Overtime Rules in United States
In United States, overtime starts after 40 hours in a week and is paid at 1.5× the regular rate.
- Daily overtime after
- Not set nationally
- Weekly overtime after
- 40 hours
- Overtime rate
- 1.5×
- Maximum weekly hours
- Not set nationally
- Rest break
- Not set nationally
- Source
- dol.gov
When overtime starts in United States
Not every threshold on this page is fixed by national law in United States. The figures above are what the statute sets; where one is marked as not set nationally, the point at which overtime begins, or the rate it is paid at, comes from the employment contract, the collective agreement or sector rules instead.
An empty figure is information rather than an omission. Read the source linked below before applying any of these numbers to a specific contract in United States.
Maximum weekly hours
No maximum weekly hours figure is listed for United States: the statute cited below does not set one as a weekly ceiling. Daily limits, annual overtime caps and minimum rest periods may still apply, so read the source before planning long weeks.
Rest breaks
No statutory rest break with a fixed hours threshold is recorded for United States in the source cited below. Break entitlements may still come from the collective agreement or from sector rules. Either way, unpaid breaks are excluded from paid hours, which is how the hours calculator treats the break field by default.
Calculate overtime pay for United States
Select United States in the hours calculator or the timesheet and these thresholds and the 1.5× multiplier are applied to your week automatically. Overtime hours are shown on their own line rather than folded into the total, so the figure can be checked against the statute.
As of September 21, 2026
This page summarises the statutory baseline in United States for general information. It is not legal advice, collective agreements and sector rules can set different terms, and labour law changes. Check dol.gov before relying on any figure.
Questions and answers
When does overtime start in United States?
After 40 hours in a week. United States does not set a separate daily overtime threshold, so hours are measured against the week.
How much is overtime pay in United States?
Overtime is paid at 1.5× the regular hourly rate under the rule cited on this page. Collective agreements may set a higher rate.
What is the maximum number of hours per week in United States?
The statute cited on this page does not set that figure for United States. It is left to the employment contract, the collective agreement or sector rules, so check dol.gov and the agreement that covers the job.
Are rest breaks required in United States?
The statute cited on this page does not set that figure for United States. It is left to the employment contract, the collective agreement or sector rules, so check dol.gov and the agreement that covers the job.
Where do these figures come from?
From dol.gov, the statutory instrument for working time in United States. Where a figure is uncertain it is left blank rather than estimated.