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Shift Differential Calculator
Many employers pay a premium — a differential — for nights, weekends, or holidays. Enter your base rate, the differential, and how your hours split between the two rates.
Your pay details
Your gross pay
| Regular pay$20.00 × 24 hrs | $480.00 |
| Differential-hours pay$22.00/hr × 16 hrs | $352.00 |
| Differential premium alone$2.00/hr × 16 hrs | $32.00 |
| Total gross pay | $832.00 |
Gross pay — before taxes and deductions. The "premium alone" line is shown for information only; it is already included in the differential-hours pay, not added on top.
How the math works
Hours worked at the differential are paid at your base rate plus the differential. Everything else is paid at the base rate:
If your differential is a percentage, the differential per hour is the percentage of your base rate — for example, 10% of a $20 base rate is a $2/hr differential, giving a $22 differential rate. This calculator assumes the differential hours are not also overtime hours; if some hours earn both a differential and overtime, see the gotchas below.
Worked example (in USD)
Your base rate is $20/hour, the differential is +$2/hour, and in one week you work 16 differential hours and 24 regular hours:
Differential rate: $20 + $2 = $22/hour
Regular pay: $20 × 24 = $480
Differential pay: $22 × 16 = $352
Total: $480 + $352 = $832 for the week.
Common gotchas
- Differentials and overtime interact. Under US federal rules, a shift differential usually counts toward the "regular rate" used to calculate overtime, so an overtime hour on a differential shift can pay more than a simple 1.5 × base rate. This tool prices differential and regular hours separately and does not stack overtime on top.
- Flat vs percentage differentials. A 10% differential rises automatically when your base rate rises; a flat $2 differential does not. Check which kind your employer offers before comparing offers.
- Only some hours may qualify. Some employers pay the differential only for hours actually worked between certain times (say, 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.), so a shift that starts at 9 p.m. may earn the premium on only part of the shift.
- Weekend and holiday premiums may be multipliers instead. Some policies pay 1.25× or 1.5× the base rate rather than base-plus-a-flat-amount. A 1.5× premium on a $20 rate is the same as a +$10 flat differential — you can model it either way here.