Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), non-exempt employees who work more than 40 hours in a single workweek must be paid at least 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for every hour beyond 40. This rule applies regardless of whether the extra hours are worked on a weekday, weekend, or holiday. The FLSA threshold has been 40 hours per week since 1940 and remains unchanged in 2026. For help understanding your full weekly paycheck, see our work hours calculator.

Salaried employees are not automatically exempt from overtime. To qualify for the FLSA overtime exemption, a salaried employee must earn at least $684 per week and meet specific duties tests for executive, administrative, or professional roles. Many salaried workers below this threshold are still entitled to overtime pay. Being paid a salary alone does not determine exemption status.

California, Alaska, and Nevada require overtime pay for hours worked beyond 8 in a single workday, in addition to the standard 40-hour weekly threshold. Colorado requires overtime after 12 hours in a day. Most other states follow only the federal 40-hour weekly rule. California also requires double time for hours beyond 12 in a day or for the 7th consecutive day of a workweek.

Time and a half means you earn 1.5 times your regular hourly rate for each overtime hour. Double time means you earn exactly 2 times your regular hourly rate. Federal law only requires time and a half as the minimum. Double time is typically offered by employers voluntarily or is required in specific situations under California law, such as for hours beyond 12 in a day or the 7th consecutive workday. Use our dedicated double time calculator for a focused calculation.

Federal law does not require premium pay for weekends or holidays simply because they fall on those days. Overtime is triggered solely by the number of hours worked in a workweek exceeding 40. Employers may voluntarily offer holiday or weekend pay premiums, but there is no federal mandate to do so. Check your employment contract or company policy for specific holiday pay terms.

To find your regular rate as a salaried non-exempt employee, divide your weekly salary by the number of hours that salary is intended to cover (typically 40). Your overtime rate is then 1.5 times that result. For example, a $600 weekly salary covering 40 hours gives a $15 regular hourly rate and a $22.50 overtime rate. This calculator handles that conversion automatically when you select a salary pay type. You can also use our salary to hourly calculator to find your derived hourly rate first.

Private-sector employers generally cannot substitute compensatory time (comp time) for overtime pay under the FLSA. You are entitled to receive the actual overtime wages in money. State and local government employers may offer comp time under specific conditions authorized by the FLSA. If your employer is offering comp time in lieu of overtime pay and you work in the private sector, this may be a violation of federal law. Contact the US Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division for guidance.