Paycheck Calculator
This paycheck calculator estimates take-home pay for an hourly worker using five inputs: hourly rate, regular hours, overtime hours, overtime multiplier, and an estimated tax rate. It shows regular pay, overtime pay, gross pay, estimated taxes, and net pay so you can see both the top-line amount and the portion you may actually keep. Use it when you want a quick paycheck estimate before payday, when you compare two hourly jobs, or when you want to see whether extra overtime is worth the added time. It is built for simple per-paycheck planning, not for full payroll compliance. That makes it useful for rough budgeting, shift planning, and pay stub sense checks. For the most accurate use of this tool, enter only regular hours in the regular-hours field and put extra overtime hours in the overtime field. If you worked 45 total hours and 5 of them earn overtime, enter 40 regular hours and 5 overtime hours. Then enter a combined estimated tax rate that reflects your own withholding picture as one percentage.
Quick answer
Regular pay equals hourly rate multiplied by regular hours only. The tool does not split total hours for you.
What this tells you
- •Regular pay equals hourly rate multiplied by regular hours only. The tool does not split total hours for you.
- •Overtime pay equals hourly rate multiplied by overtime multiplier and overtime hours. The default multiplier is 1.5, which matches time and a half.
- •Gross pay is the sum of regular pay and overtime pay before taxes are removed.
- •Tax amount is an estimate based on one combined percentage that you enter. The calculator applies that rate directly to gross pay.
- •Net pay is gross pay minus the estimated tax amount, which gives you a quick take-home pay estimate for that paycheck.
How to Use
- 1Enter your hourly rate in dollars. Use your base pay rate unless your employer uses a different rate for specific shifts.
- 2Enter regular hours worked. Keep this field to non-overtime hours so you do not count the same time twice.
- 3Enter overtime hours if you have them, then confirm the overtime multiplier. Leave overtime hours at 0 if you did not work any extra paid overtime.
- 4Enter your estimated tax rate as a percent, not a decimal. For example, type 22 for 22%, not 0.22.
- 5Run the calculation and review the full breakdown. Compare regular pay, overtime pay, gross pay, tax amount, and net pay before you use the number in a budget or paycheck review.
How It Works
Formula
Regular Pay = Hourly Rate × Regular Hours
Overtime Pay = Hourly Rate × Overtime Multiplier × Overtime Hours
Gross Pay = Regular Pay + Overtime Pay
Tax Amount = Gross Pay × (Tax Rate ÷ 100)
Net Pay = Gross Pay - Tax AmountThe formula in this paycheck calculator is intentionally simple and matches the site calculation exactly. First, regular pay is found by multiplying hourly rate by regular hours. Next, overtime pay is calculated by multiplying hourly rate by the overtime multiplier and then by overtime hours. Those two pieces are added together to produce gross pay. After gross pay is found, the tool applies your estimated tax rate as a percentage of gross pay. If you enter 20, the calculator converts that to 0.20 and multiplies gross pay by that value to estimate taxes. Net pay is whatever remains after subtracting that estimated tax amount from gross pay. This method is useful for quick planning because it is easy to understand and easy to check by hand. It also means the result depends heavily on the quality of the tax rate you enter. The tool does not model withholding tables, pre-tax deductions, or employer-specific payroll rules.
Calculation note: values are processed in the order shown above, using the current input units.
Worked Examples
Weekly paycheck with 5 overtime hours
Regular pay is $25 × 40 = $1,000. Overtime pay is $25 × 1.5 × 5 = $187.50, so gross pay is $1,187.50. Estimated tax is 20% of $1,187.50, which is $237.50. Net pay is $1,187.50 - $237.50 = $950.00.
Part-time week with no overtime
Regular pay is $18.50 × 37.5 = $693.75. There is no overtime pay in this example, so gross pay stays at $693.75. Estimated tax is 17% of $693.75, which is $117.9375 and rounds to $117.94. Net pay rounds to $575.81.
Holiday week with double time overtime
Regular pay is $32 × 40 = $1,280. Double-time overtime pay is $32 × 2 × 8 = $512. Gross pay becomes $1,792. At a 24% estimated tax rate, tax is $430.08 and net pay is $1,361.92.
Short schedule with fractional overtime hours
Regular pay is $15.75 × 20 = $315. Overtime pay is $15.75 × 1.5 × 2.5 = $59.0625, which displays as $59.06. Gross pay is $374.0625, which displays as $374.06. Estimated tax is $44.8875 and displays as $44.89, leaving net pay of $329.18 after rounding.
Higher-rate paycheck with moderate overtime
Regular pay is $45 × 38 = $1,710. Overtime pay is $45 × 1.5 × 4 = $270, which brings gross pay to $1,980. A 30% estimated tax rate produces $594 in taxes. Net pay is $1,386 for the paycheck.
Common mistakes
- Entering total hours in regular hours and then entering overtime hours again. That double counts the overtime portion.
- Typing the tax rate as 0.22 when you mean 22%. This tool expects a percent value, so 22 should be entered as 22.
- Assuming the default 1.5 multiplier always applies. Some contracts, union rules, and holiday policies use a different overtime rate.
- Treating the estimate as exact payroll when your real paycheck includes insurance, retirement contributions, garnishments, or local deductions.
- Using one generic tax rate for every situation without checking your latest pay stub. A better estimate comes from your own recent withholding pattern.
Limitations
This paycheck calculator uses a simplified flat-rate withholding model. It assumes the tax rate you enter can be applied directly to gross pay and that your regular hours and overtime hours are already separated correctly before you calculate. It does not compute federal withholding tables, W-4 elections, filing status, pre-tax benefits, retirement contributions, health premiums, post-tax deductions, garnishments, tipped income, bonuses, commissions, or jurisdiction-specific overtime rules. Some employers also round time entries, apply shift differentials, or split overtime differently under state law. Use this tool for planning and rough pay stub checks, not as a substitute for an employer payroll system or a tax calculation prepared from your full records.
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