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Overtime Pay Calculator
Work out overtime pay step by step: FLSA 1.5x after 40 hours, regular rate with bonuses and shift pay, California daily and double time, UK/India notes.
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What you get
- A step-by-step overtime formula table with worked examples that actually add up
- The regular-rate method for folding nondiscretionary bonuses and shift differentials into OT
- California daily overtime, double time, and seventh-day rules with a daily worksheet
- A blank weekly calculator and an employee-level summary table for your own payroll checks
- Exempt vs non-exempt, comp time, fluctuating workweek, UK and India notes in one place
Template preview
A preview of the structure. Download the PDF or CSV for the complete, ready-to-use version.
Inputs for one employee, one workweek
- Employee name and ID
- Work location (state / country)— Determines whether daily overtime or a higher state threshold applies
- FLSA status— Non-exempt / exempt — calculate overtime only for non-exempt staff
- Workweek start day and time— Fixed and recurring, e.g. Sunday 12:00 a.m.
How federal overtime works (FLSA)
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, a non-exempt employee earns overtime at no less than 1.5 times the regular rate of pay for every hour worked over 40 in a workweek. The workweek is a fixed, recurring period of 168 hours (seven consecutive 24-hour periods) that you set once and do not shift to dodge overtime. Each workweek stands alone: you cannot average 50 hours one week and 30 the next to call it 40, even inside a biweekly pay period. Paid holidays, vacation, and sick time are not hours worked, so they do not count toward the 40.
Overtime formula, line by line
Worked example: $20/hr, 45 hours, plus a $90 weekly production bonus.
| Step | What to calculate | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Straight-time pay for all hours | Total hours x base rate | 45 x $20 = $900 |
| 2 | Add nondiscretionary pay | Straight-time pay + bonuses + shift differentials | $900 + $90 = $990 |
| 3 | Regular rate of pay | Step 2 / total hours worked | $990 / 45 = $22.00 |
| 4 | Overtime hours | Total hours - 40 (if positive) | 45 - 40 = 5 |
Cross-check for the example above: 40 hours x $22.00 = $880, plus 5 hours x $33.00 (1.5 x $22) = $165, total $1,045. Both methods must agree. If you had paid 5 x $30 (1.5 x the $20 base) plus the bonus, you would pay $1,040 and underpay by $5 — the most common regular-rate error auditors find.
Worked examples
Each row shows the full math so you can test your own payroll setup against it.
| Scenario | Inputs | Calculation | Total pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight hourly, no extras | $18/hr, 46 hrs | 40 x $18 = $720; 6 x $27 = $162 | $882 |
| Production bonus | $20/hr, 45 hrs, $90 bonus | RR = $990 / 45 = $22; $990 + 5 x $11 | $1,045 |
| Night shift differential | $15/hr, 42 hrs, 21 hrs at +$2 night premium | $630 + $42 = $672; RR = $672 / 42 = $16; $672 + 2 x $8 | $688 |
| California daily OT | $25/hr; Mon 10, Tue 10, Wed 8, Thu 8, Fri 13 (49 hrs) | 40 reg x $25 = $1,000; 8 OT x $37.50 = $300; 1 DT x $50 = $50 | $1,350 |
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How to use this template
- 1
Confirm the employee is non-exempt
Check the salary basis, salary level, and duties tests before calculating anything. Exempt employees are not owed FLSA overtime, but misclassification is the most common source of back-pay claims.
- 2
Fix the workweek and log hours
Use your company's fixed, recurring 7-day workweek (for example Sunday 12:00 a.m. to Saturday 11:59 p.m.) and enter hours worked for each day, including short breaks under 20 minutes.
- 3
Calculate the regular rate
Add all straight-time pay plus nondiscretionary bonuses and shift differentials for the week, then divide by total hours worked. That figure, not the base hourly rate, drives the overtime premium.
- 4
Apply federal and state rules
Pay the higher of the weekly FLSA result and any state daily overtime result. In California, run the daily worksheet first, then check the weekly 40-hour line.
- 5
Reconcile against payroll
Compare your figure to the payroll register line for that employee and week. Investigate any gap above a few cents before the pay run closes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate overtime pay?
Multiply the regular rate of pay by 1.5 and pay that for every hour over 40 in the workweek. If the employee earned only a base hourly wage, the regular rate equals that wage: $18/hr x 46 hours is 40 x $18 plus 6 x $27, or $882. If bonuses or shift premiums were earned, recompute the regular rate first.
Do bonuses change the overtime rate?
Nondiscretionary bonuses do. Add the bonus to straight-time pay, divide by total hours to get the regular rate, then pay an extra half of that rate for each overtime hour. A $90 bonus in a 45-hour week at $20/hr raises the regular rate to $22 and total pay to $1,045.
Is overtime calculated per day or per week?
Federal law uses the week only: over 40 hours in a fixed 7-day workweek. California, Alaska, and Nevada (for lower-paid workers) add daily overtime after 8 hours, and Colorado after 12. Where both apply, the employee gets the calculation that pays more, without counting the same hour twice.
Can I average hours over a two-week pay period?
No. Each workweek is assessed on its own under the FLSA, even when payroll runs biweekly. An employee who works 48 hours in week one and 32 in week two is owed 8 hours of overtime, despite totaling 80 hours for the period.
Do PTO and holidays count toward the 40 hours?
Not under the FLSA, because only hours actually worked count. An employee with a paid holiday Monday who works 42 hours Tuesday through Saturday is owed 2 hours of overtime, while an employee who works 38 hours plus 8 hours of PTO is owed none. Some employers count paid time off voluntarily by policy or union contract.
Are salaried employees entitled to overtime?
Being paid a salary does not by itself make someone exempt. Salaried employees who fail the salary level or duties tests are non-exempt and must be paid overtime. Divide their weekly salary by the hours it is meant to cover to find the regular rate, or use the fluctuating workweek method where it is allowed.