Double Time Calculator
Enter your hourly rate and double time hours to calculate your 2× pay rate, double time earnings, and total weekly pay. Covers California daily overtime, holiday pay, and union rules. Free and instant.
California workers: enter 1.5× hours (8–12 in a day), then double time hours (12+ in a day) separately to get your full daily breakdown.
How to Calculate Double Time Pay
Two steps to find your exact double time rate and earnings. The calculator above runs these instantly as you type — use this section to understand and verify the math.
Find Your Double Time Rate
Multiply your regular hourly rate by 2. That is your double time rate — the dollar amount you earn for each qualifying hour.
Example: $20.00 × 2 = $40.00 per double time hour
Calculate Your Double Time Pay
Multiply your double time rate by the number of double-time-eligible hours you worked. These are hours that qualify under your employer's policy or state law.
Example: $40.00 × 4 hours = $160.00 double time pay
Add Everything for Your Total
Add your regular pay for standard hours to your double time pay — and any time and a half pay if applicable — to get your total gross earnings.
Example: $800.00 + $160.00 = $960.00 total pay
Double Time Pay Rates for Popular US Wages
See your 2× double time rate instantly. Find your hourly rate below or use the calculator above for any amount.
Double Time Pay Rate Table — Common US Hourly Wages
Complete 2× overtime pay reference. Includes double time rate, earnings for 4 and 8 hours of double time, and your weekly total including a standard 40-hour base.
What Is Double Time Pay for My Hourly Rate?
The most commonly searched double time rates for US hourly wages. Use the calculator above for any rate not listed here.
Double Time Rates — $10 to $22 per hour
Double Time Rates — $23 to $50 per hour
When Is Double Time Required? Federal vs. California Rules
Federal law does not mandate double time. California does — and its rules go further than any other state. Here is exactly when each applies.
Federal FLSA — All 50 States
- Standard overtime: Time and a half (1.5×) for hours over 40 per workweek
- Double time: Not required under federal law — no trigger exists at the federal level
- Holiday pay: Not required by federal law — depends entirely on employer policy
- Who qualifies: Non-exempt hourly and salaried employees below the DOL salary threshold
- Enforcement: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
California — Double Time Required by Law
- Daily double time trigger #1: Hours worked beyond 12 in a single workday (2× rate)
- Daily double time trigger #2: Hours worked beyond 8 on the 7th consecutive workday in a workweek (2× rate)
- Daily time and a half: Hours 8–12 in a single workday (1.5× rate)
- 7th day time and a half: First 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day (1.5× rate)
- More detail: California Overtime Laws Guide
Double Time vs. Time and a Half — What Is the Difference?
Two different overtime rates, two different legal requirements. Here is how they compare.
Standard Federal Overtime
- Rate: 1.5 times your regular hourly rate
- Federal requirement: Yes — FLSA mandates 1.5× for hours over 40 per week
- California daily trigger: Hours 8–12 in a workday
- 7th-day trigger (CA): First 8 hours on the 7th consecutive workday
- Example at $20/hr: $20 × 1.5 = $30.00 per overtime hour
- Use: Standard overtime almost everywhere in the US
Premium Overtime Rate
- Rate: 2 times your regular hourly rate
- Federal requirement: No — not required by federal FLSA law
- California daily trigger: Hours beyond 12 in a workday
- 7th-day trigger (CA): Hours beyond 8 on the 7th consecutive workday
- Example at $20/hr: $20 × 2 = $40.00 per double time hour
- Use: California overtime, holidays, union contracts
What Is Double Time Pay?
Double time pay means earning exactly twice your regular hourly rate. If your normal pay is $20 an hour, your double time rate is $40 an hour. It is a premium pay rate that sits above time and a half, and it applies in a narrower set of circumstances than standard overtime.
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act does not require double time. What the FLSA requires is time and a half for any hours worked beyond 40 in a single workweek — that is the federal floor. Double time comes from state law, union agreements, or voluntary employer policy. California is by far the most significant example: California law mandates double time for specific situations that no other major state requires. If you work in California, double time is a legal right, not just a benefit some employers offer.
How Do You Calculate Double Time?
The formula has two steps. First, multiply your regular hourly rate by 2 to find your double time rate. Second, multiply that rate by the number of double-time-eligible hours you worked. Add the result to your regular pay and any time and a half pay to get your total earnings.
Here is a worked example using a rate that appears often in the search data. If you earn $21 an hour and worked a 14-hour day in California: your regular rate covers the first 8 hours ($21 × 8 = $168). Hours 8 through 12 are paid at time and a half: $21 × 1.5 = $31.50 per hour × 4 hours = $126. Hours 12 through 14 are paid at double time: $21 × 2 = $42 per hour × 2 hours = $84. Total for the day: $168 + $126 + $84 = $378. The calculator above handles all three tiers automatically when you fill in each field.
What Is Double Time and a Half?
Double time and a half means 2.5 times your regular hourly rate. At $20 an hour, double time and a half is $50 per hour. This rate is not required by any US federal or state law but does appear in some union contracts and employer holiday pay policies — particularly in industries like healthcare, hospitality, and transportation. If your employer offers double time and a half, the calculation is the same: multiply your regular rate by 2.5, then multiply by the qualifying hours.
Double Time for California Workers
California has the strictest daily overtime rules in the country. Unlike the federal FLSA, which only looks at your weekly hours, California tracks your hours within each individual workday. You earn time and a half for hours 8 through 12 in a single workday. You earn double time for any hours beyond 12 in the same workday. On the seventh consecutive workday in a workweek, you earn time and a half for the first 8 hours and double time for anything beyond that.
These daily rules run alongside the weekly 40-hour rule — you are entitled to whichever gives you more pay. If a single long day pushes you past both the daily and weekly thresholds simultaneously, the higher rate wins for those hours. For a detailed breakdown of California overtime rules, see our California Overtime Laws guide.
Verify Your Pay Stub Against the Formula
Overtime and double time errors on pay stubs are more common than most people expect. The most frequent mistakes are: miscounting which hours qualify for each tier, failing to use the correct workday start time for daily California calculations, and not including non-discretionary bonuses in the base rate before calculating double time pay. If you suspect your pay stub is short, run your hours through the calculator above and compare the result to what your employer paid. A discrepancy worth raising starts at your payroll or HR department. If the issue is not resolved, the California Labor Commissioner and the federal DOL Wage and Hour Division both accept complaints at no cost to the worker.
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Double Time Pay — Common Questions
Answers to the questions workers and California employees ask most about double time pay and 2× overtime.