Overtime in California
In California, overtime is 1.5 times your regular rate after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, and double time after 12 hours in a day.
Rules checked against the US Department of Labor and official California sources. Free and private: nothing you enter leaves your device.
Your pay this week, before tax
$1,175.00
You worked 52.5 hours in California, including 12.5 hours of overtime. Overtime adds $125.00 on top of your straight-time pay.
| Pay | Hours | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | 40 h | $20.00 | $800.00 |
| Overtime1.5 times your rate | 12.5 h | $30.00 | $375.00 |
| Total | 52.5 h | $1,175.00 |
52.5 hours worked. An estimate under federal and California law, before taxes. Not legal advice.
Overtime rules in California
- 1.5 times your rate for hours over 8 and up to 12 in a workday, and for hours over 40 in a workweek.
- 2 times your rate for hours over 12 in a workday.
- Seventh day: if you work all seven days of the workweek, the first 8 hours on the seventh day are paid at 1.5 times and any hours over 8 at 2 times.
- Hours already paid as daily overtime do not count again toward the 40-hour week, so no hour is paid twice.
- With two rates in a week, overtime uses the weighted average. A flat bonus, such as for attendance, is divided by your straight-time hours only (Alvarado v. Dart Container, 2018).
- An alternative workweek schedule voted on by employees, such as four 10-hour days, can change when daily overtime starts.
California's minimum wage is $16.90 an hour in 2026, and a salaried worker must earn at least $70,304 a year, twice the minimum wage for full-time work, to be exempt from overtime.
Overtime pay at common rates in California
| Hourly rate | Overtime rate | 45-hour week | 50-hour week |
|---|---|---|---|
| $20 an hour | $30.00 | $950.00 | $1,100.00 |
| $25 an hour | $37.50 | $1,187.50 | $1,375.00 |
| $30 an hour | $45.00 | $1,425.00 | $1,650.00 |
How the calculator works
- Each shift's hours are its end time minus its start time, minus your unpaid break. A shift that ends after midnight counts on the day it started. If your employer's workday starts at another time, your result can differ a little.
- Daily overtime and double time come first, where your state has them, then any seventh-day or premium-day rule.
- Weekly overtime counts only the hours not already paid at a premium. So no hour is paid twice, and you always get the greater of daily or weekly overtime.
- With two rates or a bonus, overtime is based on your regular rate for the week: all your pay divided by all your hours, as federal rules require.
The result is pay before taxes. It is an estimate of what the law requires, not legal advice. A union contract or your employer's policy can pay more.
Who does not get overtime
- Most salaried office, management and professional jobs are exempt from overtime if they pay a salary of at least $684 a week ($35,568 a year) and the job duties meet the federal tests. Being paid a salary alone does not make you exempt.
- In 2024 the Department of Labor raised that salary level, but a federal court in Texas struck the rule down on November 15, 2024. On May 15, 2026 the Department formally put the $684 level back in its rules. The highly paid employee level is $107,432 a year.
- Some states set a higher salary level or stricter tests than federal law, so check your state's rules if you are on a salary.
- Other common exemptions include outside sales jobs, some computer jobs, many farm jobs, and some workers at seasonal amusement businesses. Independent contractors are not covered, but being called a contractor does not decide it.
- Hourly workers almost always get overtime, whatever their job title.
Common questions
When does overtime start in California?
In California, overtime is 1.5 times your regular rate after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, and double time after 12 hours in a day.
Does California have daily overtime?
Yes. Hours over 8 in a workday are overtime, and hours over 12 are double time. You get whichever of daily or weekly overtime pays more, never both for the same hour.
How much is overtime on $20 an hour in California?
$30.00 an hour, 1.5 times $20. A 45-hour week with 5 overtime hours pays $950.00 before tax: $800.00 for the first 40 hours and $150.00 for the overtime.
Does California require holiday or weekend pay?
No. Neither federal law nor California law requires extra pay for holidays or weekends, apart from the seventh-day rule. Your employer may pay more by policy or contract.
Sources
Official federal and state pages and laws, checked . Laws change, so confirm details on the source before you act.
- California Labor Commissioner (DLSE): Overtime questions
- DLSE Enforcement Policies and Interpretations Manual, sections 48 and 49
- California Labor Code 510
- Mendoza v. Nordstrom, California Supreme Court (seventh day) (May 8, 2017)
- California DIR: 2026 minimum wage and exempt salary (December 5, 2025)
- US Department of Labor: State labor laws table (minimum wage and overtime) (updated November 5, 2026)
- US Department of Labor: Overtime pay
- 29 CFR 778.110: Hourly rate employee (worked examples)
- 29 CFR 778.115: Employees working at two or more rates
- 29 CFR 778.203 and 778.219: Premium pay for Sundays and holidays
- US Department of Labor: Holidays
- US Department of Labor Fact Sheet #14: Coverage under the FLSA (revised July 2009)
- Federal Register, 91 FR 27833: White-collar exemptions after the courts vacated the 2024 rule (May 15, 2026)