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Overtime calculator FAQ
Short answers for the overtime pay calculator. None of this is legal advice.
How do I use this overtime calculator?
Enter your hourly rate, regular hours, and overtime hours. The card pays OT at 1.5× and optional double-time at 2×, then shows overtime premium and total gross. Turn on California daily OT to split a seven-day workweek instead of typing OT hours yourself.
What is overtime premium?
It is the extra pay above straight time. Time-and-a-half premium is 0.5 × hourly rate × OT hours. Double-time premium is 1 × hourly rate × double-time hours. Regular pay plus premium equals the overtime wages for those hours.
Does federal law require overtime after 8 hours in a day?
No. The FLSA uses a 40-hour workweek. Daily overtime is a state or contract rule. California is the most common daily-OT example on this site.
Does the FLSA require double-time?
No. Double-time is optional on this calculator because some union contracts and some state rules (including California after 12 hours in a workday) use 2×.
Is a salaried employee exempt from overtime?
Not automatically. Exemption usually needs a salary basis, a minimum salary level, and exempt duties. Many salaried employees are still nonexempt and owed 1.5× after 40 hours.
Why is my paycheck overtime higher than this estimate?
The regular rate can include nondiscretionary bonuses, commissions, or other includable pay. OTPayUS multiplies only the hourly rate you type.
Is the take-home number my real net pay?
No. It is a single percentage applied to gross. It is not federal income tax, FICA, state tax, pretax benefits, or a W-4.
Do you store my hours or wage?
No. The site is static. The calculator runs in your browser. See the privacy page.
Can I use this for payroll or a wage claim?
Use it as a check, not as a filing. Wage claims need time records and the correct regular rate. Start with DOL Wage and Hour or your state labor department.
Where do these rules come from?
Primarily DOL Fact Sheet #23, Fact Sheet #56A, the DOL salary-level page, California Labor Code 510, and the DIR overtime FAQ. Citations are collected on the sources page.
Still unsure about classification? Read exempt vs nonexempt. Need the federal floor in full? See FLSA overtime basics.