Hourly Paycheck Calculator
Calculate gross pay for hourly workers including regular and overtime earnings for weekly, biweekly, or monthly pay periods. Ideal for employees and managers verifying paycheck accuracy.
About this calculator
Gross pay for an hourly employee has two components: regular pay and overtime pay. The overtime threshold depends on the pay period — 40 hours for weekly, 80 hours for biweekly, and approximately 173.33 hours for monthly (2,080 hours ÷ 12). The formula is: Gross Pay = min(hoursWorked, threshold) × hourlyRate + max(0, hoursWorked − threshold) × hourlyRate × overtimeRate. Under the US Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the standard overtime multiplier is 1.5×, though some employers pay double time. Regular hours are capped at the threshold, and any hours beyond that are compensated at the elevated rate. For example, working 50 hours in a week at $20/hr with 1.5× overtime yields 40 × $20 + 10 × $30 = $1,100 gross.
How to use
Scenario: pay period is weekly, hourly rate is $18/hr, hours worked this week are 47, overtime multiplier is 1.5×. The weekly overtime threshold is 40 hours. Regular hours = min(47, 40) = 40. Overtime hours = max(0, 47 − 40) = 7. Regular pay = 40 × $18 = $720. Overtime pay = 7 × $18 × 1.5 = 7 × $27 = $189. Gross pay = $720 + $189 = $909. This is before any tax withholding or deductions.
Frequently asked questions
How is overtime pay calculated for hourly employees?
Under the FLSA, hourly employees who work more than 40 hours in a workweek must be paid at least 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for each hour over 40. Some states (like California) have daily overtime rules where anything beyond 8 hours in a single day also triggers overtime. The formula is simply: overtime pay = overtime hours × hourly rate × multiplier. Employers may voluntarily offer double-time pay for holidays or excessive hours, but federal law only mandates the 1.5× rate for weekly overtime.
What is the overtime threshold for a biweekly pay period?
For a biweekly (two-week) pay period, the standard overtime threshold is 80 hours — equivalent to two standard 40-hour work weeks. Hours beyond 80 in the biweekly period are compensated at the overtime rate. However, it's important to note that the FLSA technically calculates overtime on a workweek basis, not a biweekly basis. If your employer uses a biweekly payroll cycle, they should ideally track each individual week's hours to ensure proper overtime compliance rather than simply averaging across two weeks.
Does the hourly paycheck calculator include tax deductions?
This calculator computes gross pay only — the total earned before any deductions. Federal and state income tax withholding, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), health insurance premiums, retirement contributions, and other deductions are subtracted afterward to arrive at net (take-home) pay. The amount withheld for income tax depends on your W-4 filing status and allowances. To estimate net pay, you would need to apply your effective tax rate and any pre-tax deduction amounts to the gross pay figure this calculator produces.