Overtime Calculator

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5 times their regular rate for every hour worked over 40 in a single workweek. The threshold is purely weekly: the FLSA has no daily overtime rule, so a 12-hour shift followed by three short days is not federal overtime as long as the weekly total stays at 40 or below. The 'regular rate' is not just the hourly wage either. It is the total non-overtime compensation (base pay plus non-discretionary bonuses, shift differentials, and most commissions) divided by hours worked. There is no upper limit on overtime, but the premium must be paid for every hour past 40 in the workweek the employer has designated.

California is one of the strictest overtime states in the country. Non-exempt employees earn 1.5x for any hours over 8 in a single workday, plus 1.5x for hours over 40 in a workweek (whichever produces more pay, without double-counting). On top of that, hours over 12 in a single workday are paid at 2x (double-time). A 14-hour shift therefore breaks down as 8 hours at straight time, 4 hours at 1.5x, and 2 hours at double-time. The daily rule applies regardless of weekly total, which is why a 9-hour Monday followed by four 7-hour days (40 hours total) still owes one hour of overtime. The rule is set by California Labor Code section 510 and the IWC Wage Orders.

Covered non-exempt employees generally receive FLSA overtime after 40 hours in a workweek. In May 2026, the Department of Labor restored the federal Part 541 salary threshold of $684 per week for most executive, administrative, and professional exemptions. The salary basis alone is not enough. The employee must also satisfy the applicable duties test, and state law can be more protective. Job title or salaried status by itself does not establish an exemption.

If a California employee works seven consecutive days in a single workweek, the seventh day gets a special premium structure. The first 8 hours of that seventh day are paid at 1.5x the regular rate, and every hour past 8 on that day is paid at 2x. This applies on top of (not in addition to) the daily and weekly rules, so the most generous premium for each hour wins. The rule is intended to discourage employers from scheduling open-ended workweeks, and it kicks in based on the workweek the employer has defined (usually a fixed 7-day stretch). A common gotcha: working 7 days in a calendar week does not automatically trigger this rule if it splits across two different employer-defined workweeks.

Federal FLSA sets a floor that no state can fall below, but states are free to be more generous. When state law (or even a local ordinance) gives the worker a better deal, the more protective rule applies. California, Alaska, Nevada, and Colorado all impose daily overtime thresholds that federal law does not. Washington and Oregon have industry-specific manufacturing rules. Several states have lower salary thresholds for exempt classification, which can make workers eligible for overtime at the state level even when they would be exempt federally. In every case, employers must apply whichever combination of rules produces the highest pay for the worker. This calculator lets you pick the jurisdiction so the right floor is enforced.