12-Hour Shift Pay Calculator
The 12-hour shift pay calculator estimates what a long workday pays when part of the shift is regular time and the rest is overtime. Enter your normal hourly wage, overtime hourly wage, and the number of regular hours in the day. The calculator returns pay per shift, average hourly wage, overtime pay, and projected weekly, monthly, and yearly earnings.
How to use
Start with your regular hourly wage before taxes. Enter your overtime hourly wage; for time-and-a-half, multiply the regular wage by 1.5. Then set the number of regular hours in a 12-hour shift. Eight is common, but some workplaces use different daily overtime rules or blended schedules.
Use the projections as planning numbers. A payroll calendar can vary because of holidays, unpaid leave, bonuses, shift differentials, and tax withholding. If you need to compare a long-shift job with a salary offer, pair this result with the salary calculator, annual salary calculator, or budget calculator.
How it works
The calculator splits the 12-hour day into regular hours and overtime hours. Regular pay uses your normal rate. Overtime pay uses the overtime rate you enter. Average wage per hour divides the full shift pay by 12, which is helpful when comparing shifts with different overtime structures.
The longer-term figures follow the reference assumptions: five shifts per week, twenty-two shifts per month, and two hundred sixty shifts per year. Adjust your own planning if you work a rotating schedule, fewer days, or extra weekends.
Formula
Examples
| Regular wage | Overtime wage | Regular hours | Shift pay | Average hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20/hr | $30/hr | 8 | $280 | $23.33/hr |
| $18/hr | $27/hr | 8 | $252 | $21.00/hr |
| $25/hr | $37.50/hr | 10 | $325 | $27.08/hr |
Common mistakes
- Using the regular wage in the overtime field instead of the actual premium rate.
- Forgetting that some jurisdictions calculate overtime by week, not only by day.
- Treating annual projections as take-home pay; taxes and deductions still apply.