The Basic Overtime Formula
At its simplest, overtime pay calculation follows a straightforward formula. The key variables are your hourly rate, total hours worked, and the overtime threshold (usually 40 hours per week under federal FLSA rules).
Total Pay = Regular Pay + Overtime PayRegular Pay Formula
Regular pay covers the first 40 hours of work in a standard workweek. These hours are paid at your base hourly rate with no multiplier.
Regular Hours = min(Total Hours, 40)Regular Pay = Regular Hours × Hourly RateExample: At $20/hour working 48 hours → Regular Pay = 40 × $20 = $800.00
Overtime Pay Formula (1.5×)
Any hours exceeding the 40-hour weekly threshold are overtime hours. Under FLSA, these must be compensated at 1.5 times (time and a half) the regular hourly rate.
Overtime Hours = max(0, Total Hours - 40)Overtime Pay = Overtime Hours × Hourly Rate × 1.5Example: At $20/hour working 48 hours → OT Pay = 8 × $20 × 1.5 = $240.00
Double Time Formula (2×)
Some states, most notably California, require double time (2× regular rate) for hours exceeding a daily threshold (typically 12 hours in a day).
Double Time Hours = max(0, Hours This Day − DT Threshold)DT is per-day: only hours beyond the threshold in a single workday count. With weekly totals only, you cannot compute DT without a daily breakdown.
Double Time Pay = DT Hours × Hourly Rate × 2.0When double time applies, the double time hours are subtracted from the overtime hours to avoid double-counting.
Complete Formula
Putting it all together, the complete overtime pay calculation with optional double time:
Regular Pay = min(Total, Threshold) × Rate
OT Hours = max(0, Total - Threshold)
DT Hours = max(0, Hours This Day − DT_Threshold) (per-day only)
OT Hours = OT Hours - DT Hours
OT Pay = OT Hours × Rate × 1.5
DT Pay = DT Hours × Rate × 2.0
Total Pay = Regular + OT Pay + DT PayCalculate Your Overtime Pay Now
Use our free tool to instantly compute your regular pay, overtime, and total earnings.
These formulas are based on the federal FLSA overtime rules. State-specific variations may apply — use our overtime calculator to get an instant calculation for your state.