California Overtime Calculator

Short answer: Most non-exempt California employees earn 1.5 times their regular rate after 8 hours in a day and after 40 hours in a week, and for the first 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek. Hours over 12 in a day, and hours over 8 on that seventh day, are paid at double time. Labor Code § 510.

This is an estimate, not legal advice. Using this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. The result ignores facts that can raise or wipe out the number, including a good-faith dispute, an exemption, tolling, and a shorter contract or government deadline. Talk with a lawyer before you rely on it.

Estimate one workweek

Enter seven days of a single workweek and the hourly rate you want used as the regular rate. The calculator applies daily overtime first, then the seventh-day rule if you worked every day, then weekly overtime only on the straight-time hours that remain over 40.

How the estimate works

1. Ordinary days. The first 8 hours are straight time. Hours 8 through 12 are time and a half. Hours over 12 are double time. Labor Code § 510 and the Labor Commissioner overtime FAQ.
2. Seventh consecutive day. This premium applies only when you work all seven days of the same workweek. The first 8 hours that day are time and a half, and hours over 8 are double time. Seven days that cross two workweeks do not automatically trigger it. The employer defines the workweek.
3. Weekly overtime, without stacking. Straight-time hours over 40 become time and a half. Hours already paid as daily overtime or double time are not paid a second premium. Section 510 says more than one overtime rate does not have to be combined for the same hour.
4. Regular rate. For a straight hourly employee with no bonus, commission, or shift differential, the regular rate is the hourly rate. Anything else has to be worked into the rate before the 1.5 and 2 multipliers. A non-discretionary bonus uses its own formula, and a flat-sum bonus is divided differently from a production bonus. This page does not calculate that bonus premium.

What this calculator leaves out

• Exemptions. Properly exempt executive, administrative, and professional employees, outside salespeople, and some computer professionals are not paid under this rule. In 2026 the salary floor for the main white-collar exemptions is $70,304. A job title does not decide it.
• Alternative workweeks under Labor Code §§ 511 and 514, and some union agreements, change the daily threshold. A valid four-10 schedule can make the first 10 hours straight time. Weekly overtime over 40, and double time over 12, can still apply.
• Some industries, including agriculture during parts of its phase-in and certain healthcare schedules, use a different wage order. Confirm the order that covers the job.
• Meal and rest premiums, reporting-time pay, split-shift pay, and minimum-wage makeup are not included. Paid sick time and holidays do not count as hours worked.
• Unauthorized overtime still has to be paid if the employer knew or should have known about the work. The employer may discipline the policy violation and still owe the wages.

More on the rules: California overtime laws, double time, working seven days, and what counts as full time. Our wage and hour lawyers handle unpaid overtime. If the wages were still unpaid at the end of the job, estimate the final-paycheck penalty.

Questions workers ask

When does California overtime start?

For most non-exempt employees, after 8 hours in a workday, after 40 hours in a workweek, and on the seventh consecutive day worked in that workweek. Labor Code § 510.

When is the rate double time?

Hours over 12 in a workday are paid at twice the regular rate. Hours over 8 on the seventh consecutive day of the workweek are also double time.

Do daily and weekly overtime stack on the same hour?

No. Labor Code § 510 says an employer does not have to combine more than one overtime rate for the same hour. Hours already paid as daily overtime or double time are not also counted as weekly overtime.

What is the regular rate?

It is not always the hourly wage on your offer letter. It generally includes hourly pay, salary, piece-rate earnings, commissions, shift differentials, and non-discretionary bonuses. Expense reimbursements and truly discretionary gifts are left out. This calculator uses the hourly rate you enter and does not add a bonus.

I am salaried. Do I still get overtime?

A salary by itself does not make you exempt. Executive, administrative, and professional exemptions require both a duties test and, in 2026, a salary of at least $70,304. Many salaried employees are still owed overtime.

Can I agree to skip overtime?

No. Labor Code § 1194 requires overtime even if you agreed to a lower rate. An employer may require overtime and may discipline a refusal, but it still has to pay for the hours.

Sources

• Labor Code § 510
• Labor Code § 511, alternative workweeks
• Labor Code § 1194, overtime cannot be waived
• Labor Commissioner overtime FAQ

Talk with a California employment lawyer

Starpoint Law represents employees in employment cases from offices in Century City and Sherman Oaks. The consultation is free. You can also use the form on this page.

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