Calculating your overtime pay is essential for ensuring you are compensated correctly for your extra effort. In most jurisdictions, including the United States under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), overtime is defined as any hours worked over 40 in a single workweek.
How to Calculate Overtime Pay
The standard formula for calculating overtime involves three primary steps:
Determine the Regular Rate: This is your base hourly wage.
Calculate the Overtime Rate: Multiply your regular rate by the overtime multiplier (typically 1.5 for "time and a half").
Calculate Total OT Pay: Multiply the overtime rate by the number of overtime hours worked.
Common Overtime Multipliers
Type
Multiplier
Description
Time and a Half
1.5x
The standard rate for hours over 40.
Double Time
2.0x
Often applied for holidays or working on Sundays.
Triple Time
3.0x
Rare, but sometimes used for emergency call-outs.
Real-World Example
If you earn $30.00 per hour and work 48 hours in a week:
Regular Pay: 40 hours × $30.00 = $1,200.00
Overtime Rate: $30.00 × 1.5 = $45.00 per hour
Overtime Pay: 8 hours × $45.00 = $360.00
Total Gross Pay: $1,200.00 + $360.00 = $1,560.00
Important Legal Considerations
While the 1.5x multiplier is the federal standard in the US, some states like California have more stringent rules, such as daily overtime (pay for hours worked over 8 in a single day). Always check your local labor laws or your employment contract to ensure you are using the correct multiplier and hour thresholds.
function calculateOT() {
var regRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('regular_rate').value);
var regHours = parseFloat(document.getElementById('regular_hours').value);
var otMultiplier = parseFloat(document.getElementById('ot_multiplier').value);
var otHours = parseFloat(document.getElementById('ot_hours').value);
if (isNaN(regRate) || isNaN(regHours) || isNaN(otMultiplier) || isNaN(otHours)) {
alert("Please enter valid numerical values in all fields.");
return;
}
// Logic Calculations
var regularTotalPay = regRate * regHours;
var overtimeHourlyRate = regRate * otMultiplier;
var overtimeTotalPay = overtimeHourlyRate * otHours;
var grossPay = regularTotalPay + overtimeTotalPay;
// Displaying results
document.getElementById('res_reg_pay').innerText = '$' + regularTotalPay.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('res_ot_rate').innerText = '$' + overtimeHourlyRate.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2}) + ' / hr';
document.getElementById('res_ot_pay').innerText = '$' + overtimeTotalPay.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('res_total_pay').innerText = '$' + grossPay.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('ot_results_area').style.display = 'block';
}