California Overtime Pay Calculator

California Labor Code §510 sets the strictest overtime standard in the United States. Non-exempt employees earn 1.5x their regular rate for any hours worked over 8 in a single workday and over 40 in a workweek, and 2x (double time) for hours over 12 in a workday. The state also enforces a 7th consecutive day rule: the first 8 hours on the 7th straight day of a workweek are paid at 1.5x, and every hour beyond that is paid at 2x.

Unlike federal FLSA, California uses the workday — not just the workweek — as a unit. A 14-hour shift triggers 4 hours of time-and-a-half (hours 8–12) plus 2 hours of double time (hours 12–14), even if your weekly total stays under 40. Employers cannot average hours across two weeks to dodge daily overtime.

The 'regular rate' must include non-discretionary bonuses, shift differentials, commissions, and the cash value of meal/lodging credits. If you receive a $200 weekly production bonus, that amount is added to your weekly straight-time earnings before the 1.5x multiplier is applied — a step many employers miss.

Misclassification as exempt is the #1 wage claim in California. To be exempt, an employee must earn at least 2x the state minimum wage on a salary basis ($70,304/year in 2026 for employers with 26+ employees) and spend more than 50% of their time on exempt duties.

Off-the-clock work — pre-shift booting up POS systems, post-shift cleaning, mandatory bag checks — is compensable in California (Frlekin v. Apple, 2020). So is unpaid travel between job sites during the workday.

Meal and rest period violations stack on top of overtime: missed meal periods owe 1 hour of premium pay at the regular rate; missed rest periods owe another hour. These premiums are wages, not penalties, and accrue interest.

Workers have 3 years to file an unpaid wage claim with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE), extended to 4 years if filed as an Unfair Competition Law claim in civil court. Successful claims recover back wages, 10% annual interest, liquidated damages equal to the unpaid minimum wage portion, and attorney's fees under Labor Code §1194.

Waiting time penalties under Labor Code §203 add up to 30 days of your average daily wage if final pay is late after separation. PAGA (Private Attorneys General Act) claims let you recover civil penalties on behalf of yourself and co-workers.

California overtime law is codified in Labor Code §510(a): 'Eight hours of labor constitutes a day's work. Any work in excess of eight hours in one workday and any work in excess of 40 hours in any one workweek… shall be compensated at the rate of no less than one and one-half times the regular rate of pay.' The same statute imposes double time (2x) for hours over 12 in a workday and for hours over 8 on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek — a standard no other state matches.

The seventh-day rule (Labor Code §551 and §554) is widely misunderstood. Once an employee works seven consecutive days in the same workweek defined by the employer, the first 8 hours on that seventh day are paid at 1.5x and every additional hour at 2x — even if weekly totals are below 40. Employers cannot avoid this by rotating workweek start dates without proper notice.

Labor Code §511 authorizes Alternative Workweek Schedules (AWS): a work unit may vote by 2/3 secret ballot to work up to 10 hours/day at straight time, provided the schedule is filed with the DLSE. Any hours beyond the AWS schedule or beyond 40/week still trigger 1.5x, and hours over 12/day still trigger 2x.

Wage Orders 1–17 issued by the Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) apply §510 industry-by-industry. Nurses (Wage Order 5), agricultural workers (Wage Order 14, AB 1066), and personal attendants (Wage Order 15) each have carve-outs — but the base §510 formula remains the floor.

Federal FLSA requires 1.5x only after 40 hours in a workweek. California adds a daily 8-hour trigger, a 12-hour double-time trigger, and the seventh-consecutive-day premium. When both laws apply, California controls because it is more generous to the employee (FLSA §218(a) 'no preemption' clause).

Exempt salary threshold: FLSA sets $684/week ($35,568/year) for the executive/administrative/professional exemption. California requires at least 2x the state minimum wage on a salary basis — $70,304/year in 2026 for a full-time employee — plus a duties test where more than 50% of time must be spent on exempt work.

Regular rate inclusions are broader under California law: piece rate, commissions, non-discretionary bonuses, shift differentials, and even the cash value of employer-provided meals or lodging are added to the regular rate before the 1.5x or 2x multiplier is applied (Alvarado v. Dart Container, 2018).