How to calculate double time
Double-time rate = regular rate × 2
Double-time pay = double-time hours × regular rate × 2
Multiply your regular rate by 2, then by the hours paid at that rate. Add your regular pay and any time-and-a-half pay for the total. At $18.75 an hour, double time is $37.50, and 4 hours of it pays $150.00.
Use your regular rate, which a night-shift differential or a bonus can raise; the shift differential calculator works it out.
When double time is required
| Where | Double time owed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Federal law (FLSA) | Never. Its overtime rate is time and a half (overtime calculator). | 29 U.S.C. 207(a)(1) |
| California | Hours over 12 in one workday. | Cal. Labor Code 510(a) |
| California | Hours over 8 on the 7th day of work in one workweek, which means you worked all 7 days of that workweek. Seven days in a row that span two workweeks do not count. | Cal. Labor Code 510(a), 500(b) |
| Any state | When a union contract, employment contract or written company policy promises it. | Your agreement |
The California rows assume a standard schedule. If your work unit adopted an alternative workweek schedule by secret-ballot vote, such as four 10-hour days, those rows do not apply to you. Double time is then owed for hours over 12 in a day and for hours over 8 on days beyond your scheduled workdays. Section 510 also does not apply to an alternative schedule adopted under a union contract. Cal. Labor Code 510(a)(1)-(3), 511(a)-(b).
This page covers federal law and California. Other states may have their own rules, so check your state labor department before relying on the federal line alone.
Worked example
A worker in California earns $20.00 an hour and works a 13-hour day.
| Hours | Rate | Pay |
|---|---|---|
| First 8 hours, regular | $20.00 | $160.00 |
| Hours 9 to 12, time and a half (4 h) | $30.00 | $120.00 |
| Hour 13, double time (1 h) | $40.00 | $40.00 |
| Pay for the day | $320.00 |
The same day under federal rules alone pays 13 × $20.00 = $260.00, unless the week goes over 40 hours.
Double time and a half
Double time and a half is 2.5 times the regular rate: $20.00 becomes $50.00. No federal or California law requires it. It comes only from a union contract or an employer's own policy. If yours pays it, pick 2.5x in the calculator.
Holidays and weekends
The FLSA does not require overtime pay for work on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays or regular days of rest, unless the hours take the week over 40. Any holiday premium comes from your employer's policy, a contract or state law.
When an employer does pay a weekend or holiday premium of at least 1.5 times the normal rate, federal law lets that extra pay be left out of the regular rate and counted toward any overtime owed for the same week.
DOL WHD, Overtime Pay; 29 U.S.C. 207(e)(6), 207(h)(2).
Questions
What is double time for $25 an hour?
$50.00 an hour, because $25.00 × 2 = $50.00. Four double-time hours pay $200.00.
Can an employer pay double time when only time and a half is required?
Yes. The federal rule sets a minimum of 1.5 times the regular rate, so paying 2 times is allowed.
Sources
- California Labor Commissioner: Overtime FAQ
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: Overtime Pay
- 29 U.S.C. 207, Maximum hours
- Tested against
- Published test cases
The calculator runs in your browser and does not store the numbers you enter.