Answer first
What this calculator tells you
Calculate gross pay per period and per year from an hourly rate, regular hours and overtime. See what a paycheck looks like before any taxes or deductions come out. Formula: Gross pay per period = rate × regular hours + rate × overtime multiplier × overtime hours; yearly = pay per period × periods per year. At the worked-example inputs, the gross pay per period is $1,078. Holding every other input steady, moving hourly rate from $18 to $26 moves the result from $882 to $1,274.
Transparent method
The formula
See what a paycheck looks like before any taxes or deductions come out.
Worked example
Example inputs
How to interpret the result
Gross pay is the paycheck before any tax or deduction comes out. At $22 an hour, 40 regular hours and 6 overtime hours paid at time and a half, a period earns $880 plus $198, or $1,078. Repeated over 26 pay periods, that is $28,028 a year. The overtime multiplier changes the picture fast: the same 6 hours at straight time would add only $132.
At the worked-example inputs the gross pay per period is $1,078. It rises with hourly rate, regular hours per period, overtime hours per period and overtime multiplier; pay periods per year does not move it.
This is a simplified educational estimate, not a tax return.
Before you rely on it
What to check
Confirm how many pay periods the employer uses in a year. Twenty-four and twenty-six are common and give annual totals about 8 percent apart.
The common error
Where people go wrong with gross pay calculator
Treating gross pay as take-home pay. Taxes, insurance and retirement contributions come out afterward, so the deposit will be noticeably smaller.
Sensitivity evidence
How hourly rate changes the gross pay per period
Holding every other input at the worked-example value, moving hourly rate from $18 to $26 moves the gross pay per period from $882 to $1,274: a spread of $392, or 36% of the worked-example result.
| Hourly rate | Gross pay per period | Gross pay per year |
|---|---|---|
| $18 | $882 | $22,932 |
| $20 | $980 | $25,480 |
| $22worked example | $1,078 | $28,028 |
| $24 | $1,176 | $30,576 |
| $26 | $1,274 | $33,124 |
Every input, tested
Which input moves the gross pay per period most
Of the 5 inputs, hourly rate moves the gross pay per period most ($196 across the range tested) and overtime multiplier moves it least ($40). Pay periods per year does not change it at all.
| Input | Tested from | To | Gross pay per period at each end | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | $20 | $24 | $980 to $1,176 | $196 (18%) |
| Regular hours per period | 36 | 44 | $990 to $1,166 | $176 (16%) |
| Overtime hours per period | 4 | 8 | $1,012 to $1,144 | $132 (12%) |
| Overtime multiplier | 1.4 | 1.7 | $1,058 to $1,098 | $40 (3.7%) |
| Pay periods per year | 23 | 29 | $1,078 to $1,078 | none |
Two variables at once
Gross pay per period by hourly rate and regular hours per period
Across the grid the gross pay per period runs from $738 to $1,482. Moving hourly rate from $18 to $26 shifts it by $392 at the middle column, and moving regular hours per period from 32 to 48 shifts it by $352 at the middle row, so hourly rate is the bigger lever here.
| Hourly rate \ Regular hours per period | 32 | 40 | 48 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $18 | $738 | $882 | $1,026 |
| $20 | $820 | $980 | $1,140 |
| $22 | $902 | $1,078 | $1,254 |
| $24 | $984 | $1,176 | $1,368 |
| $26 | $1,066 | $1,274 | $1,482 |
The highlighted cell is the worked example: $1,078.
Step by step
The worked example, input by input
| Input | Value used | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | $22 | Enter the hourly rate used in this calculation. |
| Regular hours per period | 40 | Enter the regular hours per period used in this calculation. |
| Overtime hours per period | 6 | Enter the overtime hours per period used in this calculation. |
| Overtime multiplier | 1.5 | 1.5 is time-and-a-half. |
| Pay periods per year | 26 | 26 for every two weeks, 52 for weekly, 24 for twice a month, 12 for monthly. |
| Gross pay per period | $1,078 | |
| Gross pay per year | $28,028 | |
Inputs, definitions and assumptions
Hourly rate
Enter the hourly rate used in this calculation. The prefilled worked-example value is $22.
