Career & Money
Overtime Pay Calculator
Estimate weekly overtime pay under federal or California rules, and check the overtime line on a pay stub.
How it works
Behind the numbers
Federal overtime follows the Fair Labor Standards Act: hours past 40 in a workweek pay 1.5 times the regular rate. The regular rate is not always the posted hourly rate. Weekly non-discretionary bonuses are added to straight-time earnings first, then divided by total hours, which raises the rate the 1.5x multiplier applies to. A $20 hourly worker with 10 overtime hours and a $100 weekly bonus earns a $22 regular rate, so overtime comes to $330 instead of $300.
California adds daily thresholds on top of the weekly rule. Days one through six pay 1.5x after 8 hours and double time after 12 hours in a day. A seventh consecutive workday pays 1.5x for the first 8 hours and double time after that. The calculator takes hours for each of the seven days and applies the day-seven rule only when all seven days have hours.
Paycheck check mode reverses the math. Enter the hourly rate, regular and overtime hours, and the overtime dollars printed on the stub. The page recomputes the expected overtime at 1.5x the bonus-adjusted regular rate and reports the difference. A gap can come from shift differentials, a different workweek definition, or an error, so treat it as a flag to verify with payroll rather than proof of a mistake.
FAQ
Questions, answered
How is overtime calculated under federal law?
Hours worked past 40 in a workweek pay 1.5 times the regular rate. The regular rate equals (hourly rate times total hours plus non-discretionary bonuses) divided by total hours. For a $20 hourly rate with 50 hours and no bonus, that is 10 overtime hours at $30, or $300.
How does California overtime differ from federal?
California adds daily rules: 1.5x after 8 hours in a day and double time after 12 hours, plus special rates for a seventh consecutive workday (1.5x for the first 8 hours, double time after). The daily rules usually produce more overtime than the federal weekly-only rule for long shifts.
Do bonuses change my overtime pay?
Non-discretionary bonuses, such as production or attendance bonuses, must be folded into the regular rate before the 1.5x multiplier is applied, per Department of Labor guidance. Discretionary bonuses, like an unexpected holiday gift, are excluded. Enter the weekly bonus and the calculator adjusts the rate.
Why would my paycheck show less overtime than the calculator?
Common reasons include shift differentials paid separately, a workweek that starts on a different day than you assume, discretionary bonuses that do not count toward the regular rate, or an actual payroll error. Use the paycheck check mode to size the gap, then ask payroll which factor applies.