How to use this calculator
- Choose the federal or state rule pack that best matches the work location.
- Enter the hourly rate and compensable hours for each day in one fixed workweek.
- Review regular, time-and-a-half, and double-time allocations separately.
- Open the warnings and primary-source references before using the estimate for a payroll or employment decision.
Input guide
Rule pack
Select the federal baseline, California, Alaska, Colorado, or Nevada general rule set.
Hourly rate
Used for estimated regular, overtime, and double-time pay and for Nevada’s daily-overtime eligibility threshold.
Daily hours
Enter compensable hours after valid unpaid breaks for each day in the same fixed workweek.
How this calculator works
Apply the selected rule pack’s daily premiums first, then allocate remaining eligible hours above 40 weekly without counting the same hour twice.
Worked example
Five 9-hour days at $25/hour produce different premium allocations under the federal baseline and states with daily overtime.
How to interpret the result
The result separates daily and weekly premium allocations without counting the same hour twice. A displayed estimate does not determine coverage, exemption status, the correct regular rate, or whether an alternative schedule or industry exception applies.
Rounding policy
Hour precision
Entered daily hours and calculated allocations are displayed to two decimal places; pay is rounded to cents.
Assumptions and limitations
- The worker is covered and non-exempt.
- Each entered day belongs to one fixed workweek.
- Daily hours are already compensable hours after valid unpaid breaks.
- No alternative workweek, 4×10 agreement, exemption, bonus, differential or weighted regular rate is modeled.
Frequently asked questions
Does this prove how much overtime I am legally owed?
No. It is a transparent planning model based on selected general rules. Employment facts and exceptions must be reviewed.
Why can state results differ from federal results?
Some states add daily, consecutive-hours, double-time or seventh-day premiums beyond the federal weekly baseline.
Does it count the same hour twice?
No. The calculation uses a non-pyramiding allocation so a daily-premium hour is removed before weekly overtime is allocated.
Why does Nevada ask for the hourly rate?
The general daily-overtime threshold depends on whether the rate is below the published $18-per-hour threshold effective July 1, 2025.
Does the Colorado pack model every 12-consecutive-hour case?
No. Daily totals cannot fully represent shifts that cross an employer-defined workday, so those cases require separate review.