California Overtime Calculator

If you work in California, overtime pay is more complex — and more generous — than the federal standard. California’s overtime law creates four separate triggers that can add 1.5x or 2x pay to your earnings, regardless of how many hours you clock in a week.

Whether you are an hourly worker, a salaried non-exempt employee, or a nurse working 12-hour shifts, this guide walks through every rule, every 2026 threshold, and exactly how to check your paycheck. For federal overtime rules and take-home pay, use our overtime pay calculator.

California Overtime Laws 2026 — How CA Differs From Federal FLSA

Most U.S. workers are covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which requires overtime pay after 40 hours in a workweek. California goes significantly further. Under California Labor Code §510, overtime is triggered by daily hours worked, not just weekly totals. This distinction means a California employee can earn overtime on a Tuesday while still being under 40 hours for the week — something impossible under federal law.

Federal FLSA — Overtime Only After 40 Hours/Week

The FLSA requires employers to pay non-exempt employees 1.5x their regular rate for every hour worked beyond 40 in a workweek. That is the single trigger. An employee who works 9 hours on Monday and 6 hours every other day (total 33 + 6 = 39 hours) earns zero overtime under federal law. This simplicity is the hallmark of federal overtime — one threshold, applied weekly.

California — 4 Separate Overtime Triggers (CA Labor Code §510)

California replaces the single federal trigger with a four-part system. These triggers operate independently and simultaneously, which is what makes California overtime law both more protective of workers and more complex for employers. Every non-exempt employee in California is entitled to whichever calculation produces the highest total pay.

Federal vs California Overtime Comparison Table 2026

California’s 4 Overtime Triggers — Full 2026 Rules

Each trigger below is independent. On any given day, your pay is determined by whichever trigger applies first. On a 7th consecutive workday, all applicable triggers stack in sequence (first the 7th-day rate, then the double time if hours exceed 8). Here is a complete breakdown.

Trigger 1 — Daily Overtime: 1.5x After 8 Hours in a Workday

Any non-exempt California employee who works more than 8 hours in a single workday earns 1.5x their regular rate of pay for each hour beyond 8. This applies Monday through Saturday for employees not on an alternative workweek schedule. A workday is defined by your employer’s designated 24-hour period — typically midnight to midnight or a fixed shift start time.

Example: You work 10 hours on Thursday. Hours 1-8 are paid at regular rate. Hours 9 and 10 are paid at 1.5x. If your regular rate is $20/hr, those two hours earn $30 each, not $20.

Trigger 2 — Daily Double Time: 2x After 12 Hours in a Workday

When a single workday extends beyond 12 hours, every hour past the 12th is paid at exactly 2x the regular rate. This trigger is unique to California. Under the FLSA, there is no equivalent, making California’s double time one of the strongest employee wage protections in the country. Calculate your exact 2x earnings with our double time pay calculator.

Example: A worker clocks 14 hours on a Saturday. Hours 1-8 are regular pay. Hours 9-12 are at 1.5x. Hours 13 and 14 are at 2x. On a $20/hr base, that final stretch pays $40/hr.

Trigger 3 — 7th Consecutive Day: 1.5x for First 8 Hours

If an employee works seven consecutive days in the same workweek, all hours on the seventh day are paid at a minimum of 1.5x — for the first 8 hours. This applies even if the employee did not exceed 8 hours on any previous day and even if total weekly hours are well below 40. The trigger is simply about working every single day of the workweek without a day off.

A workweek is a fixed, recurring period of 168 hours — seven consecutive 24-hour periods — designated by the employer. If your employer’s workweek runs Sunday through Saturday, then Saturday is your 7th consecutive day.

Trigger 4 — 7th Consecutive Day Double Time: 2x After 8 Hours

On that same 7th consecutive day, hours beyond 8 are paid at 2x. So on the 7th day, the rate structure is: Hours 1-8 at 1.5x, then Hours 9+ at 2x. There is no base-rate segment on the 7th consecutive day. Every hour worked triggers premium pay.

Example: You work 10 hours on your 7th consecutive workday at $20/hr. Hours 1-8 earn $30 each ($240 total). Hours 9-10 earn $40 each ($80 total). Total pay for that day: $320.

The Anti-Pyramiding Rule — No Double Counting of Overtime

California’s multiple overtime triggers could theoretically cause an employer to pay the same overtime premium twice — once for daily overtime and again for weekly overtime. The anti-pyramiding rule prevents exactly that.

