$18 an Hour Time and a Half: Your Overtime Pay Breakdown (2026)
Time and a half for $18 an hour is $27 per overtime hour. See how much 5, 10 or 20 overtime hours add to your paycheck, plus state double-time rules and taxes in 2026.
The Short Answer
Time and a half for $18 an hour is $27 per hour. The Fair Labor Standards Act requires non-exempt employees to be paid at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek: $18 × 1.5 = $27.
$18 an Hour Overtime Pay Examples
- 5 overtime hours a week: 5 × $27 = $135 extra per week (about $7,020 a year)
- 10 overtime hours a week: 10 × $27 = $270 extra per week (about $14,040 a year)
- 20 overtime hours a week: 20 × $27 = $540 extra per week (about $28,080 a year)
A 50-hour week at $18 an hour pays $720 straight time plus $270 overtime — $990 gross before taxes.
Daily Overtime and Double Time at $18 an Hour
Federal overtime only kicks in after 40 hours in a week, but some states go further:
- California: overtime after 8 hours in a day, and double time ($36 per hour at this wage) after 12 hours in a day. See our California double time guide.
- Nevada: daily overtime after 8 hours for workers earning under 1.5 times the state minimum wage — at $18 an hour you may still qualify depending on the current minimum. See Nevada overtime laws.
- Alaska and Colorado also have daily overtime rules. See which states pay daily overtime.
If You Earn More Than a Flat $18
Shift differentials, non-discretionary bonuses and commissions must usually be folded into your regular rate before the 1.5 multiplier is applied — so your real overtime rate could be above $27. Learn more in does shift differential count for overtime.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is double time for $18 an hour?
$36 per hour. Federal law does not require double time, but California does in some situations, and some employers pay it by policy.
How much is a 45-hour week at $18 an hour?
40 × $18 = $720 straight time, plus 5 × $27 = $135 overtime, for $855 gross.
Is overtime at $27 an hour taxed more?
No special overtime tax rate exists — it is ordinary income subject to federal income tax, 7.65% FICA and state tax where applicable. Estimate your net with our take-home pay calculator.
Calculate Your Exact Overtime Pay
Enter your real hours in our overtime calculator, compare rates in the overtime pay by hourly rate chart, or read the full overtime pay guide for the USA.
Sources and further reading
Every rule in this guide traces back to a primary source. Verify the current text before acting on it — wage rules change.
- Overtime Pay — U.S. Department of Labor
- Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA — U.S. Department of Labor
About the author
Payroll & Labor Law Researcher
Javed builds and maintains the overtime calculators on this site and reads the underlying statutes so you do not have to. He tracks FLSA regulations, state wage orders and annual minimum-wage changes across all 50 states, and rewrites every rule into plain English with a worked example.
- FLSA overtime rules
- State wage & hour law
- Regular rate calculations
- Payroll compliance
Reviewed by Overtime Pay Calculator USA Editorial Team. Every guide is checked line by line against primary sources — the Fair Labor Standards Act, U.S. Department of Labor fact sheets and opinion letters, and each state labor department's current wage order — before it is published, and again whenever rates change. Read our editorial policy or report a correction.
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