Double Time Pay Calculator
Enter your hourly wage and double-time hours to see the 2× rate and total premium pay.
What double time is
Double time means 200% of your regular hourly rate — twice your normal wage for each qualifying hour. Unlike time and a half, federal law never requires double time; it comes from state law (mainly California), union contracts, or company policy.
When double time applies
- California law: 2× pay after 12 hours in a single workday, and after 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek. (Hours 8–12 in a day are time and a half.)
- Union agreements: many trades contracts pay double time for Sundays, holidays, or second shifts of overtime.
- Company policy: some employers voluntarily pay 2× for major holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas to staff shifts.
Worked example
A California employee earning $21/hour works a 14-hour day. Hours 1–8 are regular ($168), hours 9–12 are time and a half (4 × $31.50 = $126), and hours 13–14 are double time (2 × $42 = $84). Day’s total: $378.
Reference: double time for common wages
| Regular rate | Double time | 8 hours pays |
|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $30.00 | $240.00 |
| $18.00 | $36.00 | $288.00 |
| $20.00 | $40.00 | $320.00 |
| $25.00 | $50.00 | $400.00 |
| $30.00 | $60.00 | $480.00 |
Frequently asked questions
Is double time required on holidays?
No U.S. federal or state law requires double time specifically for working a holiday. Holiday premiums are set by company policy or union contract. California’s double-time rules are about long days and seventh consecutive workdays — they apply on holidays only when those thresholds are crossed.
What is double time and a half?
2.5× the regular rate — seen in some union and government contracts for holiday overtime. At $20/hour that is $50/hour. You can approximate it here by adding your regular rate result to the time-and-a-half figure.
Does overtime become double time after a certain number of hours?
Only where a law or contract says so. Federally, everything past 40 hours/week is 1.5× no matter how extreme. In California, daily hours past 12 flip to 2×. Some contracts flip to 2× after a set number of weekly OT hours.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-20 · Report an issue