How California Prevents Overtime Stacking

Under California Labor Code §510 and DLSE enforcement guidelines, overtime premiums cannot be pyramided or stacked. When both a daily and weekly overtime trigger apply to the same hours, the employer calculates both amounts and pays whichever is greater — not both combined. The hours that already generated a daily overtime premium are excluded from the weekly overtime calculation.

This rule protects employers from paying double premiums while ensuring employees always receive the most beneficial overtime rate available for each hour worked.

Worked Example — 50-Hour Week With Daily OT Applied

An employee works the following schedule: Monday 10 hrs, Tuesday 10 hrs, Wednesday 10 hrs, Thursday 10 hrs, Friday 10 hrs. Total: 50 hours.

Daily overtime (Trigger 1) applies to hours 9 and 10 each day — that’s 10 hours of daily OT at 1.5x across the week.

Weekly overtime would apply to hours 41-50 — also 10 hours at 1.5x.

Anti-pyramiding: The 10 daily OT hours overlap perfectly with the 10 weekly OT hours (both cover the same hours worked beyond 8 per day). The employer pays daily OT on those hours — the weekly calculation doesn’t add an additional premium on top. The employee receives the same 10 hours of 1.5x pay, not 20 hours.

How to Calculate California Overtime Pay — Step by Step

Calculating California overtime correctly requires three ordered steps. Skipping a step — particularly the regular rate calculation or the anti-pyramiding check — is the most common source of paycheck errors.

Step 1 — Determine the Regular Rate of Pay (Includes Non-Discretionary Bonuses)

Your regular rate is not simply your hourly wage. Under California law, the regular rate includes all remuneration for employment paid to or on behalf of the employee — except for certain exclusions. Non-discretionary bonuses (bonuses promised in advance or tied to productivity) must be included in the regular rate calculation, which raises the OT premium.

Formula: Regular Rate = (Total straight-time earnings in the workweek) ÷ (Total hours worked in the workweek)

If you earn $20/hr and received a $100 production bonus in a 50-hour week: Total straight-time earnings = ($20 x 50) + $100 = $1,100. Regular rate = $1,100 ÷ 50 = $22/hr. Your overtime premium is based on $22, not $20.

Step 2 — Map Each Day’s Hours to the Correct Rate (Regular / 1.5x / 2x)

For every day in the workweek, categorize each hour into one of three buckets:

• Hours 1-8 on days 1-6: Regular rate
• Hours 9-12 on days 1-6, OR all hours on day 7 up to 8: 1.5x rate
• Hours 13+ on any day, OR hours 9+ on day 7: 2x rate

Create a simple grid — day by day, hour segment by hour segment. This forces you to see where each rate applies before you multiply.

Step 3 — Apply Anti-Pyramiding Rule (Use Whichever Gives Higher Pay)

After mapping daily hours, also calculate the weekly total. Compare: total daily OT pay (sum of all 1.5x and 2x daily segments) versus total weekly OT pay (hours over 40 at 1.5x). Pay whichever total is higher, but do not add them together.

Example — Nurse Working 5 x 12-Hour Shifts ($41.50/hr)

Schedule: Monday through Friday, 12 hours each = 60 total hours.

Daily calculation per shift:

• Hours 1-8: $41.50 x 8 = $332.00
• Hours 9-12: $41.50 x 1.5 x 4 = $249.00
• Daily total: $581.00 x 5 shifts = $2,905.00

Weekly OT check: Total hours = 60. Hours over 40 = 20 at 1.5x. $41.50 x 1.5 x 20 = $1,245 in OT premium + $41.50 x 40 base = $2,905.00.

In this case, both methods yield the same result because the 20 hours of weekly OT are the same 20 daily OT hours. Anti-pyramiding: no double-counting. The nurse earns $2,905.00 for the week, correctly.

California Overtime 2026 — Updated Thresholds

California updates its wage thresholds annually. These 2026 figures are effective January 1, 2026, and apply to overtime calculations statewide unless a higher local minimum wage applies.

Minimum Wage — $16.90/hr Statewide (Jan 1, 2026)

The California statewide minimum wage is $16.90 per hour effective January 1, 2026. This is the floor for all non-exempt workers. Any employee earning the minimum wage who works daily overtime earns a minimum of $25.35/hr (1.5x) or $33.80/hr (2x) for qualifying hours. Cities and counties can set higher minimums, and in those jurisdictions, the local rate serves as the floor.

