1.5 X Pay Calculator
“1.5x pay” shows up everywhere overtime is discussed, but the number itself is rarely spelled out. If your manager offers 1.5x for a weekend shift, or your handbook promises 1.5x on holidays, what you actually want to know is the dollar figure: what does your pay become, per hour, per week, and per year?
The 1.5x Pay Calculator below answers that directly. Enter your base pay as an hourly wage or an annual salary, set the multiplier (1.5 is pre-filled), and it returns the multiplied rate plus the weekly, monthly, and annual equivalents, so a salaried offer and an hourly offer can be compared on the same terms.
Quick Answer
Key takeaways
- 1.5x pay is your base pay multiplied by 1.5. It is the same thing as "time and a half."
- $25/hr becomes $37.50/hr; $20/hr becomes $30/hr; a $52,000 salary becomes $78,000.
- Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, covered non-exempt workers must get at least 1.5x for hours past 40 in a workweek, per the U.S. Department of Labor.
- The multiplier applies to the "regular rate," which can include bonuses and shift differentials, not just the base wage.
- Quick Answer
- What 1.5x pay actually means
- How to calculate 1.5x pay, step by step
- Worked example: $25 an hour and a $52,000 salary
- 1.5x rates for common wages
- When 1.5x is required, and when it is not
- What this calculator covers, and why each part matters
- Frequently asked questions
- Add This Calculator to Your Website
- References
What 1.5x pay actually means
1.5x pay is a rate that is 50% higher than your normal rate: your base pay, plus half of it again. If you earn $25 an hour, each 1.5x hour pays $37.50, made up of the $25 you would have earned anyway and a $12.50 premium. The phrase comes from overtime law, where 1.5x is the standard premium, but employers also use it for holiday shifts, weekend differentials, and on-call work.
The legal anchor is the Fair Labor Standards Act. The U.S. Department of Labor's overtime pay page states the rule plainly: covered, non-exempt employees must receive overtime pay at not less than one and one-half times their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. That is why 1.5x is the default in this calculator and in nearly every workplace conversation about extra hours.
How to calculate 1.5x pay, step by step
The calculation is one multiplication, but getting from that number to a full paycheck takes three short steps:
Find your regular rate. For hourly workers this is the wage. For salaried non-exempt workers, divide the weekly salary by the hours it covers. If you get non-discretionary bonuses or shift differentials, they belong in the rate too (see the regular rate note below).
Multiply by 1.5. $25 × 1.5 = $37.50. That is the rate for each hour paid at 1.5x.
Apply it to the right hours. Hours up to 40 in the week pay at the regular rate; only the hours past 40 pay at 1.5x under federal law. Multiply the 1.5x rate by the overtime hours, then add the regular pay.
Worked example: $25 an hour and a $52,000 salary
The calculator defaults are set to the most common search behind this page: what is 1.5x of $25 an hour? Here is exactly what it returns, verified against its code:
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Base hourly wage | $25.00 |
| 1.5x hourly rate | $37.50 |
| Extra per hour vs base | $12.50 |
| Weekly at 1.5x (40 hrs) | $1,500.00 |
| Monthly equivalent | $6,500.00 |
| Annual equivalent (2,080 hrs) | $78,000.00 |
Switch the period toggle to Annual and enter 52000, and the same tool runs the conversion in the other direction: 1.5x of a $52,000 salary is $78,000 a year, $6,500 a month, $3,000 per biweekly paycheck, and an implied hourly rate of $37.50. The two examples are the same job priced two ways, which is exactly the comparison people need when a salaried offer quotes one number and an hourly offer quotes another. To break a rate down further, try the salary per minute calculator or the average wage per second calculator.
1.5x rates for common wages
These are the 1.5x rates for the wages people look up most often, with the weekly overtime picture at 46 hours (40 regular plus 6 at 1.5x):
| Base wage | 1.5x rate | Premium per OT hour | Gross pay at 46 hrs |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $22.50 | $7.50 | $735.00 |
| $18.00 | $27.00 | $9.00 | $882.00 |
| $20.00 | $30.00 | $10.00 | $980.00 |
| $25.00 | $37.50 | $12.50 | $1,225.00 |
| $30.00 | $45.00 | $15.00 | $1,470.00 |
| $35.00 | $52.50 | $17.50 | $1,715.00 |
When 1.5x is required, and when it is not
Federal law requires 1.5x only in a specific situation: a covered, non-exempt employee working more than 40 hours in one workweek. Weekends and holidays do not trigger 1.5x by themselves under federal law; if a Saturday shift is your 35th hour of the week, it pays at the regular rate unless your contract, handbook, or state law says otherwise. Some states go further: California, for example, requires daily overtime after 8 hours in a day, as the Department of Labor's FLSA overview explains when it points readers to stricter state rules.
