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Overtime Pay Rate Calculator

Overtime pay equals regular rate times the overtime multiplier

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Overtime Pay Formula

Enter your standard hourly pay rate and the calculator multiplies it by common overtime factors: 1.5x (time and a half), 2x (double time), 3x, and 4x. Under U.S. federal law (FLSA), non-exempt employees must receive at least 1.5x their regular rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek.

Overtime Pay = Rate × Multiplier

How It Works

Enter your standard hourly pay rate and the calculator multiplies it by common overtime factors: 1.5x (time and a half), 2x (double time), 3x, and 4x. Under U.S. federal law (FLSA), non-exempt employees must receive at least 1.5x their regular rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek, although state laws and union agreements can set richer overtime rules.

Example Problem

Your standard hourly rate is $25. What is your time-and-a-half pay, and what do the higher overtime multipliers look like?

  1. Identify the regular hourly rate: $25.00 per hour.
  2. Choose the overtime multiplier for time and a half: 1.5.
  3. Multiply the regular rate by the multiplier: $25.00 × 1.5 = $37.50 per hour.
  4. Check higher multipliers if needed: $25.00 × 2 = $50.00 per hour for double time.
  5. Check another multiplier: $25.00 × 3 = $75.00 per hour for triple time.
  6. Use the multiplier that matches your overtime policy, union contract, or state labor rule.

If you work 5 overtime hours at time and a half, the overtime portion of those hours pays 5 × $37.50 = $187.50 before taxes.

Key Concepts

Overtime pay is calculated by multiplying the regular hourly rate by an overtime multiplier. Under the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), non-exempt employees must receive at least 1.5x their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Some states and union contracts require double time (2x) for extended shifts or consecutive workdays.

Applications

  • Payroll processing: calculating overtime wages for hourly and non-exempt salaried employees
  • Budgeting: estimating take-home pay when planning to work overtime hours
  • HR compliance: verifying overtime rates meet FLSA and state labor law requirements
  • Project costing: estimating labor costs when a project requires overtime staffing

Common Mistakes

  • Assuming all employees qualify for overtime — salaried employees meeting the executive, administrative, or professional exemption tests are not entitled to overtime under FLSA
  • Calculating overtime on a daily basis when the law uses a weekly standard — federal law counts hours over 40 per workweek, not over 8 per day (though some states like California use daily thresholds)
  • Forgetting to include non-discretionary bonuses in the regular rate — production bonuses, shift differentials, and commissions must be factored into the base rate before applying the overtime multiplier

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate overtime pay from a regular hourly rate?

Multiply the regular hourly rate by the overtime multiplier. For example, a $25/hour base rate becomes $37.50/hour at time and a half because $25 × 1.5 = $37.50.

What formula does an overtime pay calculator use?

The formula is Overtime Pay = Regular Rate × Multiplier. Common multipliers are 1.5 for time and a half, 2 for double time, and sometimes 3 or 4 for special contracts or emergency staffing rules.

What is time and a half?

Time and a half means 1.5 times your regular hourly wage. If you earn $20/hour, your time-and-a-half rate is $30/hour. This is the minimum overtime rate required by the FLSA for non-exempt employees working over 40 hours per week.

When is double time required?

Federal law does not require double time, but some state laws and union contracts do. California, for example, requires double time after 12 hours in a single workday or after 8 hours on the seventh consecutive workday.

Who is exempt from overtime pay?

Under the FLSA, salaried employees in executive, administrative, or professional roles earning above the salary threshold (currently $684/week) are generally exempt. Hourly employees and lower-salaried workers are almost always eligible for overtime.

Do all overtime hours use the same multiplier?

No. Federal law generally requires at least 1.5x after 40 hours in a workweek, but some states, employers, and union contracts use double time or other special multipliers for holidays, long shifts, or consecutive workdays.

Can I use this calculator for holiday pay too?

Yes, as long as your employer defines holiday pay as a multiplier of your base hourly rate. If your policy says holiday hours pay at 2x or 3x, enter your normal rate and use the matching overtime rate in the results table.

Does this calculator show gross pay or take-home pay?

It shows gross hourly overtime rates before taxes and deductions. Net pay will be lower after federal, state, and payroll withholding.

Overtime Pay Formula

Overtime pay is calculated by multiplying the regular hourly rate by the overtime multiplier:

Overtime Pay = Rate × Multiplier

Where:

  • Rate — your normal hourly wage
  • Multiplier — the overtime factor, such as 1.5 for time and a half or 2 for double time

If you need the overtime earnings for a shift, multiply the overtime hourly rate by the number of overtime hours worked.

Worked Examples

Warehouse Staffing

What is time and a half for a $22/hour warehouse shift?

A warehouse employee earns $22/hour and wants to know the overtime rate for weekend demand coverage.

  • Regular rate = $22.00/hour
  • Time-and-a-half multiplier = 1.5
  • Overtime rate = $22.00 × 1.5 = $33.00/hour

Result: time and a half is $33.00/hour.

If the employee works 6 overtime hours, those hours pay $198.00 before taxes.

Holiday Coverage

How much does double time pay on a $31.50/hour healthcare shift?

A hospital contract pays double time for a holiday shift. The employee’s standard rate is $31.50/hour.

  • Regular rate = $31.50/hour
  • Double-time multiplier = 2
  • Double-time rate = $31.50 × 2 = $63.00/hour

Result: double time is $63.00/hour.

This kind of example is why it helps to compare several multipliers side by side instead of just one overtime rule.

Live Production

What does triple time look like for a $48/hour specialist?

A union contract for a live production specialist pays triple time for a late-night emergency call-in.

  • Regular rate = $48.00/hour
  • Triple-time multiplier = 3
  • Triple-time rate = $48.00 × 3 = $144.00/hour

Result: triple time is $144.00/hour.

Special-event, emergency, and union rules are common cases where multipliers above 2x become relevant.

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