Overtime Pay Calculator 2026
Calculate weekly overtime pay under federal FLSA rules (1.5x after 40 hours) or custom rules like California double-time. See how much extra annual income overtime adds.
Last updated October 2026 · Sources: US Department of Labor FLSA overtime provisions, California Industrial Welfare Commission wage orders, Wage and Hour Division opinion letters
Your week
Your pay
Annual income boost from overtime
How much extra annual income do you earn from regular overtime hours? The compounding effect is significant — 10 hours per week of OT can add 30-40% to your annual pay.
| Base rate | 40 hr/week | 45 hr/week | 50 hr/week | 60 hr/week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $15 | $31,200 | $37,050 | $42,900 | $54,600 |
| $20 | $41,600 | $49,400 | $57,200 | $72,800 |
| $25 | $52,000 | $61,750 | $71,500 | $91,000 |
| $30 | $62,400 | $74,100 | $85,800 | $109,200 |
| $40 | $83,200 | $98,800 | $114,400 | $145,600 |
All figures gross, FLSA 1.5x after 40 hours, 52 weeks per year. A worker doing 50 hours per week earns about 37% more annually than the same worker at 40 hours per week.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is overtime pay calculated under federal law?
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires non-exempt employees to be paid at least 1.5 times their regular rate for any hours worked over 40 in a single workweek. The formula is: Overtime Pay = Hours Over 40 × Regular Rate × 1.5. If you earn $20/hour and work 50 hours in a week, you get 40 × $20 = $800 regular pay plus 10 × $30 = $300 overtime pay, for $1,100 total. The federal threshold is 40 hours per week, period — daily overtime is not required at the federal level.
Who is eligible for overtime pay?
Non-exempt employees, which includes most hourly workers and many salaried workers earning under $35,568/year ($684 per week, the FLSA salary threshold in force for 2026). Exempt employees include executive, administrative, professional, computer, and outside sales workers who meet specific salary and duty tests. Independent contractors are not covered by FLSA at all. Misclassification of employees as exempt or as contractors is one of the most common wage and hour violations.
What is double-time pay?
Double-time is 2.0 times the regular rate, paid on top of (or instead of) regular overtime in some situations. Federal law does not require double-time. California requires double-time for hours worked over 12 in a day or over 8 on the seventh consecutive day. Some union contracts and individual employer policies require double-time on Sundays, holidays, or after extended overtime hours. Always check your state law and employment contract.
Does California have different overtime rules?
Yes. California requires daily overtime: 1.5x pay for hours over 8 in a single day, double-time for hours over 12 in a single day. California also requires 1.5x pay for the first 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek, then double-time for hours beyond 8 on that seventh day. These rules can result in significantly more overtime pay than the federal weekly-only standard, especially for workers with long days but short weeks.
Are salaried employees entitled to overtime?
It depends. Salaried employees who earn less than $35,568/year (the $684 per week FLSA minimum salary threshold now in force) are non-exempt and entitled to overtime regardless of job duties. Salaried employees earning above that threshold are exempt only if their job duties meet the executive, administrative, or professional tests under FLSA. A salaried "manager" who spends most of their time doing the same work as hourly subordinates may be misclassified and owed back overtime pay.
How do bonuses and commissions affect overtime pay?
Non-discretionary bonuses (production bonuses, attendance bonuses, commissions) must be included in the regular rate when calculating overtime. The formula is: Regular Rate = (Regular Pay + Bonus) / Total Hours Worked. Then overtime is 0.5x this regular rate for the overtime hours (since they were already paid at straight time as part of base pay). Discretionary bonuses (true holiday gifts) are excluded. This is one of the most commonly misunderstood overtime rules.
Can my employer make me work overtime?
Yes. The FLSA does not limit the number of hours an adult employee can be required to work, only requires overtime pay for hours over 40. Employers can mandate overtime as a condition of employment. Refusing mandatory overtime can be grounds for termination. The FLSA only protects workers under 16 years old from excessive hours. Some states and union contracts limit mandatory overtime in specific industries like nursing.
How do I calculate annual income with regular overtime?
Multiply your typical weekly pay (including overtime) by the number of weeks you actually work. A worker earning $20/hour base who averages 50 hours per week earns roughly $1,100/week × 52 weeks = $57,200/year. Compared to a 40-hour week at the same base rate ($41,600/year), the overtime adds $15,600 — a 37% increase in annual income. This is why some workers strategically pursue overtime even when management does not require it.
