How double time is calculated
Multiply the regular hourly rate by 2 for the double-time rate, then multiply by the hours paid at that rate. With the example above: $22.00 × 2 = $44.00 an hour, and four hours pay $176.00. Added to 40 regular hours, the total is $1,056.00.
As with time and a half, the rate is based on the regular rate, which includes nondiscretionary bonuses. On a salary, convert to an hourly rate first; the calculator does it when you pick A salary.
When double time is required
Federal law never requires it. The FLSA sets overtime at one and a half times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek and stops there.
Of the state rules on this site, California is the only one that requires double time for ordinary employees. Other double-time pay, such as for holidays, Sundays or call-outs, comes from an employer’s policy or a union contract, and the terms of that document decide when it applies.
California double time, worked out
California pays double time in two situations under Cal. Lab. Code § 510:
- Over 12 hours in a workday. A 14-hour day is 8 regular hours, 4 hours at 1.5× and 2 at 2×. At $20.00 an hour that day pays $360.00.
- Over 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek. Work all seven days, with 10 hours on the seventh, and that day is 8 hours at 1.5× and 2 at 2×. The week pays $1,360.00 at $20.00 an hour.
Employees on an approved alternative workweek schedule have different daily thresholds. The weekly overtime calculator applies California’s rules day by day, and California overtime law has the full rule and source.
Double-time rates at common wages
| Regular rate | 2× rate | Pay for 8 hours |
|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $30.00 | $240.00 |
| $16.00 | $32.00 | $256.00 |
| $17.00 | $34.00 | $272.00 |
| $18.00 | $36.00 | $288.00 |
| $19.00 | $38.00 | $304.00 |
| $20.00 | $40.00 | $320.00 |
| $22.00 | $44.00 | $352.00 |
| $24.00 | $48.00 | $384.00 |
| $25.00 | $50.00 | $400.00 |
| $28.00 | $56.00 | $448.00 |
| $30.00 | $60.00 | $480.00 |
| $35.00 | $70.00 | $560.00 |
| $40.00 | $80.00 | $640.00 |
| $45.00 | $90.00 | $720.00 |
| $50.00 | $100.00 | $800.00 |
Questions people ask
Is double time required by law?
Not by federal law. The Department of Labor says the FLSA does not require double time. California is the state that requires it, after 12 hours in a workday and after 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek. Elsewhere, double time comes from an employer policy or a union contract.
How do you calculate double time?
Multiply your regular hourly rate by 2. At $22.00 an hour, double time is $44.00, so four double-time hours pay $176.00.
What is double time and a half?
Two and a half times the regular rate. It is not required by any federal rule; some employers pay it for overtime worked on a holiday, as time and a half for the overtime plus a holiday premium. Pick 2.5× in the calculator to price it.
Does double time replace time and a half, or stack on it?
It replaces it for the hours it covers. In California, an hour over 12 in a day is paid at 2× instead of 1.5×; the two rates are not added together.
Is holiday pay double time?
Only if your employer’s policy or contract says so. No federal law requires extra pay for holidays; holiday hours count toward the 40-hour overtime threshold only when they are hours actually worked.