FLSA Overtime Calculator 2026: Time-and-a-Half Pay
This FLSA overtime calculator applies the federal rule: covered, nonexempt employees get at least 1.5 times their regular rate of pay for every hour over 40 in a workweek. At $20 an hour, 48 hours pays $800 regular plus $240 overtime, $1,040 in total. Enter your rate and hours, or add bonuses, a second rate or your state's daily rules.
Updated . Built and checked by My Easy Calculator against the US Department of Labor's FLSA guidance and 29 CFR Part 778. How we check figures
| Federal FLSA, 2026 | |
| Overtime after | 40 h/week |
| Overtime rate | 1.5x regular rate |
| Daily overtime | None federally |
| Minimum wage | $7.25 |
| Exemption thresholds | |
| Salary level (with duties test) | $684/week |
| Highly compensated | $107,432 |
| Status | Restored May 2026 |
Calculate overtime payOne workweek: regular rate, overtime hours and gross pay
- FLSA 2026
- Checked
Second pay rate and bonus (optional)Different rates for different work; nondiscretionary bonus or commission
Your workweek Federal FLSA
Gross pay before tax. Whether you are entitled to overtime depends on coverage and exemption, not on this arithmetic.
$20 an hour for 48 hours. Regular rate $20.00; overtime rate $20.00 × 1.5 = $30.00. Regular pay 40 × $20.00 = $800.00; overtime 8 × $30.00 = $240.00; total gross pay $1,040.00 for the workweek.
Federal overtime rules at a glance
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, covered nonexempt employees must be paid at least 1.5 times their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. There is no federal daily overtime, and working weekends or holidays does not by itself earn overtime; some states go further.
| Federal rule, 2026 | Amount or test |
|---|---|
| Overtime trigger | Hours over 40 in a fixed, recurring 7-day workweek |
| Overtime rate | At least 1.5 times the regular rate of pay |
| Averaging weeks | Not allowed: each workweek stands alone |
| Federal minimum wage | $7.25 an hour |
| White-collar exemption salary level | $684 a week ($35,568 a year), plus a duties test |
| Highly compensated employee threshold | $107,432 a year total compensation |
| Tipped employees | Overtime based on the full $7.25 minimum wage, not the $2.13 cash wage |
To calculate time and a half, multiply the regular rate by 1.5 and pay that for each hour over 40. At $18 an hour the overtime rate is $27.00, so 5 hours of overtime adds $135.00 to $720.00 of regular pay.
Overtime pay formula
Overtime pay equals overtime hours × regular rate × 1.5, and total weekly pay equals regular pay plus overtime pay. When an employee earns only one hourly rate, the regular rate is that rate; when pay includes bonuses, commissions or more than one rate, the regular rate is total straight-time pay divided by total hours worked.
- Add up hours for the whole workweek, counting every hour actually worked.
- Find the regular rate: all straight-time pay and nondiscretionary bonuses ÷ total hours.
- Count overtime hours: hours over 40, or the daily hours your state adds.
- Multiply: overtime hours × 1.5 × regular rate, and add regular pay.
The same answer comes from paying straight time for every hour and adding a half-time premium for each overtime hour. That second method is the one DOL uses for bonuses, two rates and the fluctuating workweek, and it is how the calculator works.
How to use the overtime calculator
The overtime calculator opens with $20 an hour and 48 hours under the federal rule. Change any field and the gross pay, overtime pay and regular rate update.
- Choose the rule. Federal FLSA applies everywhere; pick Alaska, California or Colorado if you work there.
- Choose how you are paid. Hourly, salaried nonexempt (a salary for 40 hours) or fluctuating workweek (a salary for whatever hours you work).
- Enter your rate and hours. Weekly total for the federal rule, or hours by day for state daily overtime.
- Add a second rate or a bonus if you earned one that week.
