What Is Time and a Half?
Time and a half means you're paid 1.5 times your regular hourly rate for overtime hours. If you normally earn $20/hour, your overtime rate would be $30/hour ($20 × 1.5).
Formula: Overtime Rate = Regular Hourly Rate × 1.5
Example: $20/hour × 1.5 = $30/hour for overtime
When Do You Earn Time and a Half?
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), non-exempt employees must receive time-and-a-half pay for any hours worked over 40 in a single workweek. Some states have additional rules:
- California: Overtime after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week; double time after 12 hours in a day
- Alaska: Overtime after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week
- Nevada: Overtime after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week (for employees earning less than 1.5× minimum wage)
How to Calculate Your Total Pay with Overtime
Follow these steps:
- Separate regular and overtime hours. If you worked 45 hours in a week, you have 40 regular hours and 5 overtime hours.
- Calculate regular pay: 40 hours × $20/hour = $800
- Calculate overtime pay: 5 hours × $30/hour = $150
- Add them together: $800 + $150 = $950 total gross pay
Effective Hourly Rate
Your effective rate is your total pay divided by total hours worked. In the example above, $950 ÷ 45 hours = $21.11/hour effective rate. Even though you only worked 5 extra hours, your effective pay rate increased because those hours were paid at time-and-a-half.
Are You Eligible for Overtime?
Most hourly workers are entitled to overtime pay, but certain salaried employees are "exempt" from overtime rules. You're typically exempt if you:
- Earn at least $684/week ($35,568/year) on a salary basis
- Perform executive, administrative, or professional duties as your primary job
If you're unsure, ask your employer or consult your state's Department of Labor.
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Time and a Half vs. Double Time
While time-and-a-half (1.5×) is the federal standard for overtime, some situations require double time (2× your regular rate):
- California requires double time after 12 hours in a single day or more than 8 hours on the 7th consecutive workday
- Some union contracts or employer policies offer double time for holidays or specific conditions
Use our Overtime Calculator if you need to calculate pay with custom multipliers (1.5×, 2×, or other rates).
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