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How Overtime Pay Is Calculated (2026): Time and a Half, Done Right

Published October 6, 2026 · 7 min read · By the CyberScryb team

I spent a lot of night shifts doing this math in my head before a shift even started: base rate, the night differential, how many hours past 40 I’d actually hit if I picked up the extra shift. Most online overtime calculators make you choose between simple and correct. They'll do 1.5× your base wage just fine, then either ignore your shift differential completely or bolt it on afterward as a flat bonus — which, it turns out, is not what you're legally owed.

This post walks through the actual rules: the federal 1.5× formula, where states go further with daily overtime and double-time, and the shift-differential detail most calculators skip. Then there's a free tool that does all of it correctly.

• The federal overtime formula
• Where shift differentials change the math
• Double-time and state rules
• Who actually gets overtime
• Tools that pair with this one
• FAQ

The Federal Overtime Formula

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees earn 1.5× their regular hourly rate for every hour worked beyond 40 in a single workweek. That's the federal floor, and it's where every state starts.

Worked example: $22/hr, 46 hours worked in a week. Regular pay = 40 × $22 = $880. Overtime pay = 6 × $22 × 1.5 = $198. Gross pay for the week = $1,078. Simple, as long as there's no differential or double-time involved.

Where Shift Differentials Change the Math

A shift differential is extra pay for less desirable hours — nights, weekends, holidays. It's standard across healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and anywhere that has to staff around the clock. Here's the detail that trips up most calculators: under 29 CFR 778.110, a non-discretionary differential has to be folded into your "regular rate of pay" before the 1.5× multiplier applies. It is not a flat bonus you add after the overtime math is done.

Same example, with a $2/hr night differential added: effective rate = $22 + $2 = $24/hr. Regular pay = 40 × $24 = $960. Overtime pay = 6 × $24 × 1.5 = $216. Gross pay = $1,176 — about $98 more than a base-rate-only calculation would show. On a paycheck you check every two weeks, that gap adds up fast.

Double-Time and State Rules

Double-time, 2× your regular rate, isn't required anywhere by federal law. A handful of states require it in specific situations. California is the best-known: double-time after 12 hours in a single day, and after 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day of a workweek.

This is exactly why the CyberScryb calculator doesn't try to guess your state's trigger for you. You tell it how many hours are regular, overtime, and double-time — from your schedule, your pay stub, or your state's rule — and it gets the dollar math right from there. The trigger varies by state; the premium math doesn't.

Who Actually Gets Overtime

Overtime applies to "non-exempt" employees, generally hourly workers. Salaried employees can be exempt, but only if they meet specific duties tests and clear a minimum salary threshold the Department of Labor updates periodically — a salaried title alone doesn't make someone exempt. Misclassification is common, especially in healthcare, retail management, and office roles. If you're salaried and routinely working well past 40 hours, it's worth checking your actual duties against current DOL guidance rather than assuming your paycheck format settles the question.

Tools That Pair With This One

Run these in sequence, all free, all client-side:

• Overtime pay calculator — regular, 1.5×, and 2× pay for one paycheck, differential included correctly.
• Salary converter — turn hourly pay into an annual number, and back.
• Budget planner — plan spending around a paycheck that moves week to week.

FAQ

Is the CyberScryb overtime calculator really free?

Yes. No signup, no account, no paywall. It runs entirely in your browser.

Does this calculator know my state's overtime rules?

No, and that's deliberate. State trigger rules for overtime and double-time vary too much to hardcode safely. You tell it how many hours are regular, overtime, and double-time; it handles the dollar math correctly from there, including shift differentials.

Why does my shift differential matter for overtime?

Federal law requires non-discretionary differentials to be folded into your regular rate of pay before the overtime multiplier applies. Skipping this step understates what you're owed on every overtime hour.

Related reading: all posts · all tools · how overtime pay is calculated (full guide) · how hourly pay is calculated