Reading your results
Total gross pay is the week's pay before taxes. Overtime pay is overtime hours at 1.5 times the regular rate, plus double time in California. The regular rate is the hourly figure overtime is based on, which is higher than your base rate when you earn bonuses or commissions. The calculator also shows the half-time premium that counts for the federal overtime tax deduction.
Worked overtime examples
Each example is one workweek, calculated with the same method as the calculator.
$18 an hour, 45 hours
Overtime rate $18.00 × 1.5 = $27.00. Regular pay 40 × $18.00 = $720.00; overtime 5 × $27.00 = $135.00; total $855.00.
30 hours at $10 and 20 hours at $15
Straight time $300 + $300 = $600 for 50 hours, so the regular rate is $12.00. The 10 overtime hours add a half-time premium of $6.00 each, $60.00, for $660.00.
$20 an hour, 50 hours, $100 production bonus
$1,000 straight time plus the $100 bonus is $1,100 for 50 hours: a regular rate of $22.00, not $20. Overtime premium 10 × $11.00 = $110.00, for $1,210.00.
$900 salary for 40 hours, worked 46
Regular rate $900 ÷ 40 = $22.50; overtime rate $33.75. Salary $900 plus 6 × $33.75 = $202.50 overtime: $1,102.50.
$900 salary for all hours, worked 50
The salary already pays straight time for every hour, so the regular rate is $900 ÷ 50 = $18.00 and each of the 10 overtime hours adds only half of it: $90.00 extra.
California: five 10-hour days at $20
Only 50 hours, but 2 hours over 8 each day: 10 daily overtime hours at $30.00. Federal law would also give 10 hours over 40 here, so the total is the same: $1,100.00.
California: four 12-hour days at $20
48 hours: federal law pays 8 overtime hours ($1,040.00), but California pays 4 hours over 8 on each day, 16 overtime hours, for $1,120.00.
California: 7 consecutive days at $20
Six 8-hour days give 8 weekly overtime hours; the seventh day pays its first 8 hours at $30.00 and the ninth at double time, $40.00: 16 overtime, 1 double time, $1,320.00 total.
Overtime rates by hourly wage
This table shows time and a half and double time for common hourly rates, and the extra pay for 5 and 10 overtime hours on top of 40 regular hours.
| Hourly rate | Time and a half | Double time | 5 h overtime pay | 10 h overtime pay | 50 h week total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $7.25 | $10.88 | $14.50 | $54.38 | $108.75 | $398.75 |
| $12.00 | $18.00 | $24.00 | $90.00 | $180.00 | $660.00 |
| $15.00 | $22.50 | $30.00 | $112.50 | $225.00 | $825.00 |
| $16.00 | $24.00 | $32.00 | $120.00 | $240.00 | $880.00 |
| $17.00 | $25.50 | $34.00 | $127.50 | $255.00 | $935.00 |
| $18.00 | $27.00 | $36.00 | $135.00 | $270.00 | $990.00 |
| $20.00 | $30.00 | $40.00 | $150.00 | $300.00 | $1,100.00 |
| $22.00 | $33.00 | $44.00 | $165.00 | $330.00 | $1,210.00 |
| $25.00 | $37.50 | $50.00 | $187.50 | $375.00 | $1,375.00 |
| $30.00 | $45.00 | $60.00 | $225.00 | $450.00 | $1,650.00 |
| $35.00 | $52.50 | $70.00 | $262.50 | $525.00 | $1,925.00 |
| $40.00 | $60.00 | $80.00 | $300.00 | $600.00 | $2,200.00 |
| $50.00 | $75.00 | $100.00 | $375.00 | $750.00 | $2,750.00 |
What is the FLSA overtime rule?
The FLSA overtime rule requires at least time and a half for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, a fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours, or seven consecutive 24-hour periods. The workweek can start on any day and hour, but once set it cannot be changed to avoid overtime.
