12-Hour Shift Pay Calculator (2026): Per Shift, Week & Year

Start With One Shift

A 12-hour shift is easier to price than people expect. Pay for the shift is your hourly rate times paid hours, and the only question is how many of those 12 hours count as overtime.

At $22 an hour with no unpaid meal break and no daily overtime rule, one shift grosses $264. If your state uses a daily trigger at 8 hours, the same shift is 8 hours at $22 plus 4 hours at $33, which is $308 — a $44 difference for identical work.

| Hourly rate | Shift, all straight time | Shift with 4 daily OT hours |

|---|---|---|

| $18.00 | $216.00 | $252.00 |

| $22.00 | $264.00 | $308.00 |

| $26.00 | $312.00 | $364.00 |

| $32.00 | $384.00 | $448.00 |

| $40.00 | $480.00 | $560.00 |

Unpaid meal breaks come off the top. A 30-minute unpaid break makes it an 11.5-hour paid shift, and that half hour compounds fast across a rotation.

Then Price the Rotation

Long-shift schedules do not fit a tidy 40-hour week, so weekly pay swings. These are the three rotations that cover most 12-hour workforces.

3-on / 3-off. Alternates 36-hour and 48-hour weeks. The 48-hour week carries 8 overtime hours. Across two weeks at $22: week one is $792, week two is $880 regular plus $264 overtime, giving $1,936 for the pair, or $968 average.

4-on / 4-off. Cycles 48-hour and 36-hour weeks on a longer repeat, averaging 42 hours a week over the cycle. Expect roughly 100 overtime hours a year even with no extra shifts picked up.

Pitman (2-2-3). Alternates 36 and 48 hours on a two-week repeat, averaging 42 hours. At $26 an hour that is about $59,700 a year including the overtime premium, versus $54,080 for a flat 40-hour year.

| Rotation | Average hours/week | Weekly OT hours (average) | Annual hours |

|---|---|---|---|

| 3-on / 3-off | 42 | 4 | ~2,184 |

| 4-on / 4-off | 42 | 4 | ~2,184 |

| Pitman (2-2-3) | 42 | 4 | ~2,184 |

| Straight 3x12 | 36 | 0 | ~1,872 |

The 8/80 Rule Changes Hospital Math

Hospitals and residential care facilities may adopt the 8/80 agreement: overtime is owed after 8 hours in a day or 80 hours in a 14-day period, instead of 40 in a week. Under 8/80, every 12-hour shift generates 4 overtime hours regardless of the weekly total, which usually pays more than the standard 40-hour rule for nurses on three-shift weeks. It requires a written agreement in advance. The 8/80 rule guide covers the conditions in detail.

Shift Differentials Raise the Overtime Rate

Nights and weekends often carry a differential, and that differential is part of your regular rate. A $26 base with a $3 night differential gives a $29 regular rate and a $43.50 overtime rate, not $39. Employers who pay overtime on base only underpay every premium hour worked. Our shift differential guide walks through the correction.

Run Your Own Rotation

Use the shift calculator for a single shift with breaks and differentials, the time card calculator for a full clock-in and clock-out week, and the work hours calculator for annual hours across a rotation. For the tax side of a big overtime week, use the paycheck calculator. The rules behind long shifts are covered in overtime for 12-hour shifts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate pay for a 12-hour shift?

Multiply your hourly rate by the paid hours in the shift, then repay any hours above the daily overtime trigger at 1.5x. Subtract unpaid meal breaks before you multiply.

Do you get overtime on a 12-hour shift?

In most states only when your workweek passes 40 hours. In California, Alaska, Nevada and Colorado you earn 1.5x after 8 hours in the day, and California adds double time after 12 hours.

How many hours is 3-on / 3-off?

It alternates between 36-hour and 48-hour weeks, averaging 42 hours a week and about 2,184 hours a year.

Is a 36-hour week full time?

Most employers treat three 12-hour shifts as full time for benefits, and the Affordable Care Act threshold is 30 hours a week. Full-time status is a benefits question, not an overtime one.

Does a 12-hour shift with an unpaid break still count as 12 hours?

No. A bona fide unpaid meal break of 30 minutes or more is not hours worked, so the shift pays 11.5 hours. Short rest breaks under 20 minutes are paid and do count.