Weekend Pay Calculator
Enter your base rate and your employer's weekend premium — percent, dollars per hour, or a multiplier — to price a weekend shift.
Weekend premiums are set by employer policy or union contract — U.S. law doesn't require them.
How weekend pay works
Weekend premiums come in three shapes, and employers use all of them:
Typical weekend premiums
| Setting | Common premium |
|---|---|
| Retail & grocery | $1–$2/hour or 10% |
| Hospitals (weekend program/Baylor shifts) | 15–30%, sometimes more |
| Manufacturing weekend crew | 10–20% or contract multiplier |
| Restaurants & hospitality | Often none — weekend is core schedule |
| Union contracts (Sunday) | 1.5× historically common |
Worked example
Base $17/hour with a 10% weekend premium, working Saturday + Sunday (16 hours): weekend rate $18.70, shift pay 16 × $18.70 = $299.20 — $27.20 more than the same hours midweek.
Things to know
- No U.S. law requires weekend premium pay. Saturday and Sunday are ordinary workdays under the FLSA; premiums exist through policy, market pressure or union contracts. (A few historic state “blue laws” like Rhode Island’s Sunday retail premium are the rare exception.)
- Weekend premiums count toward your overtime rate. If weekend hours push you past 40 for the week, the differential must be folded into the “regular rate” used for the 1.5× calculation.
- Hospital weekend programs (working every weekend for a large premium) can pay dramatically more per hour — price them here with the multiplier option.
Frequently asked questions
Is working Sunday automatically time and a half?
No — that’s a myth left over from older union norms and blue laws. Federal law treats Sunday like Tuesday. You get a premium only if your employer’s policy or contract provides one, though many do to fill weekend schedules.
Do weekend hours count toward overtime?
Yes, all hours worked count toward the 40-hour weekly threshold regardless of the day. Weekend work triggers overtime pay only when it pushes your weekly total past 40 (or past a daily threshold in states like California).
What is a Baylor shift?
A healthcare staffing model: work two 12-hour weekend shifts and be paid for substantially more (historically up to 36 hours). Modern versions typically pay a large weekend differential instead — often 20–30%+ over base.
Can my employer stop paying the weekend premium?
Generally yes, prospectively — premiums set by policy can be changed with notice (union contracts are binding until renegotiated). Hours you already worked must be paid at the promised rate.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-20 · Report an issue