Three different numbers
| Result | What it means |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | Earnings before deductions and work costs. |
| Money left | Gross minus your assumed deductions and entered extra costs. |
| Effective hourly value | Money or compensation value divided by the time committed, as labeled on that tool. |
Overtime is a workweek calculation
The standard weekly models use a configurable threshold, initially 40 worked hours, and time and a half. The biweekly tool adds two independently calculated workweeks. It does not average them. These defaults do not determine whether a worker is covered, exempt, or subject to different rules.
The differential model adds base earnings, entered differentials, and included bonuses. Dividing this total by worked hours gives the weighted regular rate. Adding half that rate for overtime hours completes the modeled weekly gross. The extra-shift model compares the whole week with and without the additional shift.
Daily overtime, healthcare 8-and-80 agreements, public-safety work periods, multiple employers, premium exclusions, and multiweek bonus allocation are outside these simplified models. Check DOL overtime guidance, regular-rate guidance, and your actual payroll rules.
Deductions are assumptions
A deduction input of 25% simply multiplies gross pay by 0.25. It is not a tax bracket lookup or a paycheck withholding calculation. Use a marginal estimate for extra income and an appropriate overall estimate for a whole-paycheck comparison. Neither accounts for every credit, deduction, benefit, or payroll adjustment.
The federal qualified-overtime deduction does not make all overtime earnings tax free. We do not calculate that deduction or remove taxes from overtime automatically. See the IRS explanation and current eligibility details.
Time and cost boundaries
A shift decision includes paid hours, separately entered unpaid time, and a round-trip commute. Do not put the same time in two fields. Compare costs caused by the decision whenever possible. Annual projections assume the entered schedule repeats; they are not guaranteed earnings.
Rounding and validation
Intermediate calculations retain JavaScript numeric precision. Money is rounded to cents only for display. Decimal hours use minutes divided by 60. Savings-goal shifts round upward to whole shifts. Invalid or impossible inputs display an error and suppress sharing of stale results.
Review and corrections
Formula version 1.0. Reference check: September 7, 2026. Each calculator includes its formula and loaded example. Model tests and the site source are maintained together. Report discrepancies with a small invented example rather than a private pay stub.