Exempt Salary Threshold — $70,304/Year ($1,352/Week)

To qualify as exempt from California overtime rules under the executive, administrative, or professional exemptions, employees must earn at least twice the state minimum wage for full-time employment. At $16.90/hr and 40 hours/week, that computes to $1,352/week or $70,304/year. Employees earning below this threshold cannot be classified as exempt regardless of their job duties.

Fast Food Employers — $20.00/hr Minimum, $83,200 Exempt Threshold

California’s Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act established a $20.00/hr minimum for fast food chain employees at limited-service restaurants with 60 or more national locations. The corresponding exempt salary threshold for these employers is $83,200/year ($1,600/week). Overtime triggers remain the same four-part system, but all calculations begin from the $20.00 base floor.

City Minimum Wages — San Francisco ($19.50), Los Angeles ($17.50)

San Francisco maintains one of the highest city minimum wages in California at $19.50/hr as of 2026. Los Angeles sets its minimum at $17.50/hr. Employers in these cities must use the higher local rate as the basis for all wage and overtime calculations. If a San Francisco worker earns the city minimum, their daily overtime rate is $29.25/hr (1.5x) and their double time rate is $39.00/hr (2x).

Alternative Workweek Schedules — 4×10 and Custom Shifts

California allows employers to establish alternative workweek schedules (AWS) that shift the overtime trigger — but only through a formal election process requiring a two-thirds vote of affected employees. An AWS changes when overtime begins, but it does not eliminate the double-time or 7th-day rules.

How a 4×10 Schedule Changes the OT Trigger (After Scheduled Hours)

Under a valid 4×10 alternative workweek schedule, employees work four 10-hour days. Overtime on AWS days is triggered after the scheduled hours (10 hours, not 8 hours). This means hours 1-10 are paid at regular rate, hours 11-12 are at 1.5x, and hours beyond 12 are at 2x.

However, the AWS must be formally adopted through the DLSE election process, documented in writing, and reported to the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. Employers cannot simply declare a 4×10 schedule and eliminate the 8-hour daily OT trigger — the election requirement is mandatory.

When Double Time Still Applies on Alternative Workweek Days

Even on AWS days, double time kicks in after 12 hours in any workday. An employee on a valid 4×10 schedule who is asked to work 13 hours on a scheduled 10-hour day earns: Hours 1-10 at regular rate, Hours 11-12 at 1.5x, Hour 13 at 2x. The AWS does not eliminate double time; it only adjusts the first overtime trigger from 8 to the scheduled daily hours.

Additionally, if an employee works a 5th day in an AWS workweek (a non-scheduled workday), all hours on that day are paid at 1.5x — regardless of whether the weekly total exceeds 40 hours.

Does the OBBBA No-Tax Deduction Apply to California Overtime?

The One Big Beautiful Budget Act (P.L. 119-21), signed in 2025, introduced a federal tax deduction for overtime premiums paid under the FLSA. This is a federal income tax benefit, not a wage rule change. It applies only to the overtime premium (the extra 0.5x portion) earned on FLSA-required overtime.

Critical point: California state overtime and double time premiums governed by California Labor Code §510 are NOT FLSA overtime. They are state law requirements. As a result, California daily overtime, 7th-day overtime, and double time do not qualify for the OBBBA federal deduction. Only overtime that the FLSA itself mandates — hours over 40 in a workweek for covered non-exempt employees — may qualify. Check if your FLSA overtime qualifies with our no tax on overtime calculator.

Am I Getting Paid Correctly? — How to Check Your Paycheck

Use this step-by-step checklist to audit your pay stub for California overtime compliance. If any step reveals a discrepancy, document the difference and contact the California DLSE at dir.ca.gov.

• Step 1: Identify your regular rate. Find your total straight-time pay for the week (including any non-discretionary bonuses). Divide by total hours worked. This is your correct overtime base.
• Step 2: Check daily hours. Review each day’s hours on your pay stub. If any day shows more than 8 hours, there should be a daily OT line at 1.5x for hours 9-12, and a double time line at 2x for anything over 12.
• Step 3: Check 7th consecutive day. If you worked all 7 days of the designated workweek, every hour on day 7 should show a premium — 1.5x for hours 1-8, 2x for hours beyond 8.
• Step 4: Verify the anti-pyramiding is applied correctly. Your employer should not be adding weekly OT on top of daily OT for the same hours. The two should offset, not stack.
• Step 5: Confirm the right minimum wage floor. If you work in San Francisco or Los Angeles, the local minimum wage must be the basis for your OT rate, not the statewide $16.90/hr.
• Step 6: If you received a production or attendance bonus this pay period, verify it was folded into your regular rate before OT was calculated.
• Step 7: Compare your pay stub to your time records. Employers are required to keep accurate timekeeping records under California law. If you cannot reconcile the numbers, request your time records in writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is overtime calculated in California in 2026?

