Enter your work details below to calculate your regular rate of pay including bonuses, overtime pay, spread-of-hours, and tipped employee rules.
Hospitality workers: 1 extra hour at minimum wage for each day spanning 10+ hours. Non-hospitality workers: applies when daily earnings fall below the minimum wage daily floor.
This calculator provides an informational estimate based on the published rules and rates for New York State, United States as of August 2026. It does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Individual circumstances—including personal exemptions, deductions, regional rules, and special situations—may produce different results. For decisions involving tax obligations, payroll processing, or financial planning, consult a qualified professional licensed in your jurisdiction.
Let's walk through a real scenario using the calculator above. All numbers are based on 2026 NY rates.
| Step | Description | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Base wages (45 hrs × $18/hr) | 45 × $18 | $810.00 |
| 2 | Weekly bonus portion ($600 quarterly ÷ 13 weeks) | $600 ÷ 13 | $46.15 |
| 3 | Total weekly earnings (wages + bonus) | $810 + $46.15 | $856.15 |
| 4 | Regular rate of pay (total earnings ÷ total hours) | $856.15 ÷ 45 | $19.03/hr |
| 5 | Overtime rate (regular rate × 1.5) | $19.03 × 1.5 | $28.54/hr |
| 6 | Overtime pay (5 overtime hours × overtime rate) | 5 × $28.54 | $142.70 |
| ✓ | Total weekly pay (straight time + overtime) | (40×$19.03) + $142.70 | $903.90 |
📌 What this means: Without including the bonus in overtime, you'd have been paid (40×$18) + (5×$27) = $855.00. By correctly including the bonus, you're owed $903.90 — that's $48.90 more this week. Over a year, that adds up!
The regular rate of pay is the foundation of every overtime calculation. Under both federal FLSA and New York Labor Law, your regular rate is your total compensation — including hourly wages, non-discretionary bonuses, commissions, and shift differentials — divided by the total number of hours you actually worked in that workweek.
In New York, the regular rate cannot fall below the applicable minimum wage for your region. For 2026, that's $17.00/hour in NYC, Long Island, and Westchester, and $16.00/hour in the rest of New York State.
The Core Formula:
Regular Rate = Total Earnings ÷ Total Hours Worked
Total Earnings = Hourly/Salary Wages + Non-Discretionary Bonuses + Commissions + Shift Differentials
Why this matters: When your employer adds a bonus to your paycheck, that bonus must be included in the regular rate before your overtime rate is calculated. Many employers get this wrong, and you could be owed back pay.
Short answer: It depends on whether the bonus is discretionary or non-discretionary. Non-discretionary bonuses must be included. Discretionary bonuses are excluded.
This distinction is one of the most common sources of overtime violations. Below is a clear comparison to help you classify your bonus.
| Bonus Type | Definition | Included in Regular Rate? |
|---|---|---|
| Performance Bonus | Tied to meeting specific goals, production targets, or quality metrics | ✅ Yes |
| Commission | Percentage of sales earned as compensation | ✅ Yes |
| Production Bonus | Earned based on units produced or work completed | ✅ Yes |
| Retention Bonus | Promised payment for staying with the company for a certain period | ✅ Yes |
| Signing Bonus | Given upon starting employment; usually conditional | ❌ Typically No (if truly discretionary) |
| Holiday Gift Bonus | Unexpected gift, not tied to performance or hours | ❌ No |
| Discretionary Bonus | At employer's sole discretion; not promised in advance | ❌ No |
⚠️ When in doubt, assume the bonus is non-discretionary.
Most bonuses are non-discretionary because they are tied to performance, productivity, or specific conditions. The employer must prove a bonus is discretionary to exclude it from your regular rate.
To find out how much your bonus adds to each hour worked, divide your weekly bonus portion by your total hours:
Bonus Contribution per Hour = Weekly Bonus Amount ÷ Total Hours Worked
For example: a $100 weekly bonus divided by 45 hours = $2.22 per hour added to your regular rate. That means your overtime rate increases by $3.33 per hour ($2.22 × 1.5).
Use the calculator above to see exactly how much your bonus changes your regular rate and overtime pay.
Follow these steps to calculate your regular rate of pay and overtime when you receive a non-discretionary bonus. The calculator above does this automatically, but understanding the math helps you verify your pay.
📐 The Formula in One Line:
Total Pay = (Regular Hours × Adjusted Regular Rate) + (Overtime Hours × Adjusted Regular Rate × 1.5)
Where Adjusted Regular Rate = (Weekly Wages + Weekly Bonus Portion) ÷ Total Hours
If your employer has made any of these mistakes, use the calculator above to determine what you should have been paid.
New York has several rules that differ from federal FLSA. Here are the most important ones that affect your overtime calculation.
| Region | 2026 Minimum Wage |
|---|---|
| NYC, Long Island & Westchester | $17.00/hr |
| Rest of New York State | $16.00/hr |
Salaried employees earning below these thresholds must be paid overtime, regardless of their job duties:
| Region | Weekly Threshold | Annual Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| NYC, Long Island & Westchester | $1,275.00 | $66,300 |
| Rest of New York State | $1,199.10 | $62,353.20 |
These thresholds apply to executive and administrative employees. New York does not set a higher threshold for the professional exemption — the federal threshold of $684.00/week applies there. Exemption also requires passing a job duties test; outside sales employees have no salary threshold.
⚠️ If you earn below these thresholds, you are non-exempt and entitled to overtime.