Federal law does not require overtime for working more than 8 hours in a day, on weekends or on holidays, and it does not require holiday or weekend premiums. Hours cannot be averaged: 30 hours one week and 50 the next means 10 overtime hours in the second week, even on a biweekly paycheck. Private employers cannot give compensatory time off instead of overtime pay.
Who qualifies for overtime?
An employee qualifies for FLSA overtime if they are covered by the Act and not exempt. Most employees are covered, either because their employer has at least $500,000 in annual sales or is a hospital, school or public agency, or because their own work involves interstate commerce.
Job title and being paid a salary do not make someone exempt. The executive, administrative and professional exemptions require a salary of at least $684 a week and duties that meet the test for that exemption. On May 13, 2026 the Department of Labor formally rescinded the vacated 2024 rule that would have raised the salary level to $844 and then $1,128 a week, so the 2019 levels apply.
Salaried nonexempt employees
A salaried employee who earns under the threshold or fails the duties test is nonexempt and gets overtime. If the salary is for 40 hours, the regular rate is the weekly salary divided by 40: a $900 salary means a $22.50 regular rate and $33.75 for each overtime hour.
Fluctuating workweek
Under the fluctuating workweek method, a fixed salary covers all hours, however many, and overtime is paid at half the regular rate, which falls as hours rise. On $900 for 50 hours, the regular rate is $18.00 and 10 overtime hours add $90.00. The method needs a clear mutual understanding and is not allowed in several states, including California and Alaska.
Regular rate of pay for non-hourly compensation
The regular rate of pay includes all pay for employment except amounts the law excludes, divided by all hours worked in the workweek. That is why a nondiscretionary bonus raises the overtime rate: a $100 bonus in a 50-hour week at $20 an hour lifts the regular rate to $22.00.
| Included in the regular rate | Excluded from the regular rate |
|---|---|
| Hourly wages and salary | Discretionary bonuses |
| Commissions | Gifts, such as holiday gifts not tied to work |
| Production, attendance and safety bonuses | Pay for time not worked: vacation, holidays, sick leave |
| Shift differentials and hazard pay | Expense reimbursements |
| On-call pay | Overtime premiums already paid at 1.5 times |
Two different rates in one week
When an employee works at two rates, the regular rate is the weighted average. For 30 hours at $10 and 20 hours at $15, straight-time pay is $600, the regular rate is $12.00 for 50 hours, and the 10 overtime hours add a $6.00 premium each: $660 in total.
Tipped employees
For a tipped employee paid a $2.13 cash wage with the maximum $5.12 tip credit, the overtime rate is 1.5 × $7.25 = $10.875, less the $5.12 tip credit: a cash wage of $5.755 an hour for overtime hours.
Federal vs state overtime rules
States can require more than federal law, and when both apply the employer must follow the rule that gives the employee more. Several states add daily overtime, and many set a higher minimum wage, which raises the minimum overtime rate.
| State | Daily overtime | Weekly overtime | In the calculator |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1.5x over 8 h; 2x over 12 h; 7th consecutive day 1.5x first 8 h, 2x after | Over 40 h | Yes |
| Alaska | 1.5x over 8 h (employers with 4 or more employees) | Over 40 h | Yes |
| Colorado | 1.5x over 12 h, or over 12 consecutive hours | Over 40 h | Yes (daily hours) |
| Nevada | 1.5x over 8 h in 24 hours if paid under 1.5 times the state minimum wage | Over 40 h | No |
| All other states | None, apart from some industries | Over 40 h | Federal rule |
Qualified overtime tax deduction: kept separate
The overtime tax deduction does not change how much overtime you are owed; it changes income tax on part of it. For 2025 through 2028, employees can deduct up to $12,500 ($25,000 married filing jointly) of qualified overtime compensation, which is only the premium portion above the regular rate required by the FLSA, such as the half in time and a half.
