Work hours & pay
Holiday pay calculator
Enter your hourly rate, the hours you work on the holiday and the premium multiplier to see your total pay and how much of it is the premium.
The premium is the extra on top of normal pay. Pick 1× if the day is paid at the usual rate, 1.5× for time and a half, or 2× for double time.
How holiday pay is worked out
Holiday pay is normal earnings scaled by a premium multiplier: hourly rate × hours × multiplier. It splits neatly into two parts. The base pay is what the hours would earn on an ordinary day, rate × hours, and the premium is the extra the multiplier adds, which equals the base pay multiplied by (multiplier − 1).
Using the defaults, $20 an hour for 8 hours at time and a half is $20 × 8 × 1.5 = $240. The base pay is $20 × 8 = $160, so the premium is $80, or $10 for every hour worked. Your effective rate for the day is $30 an hour. Switch to double time and the same shift pays $320, with a $160 premium and a $40 effective rate.
| Multiplier | Holiday pay | Premium | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1× | $160.00 | $0.00 | $20.00 |
| 1.5× | $240.00 | $80.00 | $30.00 |
| 2× | $320.00 | $160.00 | $40.00 |
When premium pay actually applies
Separating base from premium matters because employers and contracts treat the two differently. Some pay a holiday off at straight time whether or not you work, then add premium only for hours actually worked on the day; others fold a fixed holiday allowance into salary. Knowing the premium portion lets you check a payslip line by line rather than trusting a single total.
Premium holiday pay is usually a matter of policy, not law. In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards Act does not require extra pay for working on a holiday; time and a half or double time comes from the employer, a union agreement or a state rule. Federal overtime is separate and based on hours over 40 in a week, so holiday premium and overtime can stack or be defined to overlap depending on the contract. This calculator shows gross pay for the holiday hours alone and does not add regular hours, overtime or tax, so treat the total as the holiday portion of a wider paycheck.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate holiday pay?
Multiply your hourly rate by the hours worked and then by the premium multiplier. At $20 an hour for 8 hours at 1.5×, that is $20 × 8 × 1.5 = $240 gross.
What is the premium portion of holiday pay?
It is the extra above normal pay, equal to base pay times (multiplier − 1). For $160 of base pay at time and a half, the premium is $160 × 0.5 = $80.
Is holiday premium pay required by law?
Not under US federal law. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not mandate extra pay for holidays; any time and a half or double time comes from your employer, contract or state rules.