Double time calculator
Double time is twice your regular rate. Unlike time and a half, almost no federal rule requires it.
Double time against time and a half
At $30.00 an hour, eight extra hours pay $480.00 at double time against $360.00 at time and a half, a difference of $120.00 for the week and $6,240 across a year of the same pattern.
| Hours worked | Over 40 | Extra-hours pay | Week total | Average per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 0 | $0.00 | $1,200.00 | $30.00 |
| 42 | 2 | $120.00 | $1,320.00 | $31.43 |
| 44 | 4 | $240.00 | $1,440.00 | $32.73 |
| 46 | 6 | $360.00 | $1,560.00 | $33.91 |
| 48 | 8 | $480.00 | $1,680.00 | $35.00 |
| 50 | 10 | $600.00 | $1,800.00 | $36.00 |
| 55 | 15 | $900.00 | $2,100.00 | $38.18 |
| 60 | 20 | $1,200.00 | $2,400.00 | $40.00 |
When double time is actually owed
The Fair Labor Standards Act sets one overtime floor, time and a half past 40 hours, and says nothing about double time. Where double time exists it almost always comes from one of three places: a union contract, an employer policy, or state law.
California is the significant state case. It requires double time beyond 12 hours in a workday, and beyond 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek. A 14-hour shift there earns 8 hours straight, 4 at time and a half and 2 at double time.
Holiday double time is a policy, not a right. Working a public holiday carries no federal premium at all. If your employer pays double on Thanksgiving, that is their policy and they can change it.
Double time pay by hourly rate
Eight double-time hours a week, across a range of regular rates.
| Regular rate | Rate for extra hours | Extra-hours pay | Week total | A year at this pattern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $30.00 | $240.00 | $840.00 | $43,680 |
| $18.00 | $36.00 | $288.00 | $1,008.00 | $52,416 |
| $20.00 | $40.00 | $320.00 | $1,120.00 | $58,240 |
| $25.00 | $50.00 | $400.00 | $1,400.00 | $72,800 |
| $30.00 | $60.00 | $480.00 | $1,680.00 | $87,360 |
| $35.00 | $70.00 | $560.00 | $1,960.00 | $101,920 |
| $45.00 | $90.00 | $720.00 | $2,520.00 | $131,040 |
Common questions
- Is double time required by federal law?
- No. The FLSA requires time and a half past 40 hours a week and nothing beyond that. Double time comes from state law, a union agreement or company policy.
- When does California require double time?
- Past 12 hours in a workday, and past 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day worked in a workweek. Hours between 8 and 12 in a day are at time and a half.
- Does double time pay get taxed differently?
- No. It is ordinary wages, taxed in the same brackets and subject to the same Social Security and Medicare. Only the premium portion matters for the federal overtime deduction.
- Does double time count toward the overtime deduction?
- Only the part above your regular rate counts, and only where the hours are overtime required by the FLSA. Double time paid purely as a holiday perk is not FLSA overtime, so its premium does not qualify.