Overtime Calculator
The overtime calculator estimates gross pay for a week or a consistent pay period when some hours are paid at a premium rate. It follows the same arithmetic used by the inputs: regular pay is the regular hourly rate times regular hours, the overtime rate is the same hourly rate times the overtime multiplier, and total pay is regular pay plus overtime pay. The default example uses 40 regular hours, 5 overtime hours, and a 1.5 multiplier because that mirrors the federal Fair Labor Standards Act baseline for many covered nonexempt U.S. workers: overtime after 40 hours in a workweek at not less than one and one-half times the regular rate.
This page is about the pay math, not a legal classification decision. Overtime eligibility can depend on whether the employer and employee are covered by the FLSA, whether the worker is nonexempt, whether a salary and duties exemption applies, and whether a state or local rule is more protective. Still, a transparent weekly calculation is the first step in checking a timesheet, planning an extra shift, or understanding why a gross paycheck changed.
How to use this calculator
Enter your regular hourly rate before any overtime premium. Add the number of regular hours paid at that base rate, then enter the overtime hours paid at the premium. Leave the overtime multiplier at 1.5 for time and a half, or change it if your employer uses a different premium such as 2 for double time. Keep all inputs in the same period. If you enter weekly regular hours, enter weekly overtime hours too.
The result gives four figures: total weekly pay, regular pay, overtime pay, overtime hourly rate, and total hours. It does not decide which hours should legally be overtime; it only multiplies the numbers you enter. If you mainly need the 1.5 rate, the time and a half calculator is more focused. If you want a paycheck label with weekly, biweekly, or monthly wording, use the overtime paycheck calculator. For annual planning after the weekly result, compare it with the salary with overtime calculator.
Formula
The calculator uses these equations:
The multiplier applies to the full overtime hour. At time and a half, a 25 dollar regular rate becomes a 37.50 dollar overtime rate, not a separate 12.50 dollar add-on unless your payroll system shows the premium split separately.
Checking an overtime scenario
Suppose the inputs are the defaults from the inputs: $25 per hour, 40 regular hours, 5 overtime hours, and a 1.5× overtime multiplier.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Regular pay | $25 × 40 hr | $1,000.00 |
| Overtime hourly rate | $25 × 1.5 | $37.50 per hr |
| Overtime pay | $37.50 × 5 hr | $187.50 |
| Total hours | 40 hr + 5 hr | 45 hr |
| Total gross pay | $1,000.00 + $187.50 | $1,187.50 |
That is exactly what the calculation returns: the primary result is total weekly pay of $1,187.50, with regular pay of $1,000.00, overtime pay of $187.50, an overtime hourly rate of $37.50, and 45 total hours.
FLSA overtime basics
Under the FLSA, the standard federal rule for covered nonexempt employees is weekly, not biweekly averaging. If a nonexempt employee works 30 hours one week and 50 the next, federal overtime generally looks at the 50-hour week on its own rather than averaging the two weeks to 40. The regular rate is also a term of art. It can include more than the stated hourly wage when nondiscretionary bonuses, commissions, shift differentials, or other compensation must be included. This calculator uses the hourly rate you enter, so if your true regular rate is adjusted by payroll, enter that adjusted rate.
Exempt and nonexempt status matters. Some salaried employees are nonexempt and still receive overtime. Some hourly employees may be covered by special industry rules. Some employees are exempt because their duties and pay meet executive, administrative, professional, computer, or outside sales standards. If there is a dispute, the calculator cannot resolve it; it can only make the arithmetic visible.
Tips for accurate overtime estimates
- Use gross hourly pay, not take-home pay.
- Keep regular and overtime hours in the same workweek or pay period.
- Check whether your workplace counts paid leave as hours worked for overtime.
- Do not average two workweeks unless a specific rule allows it.
- If your paystub lists a blended regular rate, use that rate for the closest match.
- Remember that state law can be more generous than the FLSA, including daily overtime, seventh-day premiums, or different exemptions.
This overtime page is intentionally broad. It is best for “how much gross pay will these hours produce?” For a calculator centered on the overtime portion of a check, open the overtime paycheck calculator. For converting a recurring weekly overtime pattern into monthly or annual income, use the hourly to salary with overtime calculator. For a raise that changes the base hourly rate before overtime is added, use the pay raise calculator.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Overtime Pay — federal overview of overtime pay under the FLSA.
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA — workweek, regular-rate, and one-and-one-half pay basics.
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fair Labor Standards Act — FLSA coverage and wage-and-hour background.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Public Data API series CES0500000003 — average hourly earnings data for wage context.