Extra hours have a price — yours. See what overtime adds per week and per year, and what each extra hour really pays at your premium.
Price the extra hours before you work them
Overtime decisions are usually made tired, at the end of a shift, with no numbers in sight. This calculator prices the extra hours up front: what they pay per week, what they add up to per year, and what each additional hour is actually worth at your premium.
The formula
- Overtime rate = regular hourly rate × overtime multiplier
- Weekly pay = (regular rate × regular hours) + (overtime rate × overtime hours)
- Annual overtime income = weekly overtime pay × weeks with overtime
How to use the result
The annual figure is the persuasive one: a few overtime hours a week compounds into real money over a year — which cuts both ways. It can fund a goal faster than a side hustle would, or it can reveal that you're selling scarce evenings for less than they're worth to you. Run the number, then decide on purpose.
Frequently asked questions
- What multiplier should I use?
- Whatever your contract or local labor law specifies. Time-and-a-half (1.5×) is the classic overtime premium in many places, with double time for holidays or long shifts in some agreements. If you're salaried-exempt with no overtime pay, the honest multiplier for extra hours is 0.
- Is overtime taxed more?
- Overtime isn't taxed at a special rate, but it stacks on top of your regular income, so it's taxed at your highest marginal rate. Withholding on a big overtime paycheck can also look outsized and even out at year end. The gross number here is the starting point, not take-home.
- How do I know if overtime is worth it?
- Compare the after-tax overtime rate against what the hour costs you — rest, family time, health. Our real hourly wage calculator helps: if overtime pays 1.5× but extends an already expensive workday with commute and recovery time attached, the premium can be thinner than it looks.
- My employer expects unpaid overtime. What does this calculator say about that?
- Set the multiplier to 0 and you'll see the honest effect: your effective hourly rate falls with every unpaid hour. Quantifying that drop is useful context for negotiating pay, scope, or boundaries.