Holiday Pay Calculator
- Regular pay
- Holiday hours worked
Paid holiday hours not worked do not count toward the 40 hours for federal overtime.
How the holiday pay calculation works
Holiday rate = hourly rate × the premium
At $20 an hour, time and a half is $30 and double time is $40.
Holiday hours worked × the holiday rate
8 hours at $30 is $240, which is $80 more than straight time.
Paid holidays off are paid at the regular rate
A paid 8-hour holiday at $20 adds $160 even though no work is done.
Add the regular hours for the week
32 regular hours at $20 is $640, so the week totals $880.
Worked example. At $20 an hour, working 8 hours on a holiday at time and a half pays $240. With 32 regular hours ($640), the week's pay is $880, of which $80 is the holiday premium.
Holiday Pay FAQ
How is holiday pay calculated?
Multiply the hours worked on the holiday by the hourly rate and the holiday premium your employer uses, such as 1.5. Paid holidays off are paid at the regular rate.
What is holiday pay?
Holiday pay is what an employee earns for a holiday: either pay for a holiday off (a paid holiday) or a higher rate for working on the holiday, such as time and a half. Both are set by the employer's policy or a contract.
Do employers have to pay holiday pay?
Not under federal law. The FLSA does not require payment for time not worked, such as holidays, and does not require a premium for working on a holiday. Paid holidays are a matter of agreement between employer and employee. Check your state law and any union contract, which can add rules.
Is holiday pay time and a half?
Only if the employer's policy or a contract says so; federal law does not require it. Where it is paid, time and a half is 1.5 times the regular rate. At $18 an hour that is $27 an hour, or $216 for an 8-hour holiday shift.
Do paid holidays count toward overtime?
No. Federal overtime is due for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, and pay for a holiday not worked is not pay for hours worked, so it does not count toward the 40 and cannot be credited against overtime owed.
Does a holiday premium count toward overtime?
It can. Under federal rules, the extra pay from a holiday rate of at least time and a half can be credited toward overtime due for the same week. A premium below time and a half cannot be credited and is included in the regular rate instead.
What are the federal holidays in 2026?
The 11 federal holidays for 2026 (OPM schedule): New Year's Day (Jan 1), Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday (Jan 19), Washington's Birthday (Feb 16), Memorial Day (May 25), Juneteenth (June 19), Independence Day (observed Friday, July 3), Labor Day (Sept 7), Columbus Day (Oct 12), Veterans Day (Nov 11), Thanksgiving (Nov 26) and Christmas (Dec 25). Private employers choose which of these, if any, are paid holidays.
Do salaried employees get holiday pay?
Exempt salaried staff are usually paid their normal salary for the holiday week. Extra pay for working a holiday depends on the employer's policy.
Sources: US Department of Labor: Holiday pay · US Department of Labor: Overtime pay · 29 CFR 778.203: Premium pay for holidays and other special days (eCFR) · 29 CFR 778.218: Pay for holidays and other idle hours (eCFR) · US Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays