Enter hours actually worked in each of the seven workdays of your employer’s fixed workweek. This calculator estimates gross pay under California’s general daily, weekly and seventh-consecutive-day overtime rules for a covered nonexempt worker with one constant regular hourly rate. It separates time and a half from double time and does not apply two overtime premiums to the same hour.
California overtime estimate
Change the inputs to see the estimate. Calculations stay in your browser.
General California estimate for a covered, nonexempt worker with one constant regular rate and seven consecutive workdays aligned to the employer’s workweek. Exemptions, valid alternative schedules, bonuses and multiple rates are not modeled. Do not enter paid leave as hours worked.
Set up your week correctly
Day 1 is the first workday of your employer’s defined workweek, not necessarily Monday. Enter Day 2 through Day 7 in order. Put zero for any day with no work. The seventh-day premium applies in this model only when all seven days have worked hours; seven consecutive calendar dates spanning two employer workweeks do not trigger that particular rule. The employer’s workday is a fixed 24-hour period and may not begin at midnight. Allocate an overnight shift to the correct workdays before entering hours.
Enter hours worked, including paid rest breaks and required work during a meal period. Subtract only a genuinely unpaid, duty-free meal period. The time card calculator can help find daily totals from clock times, but it does not determine whether a break is compensable. See the California meal and rest break guide for that separate issue.
How the estimate classifies hours
- For an ordinary workday, the first eight worked hours are initially straight time, hours over eight through 12 are at 1.5 times the entered rate, and hours over 12 are at double time.
- If the worker actually works all seven days in this workweek, Day 7’s first eight hours are at 1.5 times the rate and any additional Day 7 hours are at double time.
- After identifying daily and seventh-day premium hours, any initially straight-time hours above 40 in the workweek move into the 1.5-times category. This avoids counting the same hour twice.
Estimated gross pay = straight-time hours × rate + time-and-a-half hours × rate × 1.5 + double-time hours × rate × 2. The “weekly overtime hours beyond daily premiums” result shows how many additional straight-time hours crossed the weekly threshold. The displayed categories add up to the total hours entered.
Two examples to check your result
Four ten-hour days at $20: Enter 10, 10, 10, 10, then three zeros. The 40-hour week includes 32 straight-time hours and eight daily overtime hours. The gross estimate is $880. A weekly-only calculator would miss that daily premium.
Seven eight-hour days at $20: Enter 8 on every day. The model assigns eight hours to weekly overtime after the first 40 initially straight-time hours, plus Day 7’s eight hours at time and a half. The result is 40 straight-time hours and 16 time-and-a-half hours, or $1,280. The same hours do not receive an additional duplicate premium.
When this calculator is not enough
The entered hourly figure must represent the applicable regular rate. Bonuses, commissions, multiple rates, salary conversions and certain other pay can change that rate. The tool does not decide exempt status. A valid alternative workweek, collective bargaining agreement, occupation-specific wage order or other statutory exception may change the ordinary thresholds. It also does not calculate meal/rest premiums, payroll rounding, taxes or benefits. Review the California overtime rules guide and the Labor Commissioner’s exceptions list before using this estimate to compare a paycheck.
Frequently asked questions
Why does it show overtime when my total is only 40 hours?
California’s general rule can require a daily premium after eight hours. Four ten-hour days reach exactly 40 for the week but still have eight daily overtime hours.
Why did the seventh-day rule say “No”?
The tool applies that rule only if all seven entries are greater than zero, representing work on each day of one defined workweek. If a day is zero, it still checks the remaining days for daily and weekly overtime.
Do I enter PTO or a paid holiday as hours worked?
No. Enter actual worked time only. Pay for time not worked may appear on a check but does not become worked time merely because it was paid. Check a particular policy or agreement for more generous treatment.
Can I use the federal overtime calculator instead?
The weekly overtime calculator does not classify California daily, double-time or seventh-day hours. Use this state-specific estimate only when its own assumptions fit your situation.
Sources and methodology
Reviewed October 7, 2026. General thresholds, workweek rules, regular-rate cautions and exceptions checked against the California Labor Commissioner’s Overtime FAQ, exceptions list and workday/workweek glossary. The arithmetic runs in your browser; no entered hours are sent to the site. This educational estimate does not determine wages owed in an individual case.