Is overtime taxed differently?
No, overtime pay is taxed the same as regular pay at your marginal federal income tax rate, plus FICA (Social Security and Medicare). However, because payroll software calculates withholding based on annualized pay from each paycheck, an unusually large overtime check can cause too much tax to be withheld in that single check. The excess gets refunded when you file your tax return. This sometimes creates the false impression that overtime is "taxed more."
What if my regular rate changes during a workweek?
You can use either the weighted average method (calculate the total straight-time pay and divide by total hours, then use this rate × 1.5 for overtime) or pay overtime at the rate in effect when the overtime hours were worked. Most employers use the weighted average method. This matters for workers who do multiple jobs at different rates, work shift differentials, or get raises mid-week.
Do I get overtime for weekends or holidays?
Federal law does not require extra pay for weekends or holidays — only for hours over 40 in a workweek. If you work 40 hours Monday-Friday and an additional 8 hours on Saturday, you get 8 hours of overtime. If you work 8 hours each on Tuesday-Saturday and take Monday off, you get zero overtime even though you worked on a "weekend" day. Many employers voluntarily pay premium rates for weekends and holidays, but it is not required by federal law.
What is the difference between straight time and overtime?
Straight time is your regular hourly rate paid for hours up to the overtime threshold (40/week federally, 8/day in California). Overtime is the premium rate (1.5x or 2x) paid for hours above that threshold. If you work 50 hours at $20/hour, you get 40 hours of straight time ($800) and 10 hours of overtime ($300), for $1,100 total. The "overtime portion" of $300 is what makes overtime worth pursuing financially.
Sources: US Department of Labor Fair Labor Standards Act overtime provisions (29 CFR Part 778), California Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Orders, Wage and Hour Division opinion letters and field assistance bulletins.
Disclaimer: Federal FLSA rules only by default. State law may require additional or different overtime pay. Consult an employment attorney for specific questions about your situation.
Overtime pay at common wages
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees earn 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Some states add daily overtime (California after 8 hours in a day, and double time after 12), and some employers pay double time on holidays by policy. The table shows weekly pay at 40, 45 and 50 hours.
| Hourly wage | Overtime rate (1.5x) | 40 hours | 45 hours | 50 hours | Double time rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $22.50 | $600.00 | $712.50 | $825.00 | $30.00 |
| $20.00 | $30.00 | $800.00 | $950.00 | $1,100.00 | $40.00 |
| $25.00 | $37.50 | $1,000.00 | $1,187.50 | $1,375.00 | $50.00 |
| $30.00 | $45.00 | $1,200.00 | $1,425.00 | $1,650.00 | $60.00 |
Worked example
$20 an hour, 47 hours in a week: 40 x 20 = $800 regular, 7 x 30 = $210 overtime, $1,010 total. Over a year of such weeks that is $10,920 of overtime on a $41,600 base, a 26% increase in gross pay for 17.5% more hours. The overtime hours are worth more per hour than the regular ones, which is why a steady 5 to 10 hours of overtime changes the comparison against a salaried job that pays none.
The regular rate is not always the hourly wage
Non-discretionary bonuses, shift differentials and commissions have to be folded into the regular rate before the 1.5 multiplier is applied. An employee at $20 an hour who also earns a $100 weekly production bonus in a 50 hour week has a regular rate of (1,000 + 100) / 50 = $22, and the 10 overtime hours are paid at $33, not $30. Employers get this wrong often enough that it is the most common wage and hour claim.
Who is exempt
Salaried employees in executive, administrative, professional, outside sales and some computer roles are exempt from overtime if they earn at least the federal salary threshold ($35,568 a year, or $684 a week, after the 2025 court ruling that vacated the planned increase; several states set higher thresholds, including California at twice the state minimum wage). A salary alone does not make a job exempt; the duties test must also be met, and a salaried employee who fails it is owed overtime.
Taxes on overtime
Overtime is taxed as ordinary wages. It is withheld at a higher rate on the paycheck because withholding tables treat a large check as if it were the usual check, but the tax at filing is the same as for any other income. Starting with 2025 returns, a federal deduction for qualified overtime pay (up to $12,500 for single filers, $25,000 joint, phasing out above $150,000 of income) removes income tax on the premium portion for many workers through 2028; FICA still applies.