Flat amount per hour
A common structure adds a fixed premium to each eligible hour. If the base rate is $20.00 and the night differential is $2.00 per hour, the effective shift rate for those hours is $22.00 before any separate overtime calculation.
Free U.S. payroll calculation tool
Calculate shift differential pay
Calculate evening, night, weekend, or other shift premiums using either a flat amount per hour or a percentage of the base hourly rate. See the differential pay, effective shift rates, total straight-time earnings, and—when the entered workweek exceeds 40 hours—a focused federal regular-rate overtime view.
Browser-only calculation. Base rates, shift premiums, hours, and calculated payroll amounts stay in this page while you use the tool.
Build the shift schedule
Enter one base hourly rate, then add the hours and premium for each shift category. Use a zero differential for standard/day-shift hours when you want the full workweek represented.
Shift differential summary
Total shift differential pay—
The extra premium created by the entered flat-dollar and percentage differentials, before the separate federal overtime premium shown below when applicable.
Total hours—
Base earnings—
Straight-time pay incl. differential—
Average straight-time rate—
Hours over 40—
Federal regular rate—
Additional OT premium—
Modeled gross—
Calculation trace
—Calculation context
Shift-by-shift breakdown
Browser-onlyEntered wage rates and hours stay local to the calculator.
Focused arithmeticCalculates the shift premium and effective rates you enter.
Federal baseline onlyOvertime view does not apply every state, industry, contract, or collective-bargaining rule.
Core shift-pay formulasFlat differential pay = eligible hours × differential per hour
Percentage differential per hour = base hourly rate × differential %
Effective shift rate = base hourly rate + differential per hour
Percentage differential per hour = base hourly rate × differential %
Effective shift rate = base hourly rate + differential per hour
What a shift differential calculator is actually calculating
Shift differential pay is additional compensation associated with a defined shift or work schedule. A payroll policy may describe that premium as a fixed dollar amount for each eligible hour, such as “$2.00 per hour for night shift,” or as a percentage of the employee's base rate, such as “10% evening differential.” This calculator converts either format into the extra dollar amount attributable to the entered shift hours and shows the effective hourly rate for each row.
The distinction matters when reviewing a pay stub. A statement may list the shift premium as its own earnings line, combine the premium with the hourly rate, or summarize several shift categories into one total. Separating base earnings from differential earnings makes it easier to reconcile those presentations without assuming that every employer formats the line item the same way.
Common shift-premium patterns
Evening, night, weekend, and specialty shift pay
“Shift differential” is a payroll description, not one universal percentage or dollar amount. Employers can use different schedules, eligible hours, and premium structures. Enter the rule that applies to the payroll scenario you are reviewing.
Percentage of base pay
Some policies state the differential as a percentage. A 10% differential on a $20.00 base rate is $2.00 per hour. If the base rate changes, the dollar value of the percentage-based differential changes as well.
Multiple shifts in one week
An employee can have standard hours, evening hours, and night hours in the same workweek. Enter each category separately so the calculator can show the premium for each shift and the weighted effect across the full set of hours.
Shift differential can change the federal overtime regular rate
The U.S. Department of Labor explains that compensation for hours worked, including shift differentials, generally belongs in the regular-rate calculation unless a specific statutory exclusion applies. That is why simply multiplying the base rate by 1.5 can understate the federal overtime rate in some scenarios. When the entered workweek exceeds 40 hours, this page passes the shift-adjusted hourly rates into the same weighted regular-rate calculation used by PayStubCheck's Weighted Overtime tool.
This focused calculator does not decide whether an employee is covered by the FLSA, exempt from overtime, whether a premium is legally excludable, or whether a state daily-overtime, double-time, prevailing-wage, collective-bargaining, or special-industry rule changes the result.
Reading a pay stub
How shift differential may appear on payroll records
Pay stubs do not use one standardized label for shift premiums. The same concept may appear as a separate earnings line, a premium code, an adjusted hourly rate, or a combined amount. Understanding the arithmetic helps a reviewer compare the underlying hours and rates rather than relying only on the label.
Separate differential line
A statement might show “Regular 40.00 × $20.00” and a separate “Night Diff 16.00 × $2.00” line. In that presentation, the $32 differential is visibly separate from the $800 base earnings.
Combined effective rate
Another payroll system may show night hours at $22.00 rather than listing a $20.00 base plus $2.00 differential. The shift-by-shift breakdown on this page displays both views so the arithmetic can still be compared.
Mixed shift percentages
Some employers use one percentage for evenings and another for nights or weekends. Add a separate row for each premium structure. The calculator converts every percentage to a dollar-per-hour amount before totaling the premium.
Federal methodology and official sources
The optional overtime view follows the basic federal regular-rate framework described by the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division. DOL Fact Sheet #56A explains that the regular rate generally starts with total workweek compensation required to be included in the regular rate divided by total hours worked. DOL Fact Sheet #54 provides shift-differential examples and explains that shift differential pay is included when determining the regular rate in those federal examples.
Source review: August 30, 2026. Official guidance should be rechecked when payroll rules, regulations, or applicable interpretations change.
Frequently asked questions
Shift differential pay FAQ
These answers explain the calculator's arithmetic and its limits.
What is shift differential pay?
Shift differential pay is extra compensation associated with working a particular shift, time period, day, or schedule. Common examples include evening, night, weekend, holiday-adjacent, hazard, or specialty-shift premiums. The employer's actual policy determines the eligible hours and premium structure.
How do I calculate a $2 per hour shift differential?
Multiply $2 by the number of eligible shift hours. For 16 eligible hours, the differential itself is $32. If the base rate is $20, those shift hours have $22 per hour of straight-time compensation before considering any separate overtime premium.
How do I calculate a 10% shift differential?
Multiply the base hourly rate by 10%. On a $20 base rate, the differential is $2 per hour. Multiply that $2 by the number of eligible hours to calculate the premium amount.
Does a shift differential increase overtime pay?
It can affect the federal regular-rate calculation. DOL guidance explains that shift differentials paid as compensation for work are included in the regular rate in the federal examples it publishes. This calculator therefore includes the entered shift-adjusted rates in its basic federal overtime view when total hours exceed 40.
Why is the modeled overtime premium only one-half of the regular rate?
The shift rows already contain straight-time compensation for every entered hour, including any hours over 40. Under that setup, the basic federal model adds another one-half of the regular rate for each overtime hour so the combined compensation reaches time-and-one-half. Different payment arrangements can require different analysis.
Can I enter both day and night shifts?
Yes. Enter standard or day-shift hours with a zero differential and add separate evening, night, weekend, or other rows with their respective flat-dollar or percentage premium.
Does this calculate California daily overtime or double time?
No. The overtime view is limited to the basic federal workweek rule for hours over 40. State and local rules, collective-bargaining agreements, industry-specific rules, and other pay requirements may differ.
Does the result prove the pay stub is correct?
No. The tool evaluates the arithmetic of the scenario you enter. It does not verify employment, employer identity, hours actually worked, payroll policy, document authenticity, exemption status, or legal compliance.
Are my pay rates and hours stored?
The calculation runs locally in your browser. PayStubCheck does not send the base rate, differential values, hours, or calculated wage amounts to a calculation API. Product analytics are limited to non-payroll usage fields such as the number of shift rows, differential type, and whether the entered workweek contains hours over 40.