Many employers incorrectly classify employees as exempt. If you're salaried but earn less than these thresholds, you likely qualify for overtime pay.
Unlike California, New York does not require overtime for working more than 8 hours in a day. Overtime is calculated per workweek (40 hours for most employees; see the table below).
Most non-exempt employees earn overtime after 40 hours in a workweek, but two groups have different thresholds:
| Worker Type | Overtime Starts |
|---|---|
| Most non-exempt employees | 40 hours/week |
| Residential (live-in) employees | 44 hours/week |
| Farm workers (2026) | 52 hours/week (phasing down to 40 by 2032) |
New York employers are required to keep payroll records for 6 years — double the federal requirement. This makes it easier for employees to file claims for unpaid overtime.
Under NY Labor Law, you have 6 years from the date wages were due to file a claim for unpaid overtime. This is much longer than the federal 2-3 year limit.
💡 What this means for you:
If you were underpaid in 2020 or later, you can still file a claim. Use the calculator above to estimate how much you may be owed.
New York has a unique rule called "spread-of-hours" pay that is one of the most commonly missed wage violations in the state.
What is spread-of-hours pay? When a workday spans more than 10 hours from start to finish — including unpaid breaks and off-duty time between shifts — an employee is owed one additional hour of pay at the applicable minimum wage for that day.
📌 Spread-of-Hours Formula:
Spread-of-Hours Pay = 1 Hour × Minimum Wage (per day spanning 10+ hours)
How spread-of-hours pay applies depends on which wage order covers your job:
Scenario: A NYC restaurant server works a 12-hour shift at $17.00/hour. They worked 48 hours total this week (40 regular + 8 overtime).
⚠️ Spread-of-hours is in addition to overtime, not instead of it.
The extra hour is paid at the minimum wage, not at the overtime rate. Use the toggle in the calculator above to include this in your total.
Tipped employees face a common misconception: that overtime is calculated on their cash wage. That's not how it works in New York.
For overtime purposes, the regular rate is based on the full minimum wage, not the cash wage.
| Worker Type | NYC & LI/Westchester | Rest of NY |
|---|---|---|
| Food Service Workers (servers, bartenders, bussers) | $11.35/hr cash wage + $5.65 tip credit | $10.70/hr cash wage + $5.30 tip credit |
| Service Employees (other tipped workers) | $14.15/hr cash wage + $2.85 tip credit | $13.30/hr cash wage + $2.70 tip credit |
Scenario: A tipped server in NYC works 48 hours (40 regular + 8 overtime). Cash wage is $11.35/hr. Tips for the week are $150. They also receive a $100 non-discretionary bonus for the week.
⚠️ Common tipped employee overtime violations:
Use the tipped employee toggle in the calculator above to get accurate results for your situation.
Here are five real-world scenarios showing how different compensation structures affect overtime pay in New York. Compare them to your own situation.
Details:
Calculation:
📈 What you'd get without including the bonus: (40×$18) + (5×$27) = $855.00
Difference: You're owed $48.90 more with the bonus included.
Details:
Calculation (FLSA half-time method for salaried non-exempt):
Note: For salaried non-exempt employees, the weekly salary already compensates all hours worked at straight time. The overtime obligation is the additional half-time (0.5×) premium for overtime hours — not a full 1.5× recalculation from scratch.
Details:
Calculation:
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💡 You could be owed back pay for up to 6 years under NY law.
Most online overtime calculators are generic. They apply federal FLSA rules and ignore the unique complexities of New York labor law. This calculator is different.
Here's what sets this calculator apart:
✅ NY-Specific Rules
Uses 2026 minimum wage rates ($17.00/$16.00) and overtime exemption thresholds ($1,275.00/$1,199.10).
✅ Bonus Integration
Shows you exactly how much your non-discretionary bonus adds to your regular rate and overtime pay.
✅ Spread-of-Hours
Handles the NY spread-of-hours rule that other calculators ignore, for both hospitality and miscellaneous industry workers.
✅ Tipped Employees
Calculates overtime correctly — using the full minimum wage, not the cash wage.
✅ Real-Time Results
See your regular rate, bonus contribution per hour, overtime rate, and total pay instantly.
✅ 2026 Data
Updated with the latest minimum wage rates and salary thresholds effective January 1, 2026.
No other page on AKCalc combines all of these features in one place. And no competitor — whether a generic calculator site or a law firm blog — offers a tool that handles bonuses, spread-of-hours, tipped employees, and NY-specific 2026 rates simultaneously.
📌 Built for New York Workers, Not Generic Audiences
This calculator was designed specifically for New York employees who want to verify their pay, understand their rights, and get accurate numbers — not vague estimates.
If your calculation shows you are owed overtime or bonus-included pay, here is how to move forward:
⚠️ This is not legal advice.
This section is general guidance for New York workers. The deadline to file a claim is generally 6 years from when the wages were due, but professional help is strongly recommended before you file.
These tools cover other common New York wage and hour scenarios:
Find answers to the most common questions about regular rate of pay, bonuses, and overtime in New York.
Our calculator uses the official formulas defined under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and New York Labor Law. All rates are updated for 2026.
⚠️ Disclaimer
This calculator provides estimates for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Employment laws can be complex and may vary by industry. Always consult a qualified employment attorney for advice on your specific situation. If you believe you have been underpaid, you should seek professional legal counsel.
✓ Updated for 2026 • Free to use • Based on official New York State rates