What is overtime pay?
Overtime pay is what you earn for hours beyond your normal working hours. This UK overtime calculator works it out and shows what's left after tax, and it works as an hourly overtime calculator too if you choose Hourly paid.
What is classed as overtime in the UK?
Overtime usually means any time you work beyond the normal hours fixed by your employment contract.
How to calculate your overtime rate per hour
Overtime pay = hourly rate × overtime rate × overtime hours
On a £32,000 salary at 37.5 hours your hourly rate is £16.41, which is your salary divided by 52 weeks of your contracted hours. Six hours at time and a half comes to £147.69 before deductions.
Overtime rules in the UK
- Overtime rate. There's no standard overtime rate in the UK. Time and a half and double time are common, but your contract sets the rate.
- Working overtime. You only have to work it if your contract says so.
- Weekly limit. Your hours can't normally average more than 48 a week, unless you've agreed in writing.
- Minimum wage. Your average pay can't fall below the National Minimum Wage.
- Holiday pay. Regular overtime should count towards your holiday pay.
There's no legal right to a higher rate, and employers don't have to pay extra for overtime at all. Your contract or written statement should say which hours count as overtime and what they pay. Whatever it says, your average pay across all the hours you work can't fall below the National Minimum Wage.
Time and a half calculator
Time and a half means you're paid 1.5 times your normal hourly rate for each overtime hour.
How to calculate time and a half
Multiply your hourly rate by 1.5, then multiply the answer by your overtime hours. At £16 an hour, that's £24 an hour, so 5 hours pays £120 before deductions. To go the other way from a salary, divide it by 52, then by your weekly hours. The table below gives the rate for common hourly pay.
| Normal hourly rate | Time and a quarter | Time and a half | Double time |
|---|---|---|---|
| £12.71 | £15.89 | £19.07 | £25.42 |
| £15.00 | £18.75 | £22.50 | £30.00 |
| £18.00 | £22.50 | £27.00 | £36.00 |
| £20.00 | £25.00 | £30.00 | £40.00 |
| £25.00 | £31.25 | £37.50 | £50.00 |
| £30.00 | £37.50 | £45.00 | £60.00 |
How much of each extra £1 you keep
Overtime is taxed like the rest of your pay, so what matters is the band your top pound falls in. Here's what's left from each extra £1 at different salaries.
| Salary | England, Wales, NI | With a Plan 2 loan | Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| £25,000 | 72p | 72p | 72p |
| £32,000 | 72p | 63p | 71p |
| £45,000 | 72p | 63p | 50p |
| £55,000 | 58p | 49p | 56p |
| £80,000 | 58p | 49p | 53p |
| £110,000 | 38p | 29p | 31p |
£110,000 stands out. In that zone each extra £1 also removes 50p of personal allowance, so you keep about 38p. That can make weekend shifts a poor trade at that level, however good the rate looks.
Is overtime worth it?
Compare what an overtime hour pays you with what a normal hour pays you, after deductions. On a £32,000 salary, a normal hour nets about £13.62. An hour at time and a half nets about £17.72, so it's clearly worth more.
At your flat rate the picture changes. The same hour nets about £11.82, which is less than a normal hour. That's because your tax-free allowance is already used up by your normal pay, so every extra pound is taxed. If you're offered flat-rate overtime, your hour is worth less than you might assume.
Tax on overtime pay: why a big month can look overtaxed
Is overtime taxed more?
No. A big month often feels punishing, but overtime isn't taxed at a special rate. Income Tax uses cumulative PAYE, so payroll looks at your pay so far this tax year against the allowance you've built up. Unless your total for the year reaches a higher band, the extra is taxed at your normal rate.
National Insurance works differently. It's worked out on each pay period by itself, with a monthly upper limit of £4,189. Pay above that attracts 2% instead of 8%, so a big month can actually pay less NI on its top slice.
Take a £36,000 salary with £3,000 of overtime in one month. Income Tax on the overtime is £600, and NI is £131 rather than the £240 you'd get at a flat 8%. Student loan repayments also work month by month, so a one-off month can trigger a repayment even if your yearly pay is under the threshold.
Overtime and your holiday pay
If you've regularly received overtime during the previous year, it should be included in your holiday pay for at least 4 weeks of your leave. Irregular-hours and part-year workers get it on all 5.6 weeks. This often gets missed, so it's worth checking your payslip when you take leave.
The calculator estimates that value for regular overtime. It's a rough figure, because the rules look at your average over the previous 52 paid weeks.
The 48-hour limit
You can't normally work more than 48 hours a week on average, usually measured over 17 weeks, unless you've signed a voluntary written opt-out. Paid overtime counts towards the limit. You can't be sacked or treated unfairly for refusing to opt out, and under-18s have a stricter limit of 40 hours.
Overtime questions
Do I get time and a half by law?
No. Time and a half is common, but the rate is set by your contract.
Can you be forced to work overtime in the UK?
Only if your contract says so. Even then you can't usually be forced to work more than an average of 48 hours a week, unless you've agreed to in writing.
Can my employer stop my overtime?
Yes, unless your contract guarantees it. They can't discriminate, though, for example by stopping it for some staff for an unfair reason.
Can I take time off instead of overtime pay?
Some employers offer time off in lieu, often called TOIL. You agree the terms with your employer, including when you can take it.
Do part-time staff get the overtime rate?
Usually only if they work more than a full-timer's normal hours, or work unsocial hours that earn full-time staff more. Until then, extra hours are normally paid at your standard rate. Your contract may say otherwise.
Is my overtime pensionable?
It depends on your scheme. Choose your pension type, then turn on Pension on overtime if your employer takes contributions from it.
Sources
Checked on 4 November 2026 against the 2026/27 tax year.