Overtime Rules By State And Country
Overtime starts at a different point depending on where you work. This guide sets out the federal rule, the states with daily overtime and the rules in Canada, the UK and Australia.
The Rules At A Glance
The table lists each rule the calculator supports. Each row links to the official page that states it, so you can check the wording yourself.
| Place | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US federal | Time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek, for covered hourly workers. | US Dept. of Labor |
| California | Time and a half after 8 hours a day or 40 a week, double time after 12 hours a day, and a seventh-day rule. | California Labor Code 510 |
| Alaska | Time and a half after 8 hours a day or 40 a week, for employers with 4 or more employees. | Alaska Dept. of Labor |
| Colorado | Time and a half after 12 hours in a workday or after 40 hours in a week. Colorado also counts 12 consecutive hours, which this tool does not check. | Colorado Dept. of Labor |
| Kentucky | Time and a half after 40 hours a week, and on the seventh day when all seven days of the workweek are worked. The weekly rule does not cover retail store, restaurant, hotel or motel employees, and this tool does not check that. | Kentucky Revised Statutes 337.050 and 337.285 |
| Nevada | Time and a half after 40 hours a week. Also after 8 hours in a day for workers paid under 1.5 times the state minimum wage, unless you agreed to a 4 by 10 hour schedule, which this tool does not check. Some jobs are exempt, such as executive, administrative and professional roles, some drivers and some commission sales work. | Nevada Revised Statutes 608.018 |
| Canada, federally regulated | Time and a half after 8 hours a day or 40 a week. Standard hours drop by 8 for each general holiday in the week, which this tool does not apply. Provinces differ. | Canada.ca |
| United Kingdom | There is no legal overtime premium. Enter the overtime threshold and rate from your contract. | GOV.UK |
| Australia | Overtime is set by your award or agreement. Enter the thresholds and rates it gives you. | Fair Work Ombudsman |
A state rule applies on top of the federal one. When both apply, you get whichever is better for you in each situation.
US Federal Overtime
The federal rule is simple. For covered, non-exempt workers, every hour over 40 in a workweek is paid at one and a half times the regular rate.
A workweek is a fixed period of seven days in a row. It can start on any day, and it does not reset because of a pay period or a holiday.
Overtime is counted per workweek and never averaged across two weeks. Working 50 hours one week and 30 the next still earns 10 hours of overtime.
Exempt employees are not covered by federal overtime pay. Whether you are exempt depends on your pay and your duties, not on your job title. Source: US Dept. of Labor, overtime pay. Checked November 2026.
States With Daily Overtime
A few states count hours per day as well as per week. In these places a long day can earn overtime even when the week stays under 40.
California pays time and a half after 8 hours in a day, and double time after 12. Alaska and Colorado set their own daily lines, and Nevada applies a daily rule to lower paid workers.
Take four 10 hour days, which is 40:00 for the week. Under the federal rule that is 0:00 of overtime and pays $800.00 at $20 an hour.
In California the same week has 8:00 of overtime and 0:00 of double time, and pays $880.00. In Colorado, where the daily line is 12 hours, it pays $800.00.
You can try any of these in the overtime calculator.
The Seventh Day Rule
California and Kentucky both have a rule about the seventh day of the workweek. In California, hours on the seventh day worked are paid at a higher rate.
Take seven days of 8 hours, which is 56:00 of paid time. The federal week pays $1,280.00, Kentucky pays $1,280.00 and California pays $1,280.00.
The seventh day rule only matters if you work all seven days of your workweek. A day off anywhere in the week removes it.
Canada
Canada splits the rules between federal and provincial law. Federally regulated workplaces, such as banks, airlines and interprovincial transport, follow the Canada Labour Code.
The federal standard is a day of 8 hours and a week of 40. Everything else is covered by provincial law, and those rules differ.
The Canada Labour Code sets a standard work week of 40 hours for federally regulated employers. Provinces set their own rules. Source: Canada.ca, hours of work. Checked November 2026.
United Kingdom
The UK has no law that makes employers pay extra for overtime. Overtime pay depends on your contract, a collective agreement or custom.
That is why the calculator has an editable preset for the UK. Enter the threshold and the multiplier from your own contract.
Working time law still applies. It limits the average week to 48 hours unless you opt out, and it guarantees rest breaks.
Most UK workers cannot work more than 48 hours a week on average, normally over 17 weeks, unless they choose to opt out. Source: GOV.UK, maximum weekly working hours. Checked November 2026.
Australia
Australian overtime comes from your award, enterprise agreement or contract. Penalty rates and overtime thresholds vary by industry and by day of the week.
Find your award on the Fair Work site and copy its thresholds into the custom preset. The calculator then applies them to each day and week.
Regular Rate And What Counts
Overtime is paid on your regular rate of pay. Check with your payroll team whether bonuses or shift pay are part of it.
Time off is not hours worked. Paid leave and holidays do not count toward the overtime line, although they are paid.
Keep a clean record of your hours. A saved time card with edits shown is the best evidence if a payroll figure looks wrong.
Paid leave is not counted toward overtime, because federal rules only count hours actually worked. Source: US Dept. of Labor, 29 CFR 778.218 and 778.102. Checked November 2026.
To compare a pay slip with your hours, use was I paid right.
Questions People Ask
When does overtime start in the US?
For covered, non-exempt workers, overtime starts after 40 hours in a workweek under federal law. Some states also count hours per day.
Which states have daily overtime?
California, Alaska, Colorado and Nevada have daily overtime rules. They differ in the daily line and who they cover, so check the table above.
How much is overtime pay?
Time and a half is the usual premium, so $20 an hour becomes $30 for overtime hours. Double time pays $40. A 45 hour week at $20 is $950.00 before tax.
Is there overtime in the UK?
There is no legal overtime premium in the UK. Your contract decides whether overtime is paid and at what rate.
Do salaried workers get overtime?
Not usually if they are exempt. Exempt status depends on pay and duties, not on being salaried.
Is overtime calculated per day or per week?
Per week under federal law. Some states add a daily rule, and the better result for the worker applies.
Sources
- US federal: US Dept. of Labor
- California: California Labor Code 510
- Alaska: Alaska Dept. of Labor
- Colorado: Colorado Dept. of Labor
- Kentucky: Kentucky Revised Statutes 337.050 and 337.285
- Nevada: Nevada Revised Statutes 608.018
- Canada, federally regulated: Canada.ca
- United Kingdom: GOV.UK
- Australia: Fair Work Ombudsman
Written and checked by the countmyworkhours.com team. How we calculate