Regular hours per period
Enter the regular hours per period used in this calculation. The prefilled worked-example value is 40.
Overtime hours per period
Enter the overtime hours per period used in this calculation. The prefilled worked-example value is 6.
Overtime multiplier
1.5 is time-and-a-half. The prefilled worked-example value is 1.5.
Pay periods per year
26 for every two weeks, 52 for weekly, 24 for twice a month, 12 for monthly. The prefilled worked-example value is 26.
How to use this calculator
- 1Verify the inputs. Gather hourly rate, regular hours per period, overtime hours per period, overtime multiplier and pay periods per year from your own documents; the prefilled values are examples.
- 2Save a baseline. The worked example puts the gross pay per period at $1,078. Store your own version of it as Scenario A.
- 3Test one change. Start with hourly rate, the input with the biggest effect here: moving hourly rate from $20 to $24 takes the gross pay per period from $980 to $1,176, a swing of 18% of the worked-example figure.
- 4Check the extremes. At half the example hourly rate ($11) the gross pay per period is $539; at double ($44) it is $2,156.
People also ask
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate gross pay?
Gross pay per period = rate × regular hours + rate × overtime multiplier × overtime hours; yearly = pay per period × periods per year. Enter hourly rate in dollars. At the worked-example inputs the gross pay per period is $1,078.
What does the gross pay result mean?
See what a paycheck looks like before any taxes or deductions come out. At the worked-example inputs the gross pay per period is $1,078. It rises with hourly rate, regular hours per period, overtime hours per period and overtime multiplier; pay periods per year does not move it.
How much does hourly rate change the gross pay per period?
Holding every other input at the worked-example value, moving hourly rate from $18 to $26 moves the gross pay per period from $882 to $1,274, a spread of $392.
What are the limits of this gross pay calculator?
This is a simplified educational estimate, not a tax return. The tables on this page test hourly rate only from $18 to $26; a value outside that range is not tabulated here.
Which input moves the gross pay per period most in the gross pay calculator?
Ranked by how far each moves the gross pay per period across the range tested: hourly rate ($196, 18%), regular hours per period ($176, 16%), overtime hours per period ($132, 12%) and overtime multiplier ($40, 3.7%). Pay periods per year does not change it.
If I double hourly rate in the gross pay calculator, does the gross pay per period double?
Doubling it from $22 to $44 takes the gross pay per period from $1,078 to $2,156, which is 2.00 times the worked-example figure. So the result scales almost exactly in proportion. Halving it to $11 gives $539.
How much does regular hours per period matter in the gross pay calculator?
The worked example uses 40. With the other inputs left at the worked example, moving regular hours per period from 36 to 44 takes the gross pay per period from $990 to $1,166, a swing of 16% of the worked-example figure.
How much does overtime hours per period matter in the gross pay calculator?
The worked example uses 6. Holding every other input at its worked-example value, moving overtime hours per period from 4 to 8 takes the gross pay per period from $1,012 to $1,144, a swing of 12% of the worked-example figure.
How much does overtime multiplier matter in the gross pay calculator?
The worked example uses 1.5. Holding every other input at its worked-example value, moving overtime multiplier from 1.4 to 1.7 takes the gross pay per period from $1,058 to $1,098, a swing of 3.7% of the worked-example figure.
How much does pay periods per year matter in the gross pay calculator?
The worked example uses 26. The gross pay per period does not depend on pay periods per year; it moves the gross pay per year from $24,794 to $31,262 instead when pay periods per year goes from 23 to 29.
Which inputs change the gross pay per year in the gross pay calculator?
At the worked-example inputs it is $28,028. Hourly rate takes it from $25,480 to $30,576, regular hours per period takes it from $25,740 to $30,316, overtime hours per period takes it from $26,312 to $29,744 and overtime multiplier takes it from $27,513 to $28,543.
Do I need to make estimated tax payments?
Generally yes if you have meaningful income not subject to withholding: self-employment, investment, rental or large gains. Charges arise from paying late instead of from a wrong final return. So the schedule matters independently of the annual total.
Sources and evidence
Free Calculators Online is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the source organizations. Educational estimates only.