How overtime pay is worked out
It starts with the overtime rate: your hourly rate times the multiplier. Time and a half means 1.5, so a $20 hour becomes $30. Multiply that by the overtime hours you put in and you have your overtime pay.
Overtime rate = hourly rate × 1.5
Overtime pay = overtime hours × overtime rate
Add that to your regular pay (regular hours × your normal rate) for the week's gross total. Read it as an estimate, though — what actually lands in your paycheck comes down to your employer and the rules where you work.
Time and a half or double time?
The multiplier is the whole difference:
- Time and a half (1.5x) — the usual one, 150% of your normal rate.
- Double time (2x) — 200%, and it tends to turn up for holidays or hours well past a normal shift.
Flip the multiplier in the calculator to price the same hours each way.
When overtime kicks in
In the US the common trigger is more than 40 hours in a week. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) says non-exempt employees get at least time and a half past that point. It's not uniform, though — some states count overtime by the day, or call for double time in certain cases — so your state's rules and your employer's policy have the final word.
A worked example
$20 an hour, 45 hours in the week, split 40 regular and 5 overtime at time and a half:
- Regular pay: 40 × $20 = $800.00
- Overtime rate: $20 × 1.5 = $30.00/hr
- Overtime pay: 5 × $30.00 = $150.00
- Total: $800.00 + $150.00 = $950.00
Worth keeping in mind
- Get the split right at the 40-hour line — that's where regular ends and overtime starts.
- Check your multiplier. Most jobs pay time and a half; double time is situational.
- These numbers are gross, before tax and deductions come out.
- Track your own hours so you can check a paycheck against them when something looks off.
