Every Extra Hour, Priced Correctly

Overtime hours are the most valuable hours you work — yet most people never check whether their paycheck prices them right. At time and a half, ten overtime hours pay like fifteen regular ones; at double time, a long week can add a quarter of your base pay on top. A two-minute check keeps payroll honest and tells you exactly what saying “yes” to extra shifts is worth.

This free overtime calculator breaks your pay into its three parts: regular pay, overtime pay, and total gross. Enter your hourly rate, regular hours, overtime hours, and your multiplier (1.5× time-and-a-half is the default, 2× double time is one click away), then flip between weekly and biweekly pay periods to match how you are actually paid. The result shows your overtime hourly rate too — the number most people have never seen on their own pay stub.

How to Use This Calculator

1. Pick your pay period. Weekly or biweekly — the toggle relabels everything and swaps the standard full-time default (40 vs 80 hours).
2. Enter your hourly rate. Your normal rate before taxes, e.g. 20 for $20/hour.
3. Enter regular hours worked. Hours at your normal rate for the period — usually 40 per week or 80 per two weeks.
4. Enter overtime hours worked. Just the extra hours, not the total. Worked 48 hours in a week? That is 40 regular + 8 overtime.
5. Choose the overtime multiplier. 1.5× (time and a half) is the U.S. federal standard for non-exempt hourly workers; pick 2× for double time where your employer pays it.
6. Click Calculate Pay. Total gross pay appears at the top, with regular pay, overtime pay, your overtime hourly rate, and total hours below — plus a line-by-line breakdown of the math.

What Is Overtime Pay?

Overtime pay is the premium rate employers pay for hours worked beyond the standard schedule. In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards Act requires non-exempt employees to receive at least 1.5 times their regular hourly rate — "time and a half" — for hours over 40 in a workweek. Many employers go further: double time (2×) for very long days, weekends, or holidays is common in union contracts and several states.

The key detail people miss: the multiplier applies to your regular rate, not a flat amount. At $20/hour, time and a half is $30/hour — every overtime hour is worth half a regular hour extra. Ten overtime hours at that rate add $300 to the week's gross, the equivalent of fifteen regular hours of pay. That is why checking the math matters: a misclassified hour at straight time instead of time and a half quietly costs you 50% of that hour's value.

This calculator computes gross pay — what you earned before taxes, Social Security, Medicare, and any deductions. Your take-home will be lower; the breakdown here tells you what your employer owes you, not what lands in your account.

The Formula (With a Worked Example)

Worked example (weekly). $20/hour, 40 regular hours, 10 overtime hours, 1.5× multiplier:

1. Overtime rate: $20 × 1.5 = $30/hour
2. Regular pay: $20 × 40 = $800.00
3. Overtime pay: $30 × 10 = $300.00
4. Total gross: $800 + $300 = $1,100.00

Worked example (biweekly). $25/hour, 80 regular hours, 12 overtime hours, 1.5×:

1. Overtime rate: $25 × 1.5 = $37.50/hour
2. Regular pay: $25 × 80 = $2,000.00; overtime pay: $37.50 × 12 = $450.00
3. Total gross per 2 weeks: $2,450.00

Tips for Getting Overtime Right

• Count hours per workweek, not per paycheck. U.S. federal overtime is calculated on each 40-hour workweek — a biweekly paycheck contains two separate overtime calculations, which is exactly how this calculator treats it.
• Confirm your multiplier before you assume 1.5×. It is the federal floor for non-exempt workers, but salaried-exempt roles, some states, and some employers differ. Your offer letter or handbook is the source of truth.
• Keep your own hour log. Note start/end times daily, including breaks. When a paycheck looks light, your log is what turns a feeling into a correctable error.
• Watch the "salary" trap. Being paid a salary does not automatically make you exempt from overtime — exemption depends on job duties and pay thresholds, not the pay format.
• Estimate before accepting extra shifts. Run the numbers first: 8 overtime hours at $30/hour is $240 gross — knowing the figure upfront makes the tradeoff with your weekend an informed one.
• Remember this is gross, not take-home. Overtime can also push a week's earnings into a higher withholding bracket for that paycheck; the annual tax picture evens out, but the pay stub may surprise you.

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