Methodology

Every number on this site comes from two data files and one calculation engine. This page explains where the data comes from, how it is checked, and exactly what the calculators do with it.

Overtime rules

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division — State Minimum Wage Laws, table updated 1 Jul 2026. All 51 entries (50 states and DC) were checked against it on 14 Sep 2026. California was cross-checked against Labor Code section 510 and Nevada against the Labor Commissioner's daily overtime bulletin (NRS 608.018).

Each state carries a confidence level. High means the rule is stated explicitly in the DOL table. Medium means it is stated but limited to some employers or industries, and we show that limit next to the result.

Final paycheck rules

Each state is traced to its own statute or its state labor agency's guidance, not to a summary. 17 states are published so far, verified 14 Sep 2026. A state is only published once every part of its rule — deadline, PTO, penalty — has been checked. Where one part is still being verified, we say so and show no figure for it.

We do not publish a state when its statute can be read two ways and the readings lead to different answers. Michigan is held back for that reason.

Refresh schedule

• Overtime data: every January and July, when the DOL refreshes its table.
• Final paycheck data: once a year, and whenever a reader reports a change.
• Every change is logged, with its date, on the changelog.

How overtime is calculated

1. Regular rate of pay. All straight-time earnings — every hour at its own rate, plus non-discretionary bonuses — divided by all hours worked. Overtime is 1.5× this rate, not 1.5× your hourly rate.
2. Daily tiers, in states that have them: hours over the daily threshold are overtime, and hours over the double-time threshold are double time.
3. Seventh-day rules, where they apply to all employees (California, Kentucky): hours on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek are paid at the premium the state sets.
4. Weekly spillover. Remaining regular hours over 40 in a workweek become overtime. This is done per workweek, never per pay period — a biweekly period is split into its two workweeks first.
5. Pay. Regular hours × regular rate, overtime × 1.5, double time × 2.

Where a state threshold is less protective than federal law — Minnesota's 48 hours — we apply the FLSA's 40 hours, the rule that favors the employee. Punch rounding is applied to each clock-in and clock-out before the break is deducted. A clock-out earlier than the clock-in is treated as a shift that crosses midnight.

The engine is covered by automated tests for every case above, including the ones most calculators get wrong.

What is not covered

• City and county ordinances, and industry-specific wage orders.
• Whether you are exempt or non-exempt. The calculators assume you are owed overtime.
• Taxes and deductions. All figures are gross.
• Public holidays when counting business days.

Privacy

All calculations run in your browser. What you type is saved only in your own browser's local storage so it is still there next time, and is never sent to us.

Found a mistake? Report an error — corrections are dated on the changelog.