California overtime in 2026 is calculated using four separate triggers under California Labor Code §510. Employees earn 1.5x after 8 hours in a workday, 2x after 12 hours in a workday, 1.5x for the first 8 hours on the 7th consecutive workday, and 2x for hours beyond 8 on the 7th consecutive workday. The anti-pyramiding rule ensures the highest applicable rate applies without double-counting.

Does California require overtime after 8 hours a day?

Yes. California is one of the few states that mandates daily overtime. Any non-exempt employee who works more than 8 hours in a single workday must be paid 1.5x their regular rate for each additional hour. This applies regardless of total weekly hours worked and is separate from the weekly 40-hour federal threshold.

What is the double time rule in California?

California requires double time pay — exactly 2x the regular rate — for any hours worked beyond 12 in a single workday, and for any hours beyond 8 on the 7th consecutive workday. Double time is a California-only rule; there is no federal equivalent under the FLSA. It must be applied in addition to the 1.5x rate for hours 9-12 on regular workdays.

What are the overtime rules for the 7th consecutive workday in California?

On the 7th consecutive day in a single workweek, California requires 1.5x pay for the first 8 hours and 2x pay for every hour beyond 8. There is no standard-rate segment on the 7th consecutive workday — every hour triggers premium pay. The workweek must be a fixed, regularly recurring period designated by the employer.

What is the anti-pyramiding rule and how does it affect my overtime pay?

The anti-pyramiding rule under California law prevents employers from paying double overtime premiums when both daily and weekly overtime apply to the same hours. When triggers overlap, the employer calculates both and pays whichever is greater — not the sum of both. In most cases, daily overtime calculations naturally absorb weekly overtime, so employees receive the correct premium without double-counting.

What is the California exempt salary threshold for 2026?

To qualify as overtime-exempt in California in 2026, employees must earn at least $70,304 per year, or $1,352 per week. This threshold equals twice the statewide minimum wage of $16.90/hr at 40 hours per week. Fast food workers covered by the California FAST Recovery Act face a higher exempt threshold of $83,200/year due to the $20.00/hr sector minimum wage.

Does the OBBBA no-tax overtime deduction apply to California overtime?

No. The OBBBA federal tax deduction (P.L. 119-21) applies only to overtime premiums required under the FLSA — specifically hours over 40 in a workweek for covered employees. California’s daily overtime, double time, and 7th-day overtime rules are governed by state law (California Labor Code §510), not the FLSA. State-law-only overtime premiums do not qualify for the OBBBA deduction.

How does a 4×10 alternative workweek schedule affect California overtime?

Under a valid California alternative workweek schedule, the daily overtime trigger shifts from 8 hours to the scheduled daily hours (e.g., 10 hours for a 4×10 AWS). Employees on a valid 4×10 schedule earn regular pay for hours 1-10, 1.5x for hours 11-12, and 2x beyond 12. The AWS must be adopted through a formal two-thirds employee vote and DLSE reporting process to be legally valid.

About This Calculator

The IntelCalculator California Overtime Calculator is based on California Labor Code §510, IWC Wage Orders 1–17, and California Department of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) enforcement guidelines.

2026 thresholds: Statewide minimum wage $16.90/hr (effective Jan 1, 2026); fast food minimum wage $20.00/hr; exempt salary threshold $70,304/year ($1,352/week) per California Labor Code §515.

City minimums vary: San Francisco $19.50/hr, Los Angeles $17.50/hr. The anti-pyramiding rule prevents double-counting of overtime hours — California applies whichever daily or weekly calculation results in greater pay for the employee. The OBBBA no-tax deduction (P.L. 119-21) applies only to FLSA-mandated overtime premiums — NOT to California state-law overtime or double time, which are governed by California Labor Code §510, not the FLSA. This tool is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Consult the California DLSE (dir.ca.gov) or a qualified employment attorney.

Sources: CA Labor Code §510, dir.ca.gov, IWC Wage Orders, CalChamber