Overtime required only by state law, such as California daily overtime, does not count, and the premium is still subject to Social Security and Medicare tax. The deduction phases out at higher incomes. You can claim it when you file, or reduce withholding by entering the expected amount in Step 4(b) of Form W-4; the US pay stub calculator estimates net pay after overtime and deductions.
Common overtime mistakes
Most overtime errors come from using the wrong rate or the wrong period. Each one below can leave you underpaid.
- Averaging hours across two weeks on a biweekly paycheck instead of counting each workweek.
- Assuming every salaried worker is exempt, when exemption needs both the salary level and the duties test.
- Using the base rate instead of the regular rate when bonuses, commissions or shift pay were earned.
- Leaving out hours worked, such as required meetings, short breaks of 5 to 20 minutes or work before clocking in.
- Confusing gross overtime with take-home pay: overtime is taxed like other wages.
Records to keep
Employers must keep records of hours worked each workday and workweek, the regular rate, straight-time and overtime earnings, deductions and total pay for each pay period. Keeping your own record of start and end times, breaks and bonuses makes it easy to check a paycheck, and is useful if you need to raise an underpayment with payroll or the Wage and Hour Division.
Frequently asked questions
It finds your regular rate of pay, counts hours over 40 in the workweek, and adds a premium so those hours are paid at 1.5 times the regular rate. With bonuses or two rates it uses the DOL method: straight time for all hours plus a half-time premium for overtime hours.
Under federal law, overtime is due after 40 hours in a workweek, not after 8 hours in a day. Some states, including California and Alaska, also require daily overtime after 8 hours.
No. Federal law does not require extra pay for weekends or holidays as such; those hours count toward the 40-hour total like any other. An employer or a union contract may still offer a premium.
Salaried employees get overtime unless they are exempt. Exemption generally requires a salary of at least $684 a week and duties that meet the executive, administrative or professional test; being paid a salary is not enough on its own.
Multiply your regular hourly rate by 1.5. At $20 an hour, time and a half is $30.00, so 8 overtime hours pay $240.00 on top of $800.00 for 40 regular hours.
Yes. When federal and state law both apply, the employer must follow whichever gives the employee more, such as California daily overtime and double time or a higher state minimum wage.
The overtime rate for $18 an hour is $27.00, and the double-time rate is $36.00. Five overtime hours at $18 add $135.00 to the week.
Nondiscretionary bonuses, such as production, attendance or sales bonuses, must be included in the regular rate, which raises the overtime rate for that week. Discretionary bonuses and gifts are excluded.
Yes. Overtime is wages and is subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare. For 2025 through 2028, the FLSA-required premium portion may be deductible on your federal return up to $12,500, or $25,000 if married filing jointly.
Keep the start and end time of each shift, unpaid meal breaks, the workweek dates, your rate and any bonuses or commissions. Employers must keep hours worked each workday and workweek, the regular rate and overtime earnings.
Sources
- Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA, US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Checked .
- Overtime Pay, US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Checked .
- 29 CFR Part 778: Overtime compensation and the regular rate, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Checked .
- Fact Sheet #17A: Exemption for executive, administrative, professional, computer and outside sales employees, US Department of Labor. Checked .
- Fact Sheet #15: Tipped employees under the FLSA, US Department of Labor. Checked .
- US Department of Labor officially rescinds 2024 overtime rule (May 2026), Butzel. Checked .
- Overtime FAQ: daily, double time and seventh-day rules, California Department of Industrial Relations. Checked .
- Publication 15-T (2026): withholding on qualified overtime compensation, Internal Revenue Service. Checked .
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Disclaimer
Calculation methodology sourced from official government publications. See our Editorial Policy for how we build and maintain our calculators.
Results estimate gross overtime pay for the hours and pay you enter, assuming you are a covered, nonexempt employee. They are not a legal determination of coverage, exemption or the regular rate, and are not legal advice. If your pay looks wrong, contact your payroll department, the US Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division or your state labor agency.