Overtime Pay Calculator

Calculate overtime pay, regular wages, and total compensation based on labor laws in your country.

Important: This calculator provides estimates based on general labor laws. Actual overtime entitlements may vary based on your employment contract, industry, company policy, and local regulations. Consult with an employment lawyer or HR professional for specific advice.

Select your country of employment
How often you get paid
$ per hour
Your regular hourly wage before overtime
Your typical work schedule pattern
Work Hours Input
Weekly Hours
Enter total hours for the week
Daily Hours
Enter hours for each day
hours
Total hours worked in the pay period (including regular and overtime)
hours
Hours worked on public holidays (usually paid at premium rate)
hours
Hours worked during night shift (may have additional premiums)
Overtime Rules
How overtime is calculated in your jurisdiction
Your employment classification affects overtime eligibility
Standard 40-Hour Week
Moderate Overtime (50 hours)
Heavy Overtime (60 hours)
Weekend Work
Holiday Work
Calculating overtime pay...

Understanding Overtime Pay

Overtime pay is additional compensation for hours worked beyond the standard workweek. It's typically required by labor laws to compensate employees for extended work hours and discourage excessive overtime.

Common Overtime Formulas:

  • Time and a half: 1.5 × regular hourly rate for overtime hours
  • Double time: 2 × regular hourly rate for holidays or excessive overtime
  • Daily overtime: Overtime applies after a certain number of hours in a single day
  • Weekly overtime: Overtime applies after a certain number of hours in a workweek

How Overtime is Calculated

1

Determine Regular Hours: First, identify hours worked up to the overtime threshold (typically 40 hours per week or 8 hours per day).

Regular Hours = min(Total Hours, Overtime Threshold)

2

Calculate Overtime Hours: Hours worked beyond the overtime threshold qualify for overtime pay.

Overtime Hours = max(Total Hours - Overtime Threshold, 0)

3

Apply Overtime Rates: Multiply overtime hours by the appropriate rate (typically 1.5× regular rate).

Overtime Pay = Overtime Hours × (Regular Rate × 1.5)

4

Calculate Total Pay: Add regular pay and overtime pay to get total compensation.

Total Pay = Regular Pay + Overtime Pay

Country-Specific Overtime Laws

Country Overtime Threshold Overtime Rate Double Time Notes
United States 40 hours/week 1.5× regular rate Not federally required FLSA governs overtime. Some states have daily overtime laws
Canada 40-48 hours/week (varies by province) 1.5× regular rate 2× in some provinces after certain hours Each province has its own employment standards
United Kingdom 48 hours/week (EU Working Time Directive) No statutory rate No statutory rate Overtime rate determined by employment contract
Australia 38 hours/week 1.5× for first 2-3 hours, 2× thereafter 2× for Sundays/holidays Fair Work Act provides detailed overtime rules
Germany 8 hours/day, 48 hours/week No statutory rate No statutory rate Overtime typically compensated with time off
France 35 hours/week 1.25× for first 8 hours, 1.5× thereafter Additional premiums for night/weekend work Strict limits on maximum work hours

Overtime Exemptions

Commonly Exempt Employees

Some employees are exempt from overtime requirements:

  • Executive employees: Managers with hiring/firing authority
  • Administrative employees: Office/non-manual work directly related to management
  • Professional employees: Learned or creative professionals
  • Outside sales employees: Primarily engaged in outside sales
  • Computer employees: Certain computer professionals
Overtime Eligibility Tests

To qualify for overtime exemption in the US, employees must generally:

  • Be paid on a salary basis (not hourly)
  • Earn at least $684 per week ($35,568 annually)
  • Perform exempt job duties as defined by DOL

Note: These are US FLSA rules. Other countries have different exemption criteria.

Legal Considerations: Employers who fail to pay required overtime may be liable for:

  • Back pay for unpaid overtime
  • Liquidated damages (equal to back pay amount)
  • Civil penalties
  • Attorney's fees and court costs
  • In some cases, criminal penalties for willful violations

Frequently Asked Questions

No, overtime pay is not mandatory for all employees. Many countries exempt certain categories of employees from overtime requirements, such as:
  • Executive, administrative, and professional employees (in the US under FLSA)
  • Independent contractors (though misclassification is common)
  • Certain industry-specific exemptions (e.g., agricultural workers in some jurisdictions)
  • Employees covered by collective bargaining agreements with different provisions
Always check your local labor laws and employment contract to determine your overtime eligibility.

For non-exempt salaried employees (those eligible for overtime), overtime is typically calculated as follows:
  1. Determine the regular hourly rate: Divide the weekly salary by the number of hours the salary is intended to cover (usually 40).
  2. Calculate overtime hours: Hours worked beyond the standard workweek (usually 40 hours).
  3. Apply overtime rate: Multiply overtime hours by 1.5× the regular hourly rate.

Example: An employee earns $800 per week for a 40-hour workweek and works 50 hours.

  • Regular hourly rate: $800 ÷ 40 = $20/hour
  • Overtime hours: 50 - 40 = 10 hours
  • Overtime pay: 10 × ($20 × 1.5) = $300
  • Total pay: $800 + $300 = $1,100

In most jurisdictions, yes, employers can generally require employees to work overtime, with some important caveats:
  • The employer must pay the legally required overtime rate for overtime hours
  • There may be limits on maximum hours worked (e.g., 60 hours per week in some jurisdictions)
  • Employees may have the right to refuse overtime in certain circumstances (e.g., family responsibilities, health issues)
  • Some collective bargaining agreements limit mandatory overtime
  • Employers cannot retaliate against employees who refuse overtime for legally protected reasons
However, an employee's refusal to work overtime when required could potentially be grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination, unless protected by law or contract.

Weekly overtime is calculated based on total hours worked in a workweek (typically Sunday to Saturday or Monday to Sunday). For example, in the US under federal law, overtime applies after 40 hours in a workweek, regardless of daily hours.

Daily overtime is calculated based on hours worked in a single day. For example, in California, employees earn overtime after 8 hours in a day and double time after 12 hours in a day, regardless of weekly total.

Some jurisdictions have both daily and weekly overtime requirements. In these cases, employees are entitled to whichever calculation results in more overtime pay. Always check your local labor laws to understand which rules apply.

It depends on the jurisdiction and the specific circumstances:
  • Bona fide meal breaks (typically 30 minutes or longer where the employee is completely relieved of duty) are usually not counted as work time and don't contribute to overtime calculations.
  • Short rest breaks (typically 5-20 minutes) are usually counted as work time and do contribute to overtime calculations.
  • If an employee is required to work during a meal break (e.g., answering calls, monitoring equipment), that time is typically counted as work time.
  • On-call time may or may not be counted depending on the restrictions placed on the employee during on-call periods.
The key factor is whether the employee is free to use the time for their own purposes. When in doubt, consult your local labor department or an employment lawyer.