How to type your times
You can enter a time as 9:00, 9:00 am, 17:30 or 1730. The calculator reads all four. If an end time is earlier than the start time, it treats the shift as crossing midnight. So 10:00 pm to 6:00 am counts as 8 hours, not a negative number.
For each day, enter the clock in, clock out and any unpaid break minutes. The calculator subtracts the break from the shift length. Hours worked = clock out minus clock in minus unpaid break.
Example: 8:07 am to 4:33 pm with a 60-minute break is 7 hours 26 minutes. That is 7.43 decimal hours.
Decimal hours and rounding
Payroll systems often use decimal hours, not hours and minutes. Decimal hours = minutes divided by 60. So 7:30 is 7.5 hours. 7:20 is 7.33. 7:15 is 7.25. 7:45 is 7.75.
Typing 7.30 when you mean seven and a half hours is short by 12 minutes. That mistake adds up over a pay period.
Some employers round punches to the nearest 5, 6 or 15 minutes. A 6-minute rounding rule moves to the nearest tenth of an hour. A 15-minute rule moves to the nearest quarter hour. Under US federal rules (FLSA regulations), rounding is allowed only if it is applied consistently and does not, over time, favour the employer. This calculator rounds each shift's total when you choose a rounding rule.
A standard full-time year is 40 hours x 52 weeks = 2,080 hours. Monthly pay is the annual figure divided by 12, not a biweekly paycheck times 2. There are 26 biweekly paychecks, so two months a year have three.
Overtime rules in plain terms
US federal law (the Fair Labor Standards Act, FLSA) says non-exempt employees earn at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. There is no federal daily overtime.
California adds daily overtime: 1.5x after 8 hours in a day and 2x after 12, as well as the weekly rule. The calculator's "daily over 8" option follows that pattern. Other states have their own rules. Check your state's rules.
Salaried employees can still be non-exempt and owed overtime. Exemption depends on duties and salary level, which this site does not assess.
The regular rate can include some non-discretionary bonuses and shift differentials. The calculator uses the hourly rate you enter.
Worked example: 42 hours at $20 with weekly overtime = 40 x 20 + 2 x 30 = $860.
From gross pay to your paycheck
If you enter an hourly rate, the calculator shows gross pay before tax. That is not your take-home pay. The result is an estimate and the employer's payroll is the record.
For a rough net estimate, the paycheck calculator annualises your gross, subtracts pre-tax deductions and the standard deduction, applies the 2026 federal brackets, then divides by the number of paychecks. It also takes a flat state rate you enter. It does not hold state tables, local taxes, credits or itemised deductions.
Worked example: $2,000 gross biweekly, single, no deductions. Annual $52,000. Taxable $35,900. Federal income tax $1,240 + 12% of $23,500 = $4,060 a year = $156.15 per paycheck. Social Security $124.00. Medicare $29.00. Net about $1,690.85 before any state tax.
Pre-tax deductions like a traditional 401(k), health premiums under a cafeteria plan, or an HSA reduce taxable wages for federal income tax. The calculator also removes them before the state rate. It treats them as still subject to Social Security and Medicare, which is right for 401(k) and a simplification for health premiums.
For a single shift, use the hours calculator. For what the gross becomes after tax, use the paycheck calculator.
What this calculator does not do
- It does not apply state overtime rules other than the daily over 8 option.
- It does not check whether you are exempt from overtime.
- It does not include local city or county taxes.
- It does not apply tax credits or itemised deductions.
- It does not know your employer's rounding policy. You choose the rounding rule.
Always compare your result with your pay stub. If the numbers differ, ask your payroll department which rounding rule and overtime rule they use.