Two details catch people out. First, exempt employees (many salaried managers and professionals) are not owed overtime at all, so a 1.5x promise to an exempt worker is a company policy, not a legal right. Second, the "regular rate" is broader than the base wage: the Labor Department's Fact Sheet #23 on overtime pay and the federal regulation at 29 CFR Part 778 both say most non-discretionary bonuses, commissions, and shift differentials must be folded into the rate before the 1.5 multiplier is applied. If your overtime looks short, that is the first place to check. If the shortfall is real, an unpaid overtime calculator can size what you are owed, and a bonus payment calculator helps you see how a bonus changes the regular rate it feeds into.
What this calculator covers, and why each part matters
This calculator answers the 1.5x question from either starting point — an hourly wage or an annual salary — and shows what the multiplied rate is worth across pay periods, with the regular-rate rule explained alongside it.
Annual salary input, not just hourly. Enter an annual salary directly, and the calculator returns monthly, biweekly, and implied hourly figures, so a worker asking "what is 1.5x of $52,000?" gets a real answer without converting by hand first.
Pay-period equivalents, not just a rate. Alongside the overtime rate and overtime pay for the hours entered, the results show what the multiplied rate is worth per week, per month, and per year — the comparison that matters when weighing a shift premium against a job offer.
The regular-rate warning, with sources. Bonuses and differentials raise the regular rate before the multiplier applies, a rule that changes real paychecks. The article covers it, cites the Labor Department's fact sheet and the text of 29 CFR Part 778, and the verdict badge in the result box tells you where your multiplier sits against the federal standard set out on the Department of Labor's overtime pay topic page.
Frequently asked questions
$37.50 an hour. Multiply $25 by 1.5. At a full-time schedule that rate is worth $1,500 a week, $6,500 a month, and $78,000 a year. The premium over your regular wage is $12.50 for every hour paid at 1.5x.
Yes. "Time and a half" is the everyday name for 1.5 times the regular rate: your normal pay for the hour, plus half as much again. Double time is 2x. The calculator's multiplier field handles both, and any other premium your contract uses.
Multiply the salary by 1.5 for the headline figure: $52,000 × 1.5 = $78,000 a year, or $6,500 a month and $3,000 biweekly. For overtime purposes, what matters is the weekly regular rate: divide the weekly salary by the hours it covers, then pay 1.5x that rate for hours over 40, as described in the Department of Labor's overtime fact sheet.
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, covered non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5 times their regular rate for every hour over 40 in a single workweek. Employers cannot average two weeks to dodge it. Some states add daily overtime rules on top, and your state rule wins whenever it pays you more.
No. Federal law has no weekend or holiday premium by itself. A Saturday hour pays 1.5x only if it takes you past 40 hours for the week, or if your employer, contract, or state law promises a premium. Many employers do offer holiday premiums voluntarily, which is a policy question rather than a legal one.
The regular rate is your total pay for the week divided by the hours worked, and under 29 CFR Part 778 it must include most non-discretionary bonuses, commissions, and shift differentials. Because the 1.5 multiplier applies to the regular rate, leaving a bonus out makes every overtime hour slightly underpaid.
No. Overtime is taxed as ordinary income, exactly like regular pay. A large overtime check may have more withheld in that pay period because withholding assumes that pace continues all year, but any over-withholding comes back when you file your return.
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References
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, "Overtime Pay" - the federal rule requiring at least 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek for covered, non-exempt employees. U.S. Department of Labor: Overtime Pay. Accessed October 2026.
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, "Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA" - how the regular rate is computed and which payments must be included. DOL Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements. Accessed October 2026.
- U.S. Department of Labor, "Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)" overview - coverage, exemptions, and how state overtime rules interact with the federal standard. U.S. Department of Labor: FLSA Overview. Accessed October 2026.
- Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29, Part 778, Subpart A, "Overtime Compensation: General Considerations" - the regulatory text defining the regular rate and the 1.5 multiplier. eCFR: 29 CFR Part 778, Overtime Compensation. Accessed October 2026.
- U.S. Department of Labor, "Overtime Pay" topic page - plain-language summary of overtime rights, recordkeeping, and where to file a complaint. U.S. Department of Labor: Overtime Pay Topic Page. Accessed October 2026.