 40 × $10 = $400. Overtime pay is 10 × ($10 × 1.5) = 10 × $15 = $150. Gross paycheck for the week is $400 + $150 = $550. Scaling to the calculator defaults — $20/hr with 40 regular and 10 overtime hours at 1.5× — regular pay is 40 × $20 = $800, overtime rate is $20 × 1.5 = $30, overtime pay is 10 × $30 = $300, and gross paycheck is $1,100. If the same 10 overtime hours were paid at double time (2.0×), overtime pay would be 10 × $40 = $400 for a gross of $1,200. The extra $100 is the double-time premium above time-and-a-half.
Frequently asked questions
When does federal overtime pay kick in?
The Fair Labor Standards Act (29 U.S.C. §207) requires overtime pay for covered non-exempt employees for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek — a fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours (seven consecutive 24-hour periods) that the employer designates. There is no daily overtime requirement in federal law; a non-exempt employee can work 12 hours in a single day at straight time, as long as the weekly total stays at or under 40. Several states impose their own daily overtime rules — California, Alaska, Nevada (for workers earning less than 1.5× minimum wage), Colorado, and Oregon (for certain industries) — and if state and federal law both apply, the employer must follow whichever provides greater protection to the employee.
What is the difference between time-and-a-half and double time?
Time-and-a-half (1.5×) is the federal FLSA minimum overtime rate: 1.5 times the employee's regular rate of pay, applied to hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Double time (2.0×) is a higher premium — twice the regular rate — that is not required by federal law but appears in many collective bargaining agreements, employer policies, and one major state statute. Under California Labor Code §510, non-exempt employees earn double time for hours over 12 in a workday, and for hours over 8 on the seventh consecutive workday of a workweek. Some private employers voluntarily pay double time for Sunday work, holiday work, or hours over 60 in a week. If your employer or contract offers a higher overtime rate than FLSA, the higher rate wins — FLSA only sets the floor.
Who is exempt from overtime pay under the FLSA?
The FLSA exempts several categories of workers from overtime requirements. The most common exemptions are executive, administrative, professional, computer, and outside sales employees, provided they meet strict duties tests and are paid on a salary basis at or above the federal salary threshold ($684 per week / $35,568 per year as of the 2020 rule, with periodic updates by the Department of Labor). Other exemptions cover certain commissioned retail workers, seasonal amusement or recreational employees, farm workers, taxi drivers, and workers at small newspapers. Being paid a salary alone does not make an employee exempt — the duties test matters as much as the pay basis. Misclassification is one of the most common FLSA violations and can trigger substantial back-pay awards.
How does overtime affect my tax withholding?
Overtime pay is taxed the same way as regular pay — there is no separate "overtime tax". The higher gross for an overtime paycheck may push you into a higher marginal withholding bracket for that specific paycheck, which is why overtime paychecks often feel disproportionately taxed. Your annual income tax is still calculated on your total taxable income, and any over-withholding gets refunded when you file. Social Security tax (6.2%) applies to overtime pay up to the annual wage base ($168,600 in 2024, indexed each year), and Medicare tax (1.45%, plus 0.9% additional Medicare tax on wages over $200,000 for single filers) applies to all overtime pay with no cap. State income tax and any local income taxes also apply per your normal withholding.
Can salaried employees get overtime pay?
Yes, if they are non-exempt. Being paid a salary does not automatically mean an employee is exempt from FLSA overtime. A non-exempt salaried employee earns overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek, calculated on a "regular rate" derived by dividing weekly salary by the hours the salary is intended to compensate. For a salaried non-exempt worker earning $600 per week for a 40-hour workweek, the regular rate is $15/hr and any hours over 40 earn $22.50/hr in overtime. The exempt/non-exempt classification depends on the duties test and the salary threshold ($684/week federal minimum for most white-collar exemptions), not on whether the employee receives a salary versus an hourly wage. Employers who misclassify salaried non-exempt workers as exempt can owe two years of unpaid overtime (three years for willful violations) plus liquidated damages.
How is overtime calculated if I earn commissions, bonuses, or shift differentials?
Under the FLSA, the "regular rate" used to compute overtime must include most forms of compensation — non-discretionary bonuses, shift differentials, longevity pay, commissions, and production bonuses. The regular rate for an overtime week is total straight-time compensation for the week divided by total hours worked. For example, an employee who earns $500 in salary plus a $100 non-discretionary bonus while working 50 hours has a regular rate of $600 / 50 = $12/hr, and the overtime premium for the 10 overtime hours is 10 × $12 × 0.5 = $60 on top of the $600 straight-time pay. Discretionary bonuses (truly discretionary in both amount and timing), gifts, and certain benefit payments are excluded from the regular rate calculation.