OVERTIME PAY GUIDE
How to calculate overtime pay in the UK
This UK overtime pay calculator estimates gross pay for extra hours using the pay rate and overtime rule you enter. It works for hourly-paid workers and salaried employees, and it can combine several overtime entries when different hours are paid at different rates.
For a multiplier, the overtime hourly rate is your base hourly rate multiplied by the chosen rate.
The calculator uses your weekly hours and weeks per year to estimate an equivalent hourly rate.
Time and a half, double time and standard-rate overtime
Overtime does not have one universal UK pay rate. Your contract or workplace policy may pay extra hours at your normal rate, time and a half (1.5×), double time (2×), another multiplier, or a fixed overtime hourly rate. The calculator supports all of these options.
Example: 6 overtime hours at £15 per hour
- Standard rate (1×): 6 × £15 = £90 gross overtime pay
- Time and a half (1.5×): 6 × £22.50 = £135 gross overtime pay
- Double time (2×): 6 × £30 = £180 gross overtime pay
The live comparison in the results panel updates these common-rate figures automatically using your own base rate and total overtime hours.
How to calculate overtime from an annual salary
If you are salaried, the tool first estimates an hourly equivalent from your annual salary and contracted working pattern. For example, a £39,000 salary based on 37.5 hours a week for 52 weeks uses 1,950 annual hours, giving an equivalent base rate of £20 per hour. A 1.5× overtime rate would therefore be £30 per hour before deductions.
Your employer may use a different contractual divisor or payroll method, so use the figures in your contract or payslip where available.
Is overtime pay required in the UK?
There is no automatic legal right to an enhanced overtime rate. GOV.UK says employers do not have to pay extra for overtime, although average pay for the total hours worked must not fall below the applicable National Minimum Wage. Your employment contract will normally set out whether overtime is paid and how the rate is calculated.
Most workers also cannot normally be required to work more than an average of 48 hours per week unless they have agreed to opt out. For employment-rights questions, check your contract and current official guidance.
What the calculator includes
- Hourly pay or annual salary as the starting point
- Standard-rate overtime at 1× normal pay
- Time and a half at 1.5×
- Double time at 2×
- Custom overtime multipliers
- Fixed custom overtime hourly rates
- Multiple overtime rows at different rates
- A comparison of common overtime rates using your total overtime hours
- An optional 2026/27 estimate of extra take-home pay after Income Tax and employee National Insurance
- Student loan and postgraduate loan deductions
- Optional pension deductions, including salary sacrifice, net pay and relief at source estimates
Gross overtime pay versus take-home pay
The calculator shows both your gross overtime pay and an optional estimate of the extra take-home pay you may keep. The take-home estimate compares your deductions before and after the overtime using 2026/27 Income Tax, employee National Insurance, pension and student-loan rules. It is designed to answer the practical question: how much extra money might the overtime actually add to your pay?
Payroll can still differ because PAYE may be cumulative, National Insurance and student loans are calculated by pay period, pension schemes use different definitions of pensionable pay, and employers can apply their own payroll rounding. For a wider annual-pay estimate, use the Take Home Pay Calculator.
Why your payslip may show a different amount
Payroll rules can vary by employer. Differences can come from contractual overtime thresholds, unpaid breaks, shift premiums, bank-holiday rules, minimum overtime blocks, payroll cut-off dates, salary divisors and rounding. Treat this tool as a transparent estimate and compare the inputs with your own contract or payslip.