Overtime Calculator (By State)
Calculate overtime pay using the federal time-and-a-half rule, plus state-specific daily overtime rules for California, Colorado, Alaska, and Nevada.
Built and maintained by Jefferson Almeida · Last updated
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How overtime pay works under federal law
The Fair Labor Standards Act requires that non-exempt employees receive at least 1.5× their regular rate for every hour worked beyond 40 in a workweek. Three details in that sentence do most of the work.
"Workweek" means a fixed, recurring 168-hour period your employer designates. It does not have to start Monday. Overtime is calculated within each workweek independently - you cannot average two weeks together. Working 30 hours one week and 50 the next earns 10 hours of overtime, even though the two-week average is 40.
"Regular rate" is not always your base hourly wage - non-discretionary bonuses, shift differentials and commissions go into it too, which is why an overtime hour can be worth more than 1.5× what you think you earn. The regular rate guide works through the eight things the statute leaves out, and what a bonus left out of the rate costs.
"Non-exempt" is the threshold question. Exempt employees - generally salaried workers meeting specific duties tests for executive, administrative, or professional roles - get no overtime. Job title is irrelevant; actual duties and salary level control - the salaried overtime eligibility guide covers the three-part test and the 2026 salary thresholds by state.
States with daily overtime rules
Federal law only counts weekly hours. Four states go further and require overtime based on hours in a single day:
- California - 1.5× after 8 hours in a day, 2× after 12 hours in a day. Also 1.5× for the first 8 hours on the seventh consecutive workday, and 2× beyond that.
- Colorado - 1.5× after 12 hours in a day, or after 12 consecutive hours worked.
- Alaska - 1.5× after 8 hours in a day.
- Nevada - 1.5× after 8 hours in a day, but only for employees earning less than 1.5× the state minimum wage.
Where state and federal rules differ, the employee gets whichever is more generous. A Californian working four 12-hour days hits 48 hours - 16 hours of daily overtime under state law (four hours each day), double what the federal weekly calculation alone would produce (8 hours).
The 2026 overtime tax deduction - read this carefully
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act created a federal deduction for qualified overtime pay, available for tax years 2025 through 2028. It has a sibling provision for tip income with the same phase-out, covered on the tip calculator. It is widely misunderstood, and the misunderstanding costs people money in planning.
What it actually is:
- A deduction of up to $12,500 ($25,000 married filing jointly)
- Available whether or not you itemize
- Phases out above $150,000 MAGI ($300,000 joint)
The part almost everyone gets wrong: the deduction applies only to the premium portion - the "half" in "time and a half." Not the whole overtime paycheck.
Work 10 overtime hours at a $20 regular rate and you earn $300 in overtime pay ($30 × 10). Only $100 of that - the $10/hour premium - is qualified overtime for this deduction. The other $200 is taxed normally.
Also required: only overtime mandated by Section 7 of the FLSA qualifies. Overtime your employer pays voluntarily, or that's required only by a state law or union contract but not by federal law, does not count.
Important: this is an income tax deduction claimed at filing. It does not reduce your Social Security or Medicare tax, and it does not change your withholding automatically. Your paycheck won't look different - the benefit arrives when you file. To see what an overtime week actually nets after federal tax, state tax and FICA, run the gross figure through the paycheck calculator.
New for 2026 - your W-2 now caps the deduction. Employers must report qualified overtime in Box 12 under code TT on the 2026 Form W-2. Under IRS guidance issued 6 August 2026 (FS-2026-13), for tax years after 2025 you cannot claim more qualified overtime than the amount your employer reported in Box 12, code TT - even if you can prove you worked more. If the figure is wrong or missing, you must get a corrected Form W-2c from your employer; a substitute Form 4852 cannot be used to claim a larger overtime deduction. Check that box before you file.
FAQ
Does this apply to salaried employees?
Only if you're classified as "non-exempt." Many salaried positions are exempt from overtime rules under federal and state law based on job duties and salary level - this calculator assumes an hourly, non-exempt worker. To check whether you are exempt at all, see salaried overtime eligibility.
Can my employer give me comp time instead of overtime pay?
Private-sector employers generally cannot. Compensatory time off in lieu of overtime is permitted for public-sector employers under specific conditions.
Does holiday or vacation pay count toward the 40 hours?
No. Overtime is based on hours actually worked. A week with 8 hours of holiday pay and 36 hours worked totals 44 paid hours but zero overtime hours.
Is double time required by federal law?
No. Federal law caps at 1.5×. Double time is a California requirement in specific circumstances, or a matter of employer policy or union contract elsewhere.
Sources: US Department of Labor, FLSA Section 7 (time-and-a-half over 40 hrs/week; exempt salary threshold $684/week restored by the DOL technical amendment published 15 May 2026). State daily overtime: CA Labor Code §510, CO COMPS Order, AK Stat. §23.10.060, NV NRS 608.018. Overtime tax deduction: One Big Beautiful Bill Act (IRC §225); IRS Fact Sheet FS-2026-13 (6 August 2026), which supersedes FS-2026-01.
💡 Did you know?
The 40-hour workweek and time-and-a-half overtime pay weren't standard until the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, one of the last major pieces of FDR's New Deal. It followed years of failed attempts - including a 1932 bill from Senator Hugo Black that proposed a 30-hour workweek, which passed the Senate but died amid heavy business opposition.