How Overtime Pay Is Calculated
The time and a half calculator works out what you earn when you put in extra hours. "Time and a half" simply means 1.5 times your regular hourly wage. The math is straightforward: your overtime rate is your regular rate multiplied by 1.5, and your overtime pay is that rate multiplied by the number of overtime hours you worked. Add your regular pay (regular rate × regular hours) and you have your total for the week.
For example, at $20 an hour your overtime rate is $30. Work 40 regular hours and 5 overtime hours and you earn $800 in regular pay plus $150 in overtime, for a $950 weekly total. The calculator also shows your effective hourly rate — total pay divided by total hours — which is a useful way to see how much overtime lifts your real earnings.
Who Qualifies for Time and a Half?
In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that most hourly, "non-exempt" employees receive at least time and a half for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. A workweek is any fixed, recurring 168-hour period — it does not have to be Monday to Sunday. Overtime is calculated per workweek, even if you are paid biweekly or twice a month.
Not everyone qualifies. "Exempt" employees — generally those in genuine executive, administrative, professional, outside-sales or certain computer roles who are paid on a salary basis above a federal threshold — are usually not entitled to overtime. Whether someone is exempt depends on their actual job duties and pay, not just their job title, so it is worth checking your classification if you are unsure.
State law can be more generous than federal law, and where it is, the state rule wins. California, for instance, requires daily overtime after 8 hours and double time after 12 hours in a single day, while most states follow the federal weekly-40 standard.
Tips for Tracking Your Overtime
Keep your own record of hours rather than relying solely on your employer's system — a simple note of clock-in and clock-out times protects you if there is ever a dispute. Watch for "off the clock" work like answering emails or prepping before a shift, which often counts as hours worked. If your pay includes non-discretionary bonuses or shift differentials, your "regular rate" for overtime may be higher than your base hourly wage, because those extras can be folded into the rate used to calculate overtime. When in doubt, your state labor department's website is the authoritative source.