New Jersey Overtime Pay Calculator

New Jersey follows the standard 40-hour weekly overtime threshold under the New Jersey Wage and Hour Law, N.J.S.A. 34:11-56a4, requiring 1.5 times the regular rate for hours beyond 40 in a workweek. There's no daily overtime requirement, but New Jersey's minimum wage of $15.49 an hour in 2026 is significantly above the federal floor, which raises the baseline for the regular rate calculation even for workers paid minimum wage.

New Jersey stands out for its unusually long six-year statute of limitations on wage claims, one of the longest in the country, giving workers far more time than the typical two- or three-year window to recover unpaid overtime. The state also amended its wage theft law in 2019 to add treble (triple) damages for many wage violations, including unpaid overtime, plus potential criminal penalties for repeat or serious offenders.

Certain industries have carve-outs: New Jersey exempts some commissioned retail and service employees, agricultural workers, and specific transportation employees covered by the federal Motor Carrier Act from state overtime requirements. Outside sales employees and certain seasonal amusement or recreational establishment workers also have limited exemptions.

New Jersey's trucking industry exemption largely tracks the federal Motor Carrier Act exemption, removing overtime protection for drivers, driver's helpers, loaders, and mechanics whose work affects the safety of interstate motor vehicle operations. However, New Jersey courts and regulators have narrowed this in some cases for purely intrastate delivery drivers who never cross state lines, so not every truck driver in New Jersey is automatically exempt — the actual duties and interstate commerce nexus matter.

Retail and service establishment employees paid substantially on commission can be exempt from overtime under both federal and New Jersey law if more than half their pay comes from commissions and their regular rate exceeds 1.5 times minimum wage — but employers frequently misapply this to hourly-plus-commission retail workers who don't actually meet both prongs of the test.

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development's Division of Wage and Hour Compliance investigates complaints and can assess administrative penalties, back wages, and liquidated damages. Given the six-year lookback period, workers who suspect years of unpaid overtime have real leverage to recover a substantial sum, especially now that the treble damages provision applies to most violations found after August 2019.

New Jersey's overtime formula matches federal law on the surface — 1.5x pay after 40 hours — but its remedies are considerably stronger. Treble damages, a six-year statute of limitations, and an active state enforcement division make New Jersey one of the more worker-favorable states procedurally, even without a daily overtime rule or a higher overtime multiplier like California's.

Employees who qualify for federal overtime almost always qualify under New Jersey law too, but the reverse isn't guaranteed — New Jersey's narrower interpretation of certain exemptions, especially for intrastate delivery drivers and misapplied commission exemptions, means workers denied overtime under a federal exemption claim should still double check New Jersey's specific rules before assuming they have no case.