Calculate 12-hour shift costs to determine an employee’s total compensation in a week, month, and year. Use this free 12-hour shift calculator to prepare for payroll, comply with labor laws, and plan your budget accordingly.
Free 12-Hour Shift Pay Calculator
How to Use the 12-Hour Shift Calculator
- Enter Hourly Wage: Input the employee’s standard hourly rate.
- Specify Regular Hours per Shift: Indicate the number of hours considered regular before overtime applies (commonly 8 hours).
- Input Overtime Hourly Wage: Provide the overtime rate. If unsure, a typical overtime rate is 1.5 times the regular hourly wage.
- Enter Number of Weekly Shifts: Specify how many 12-hour shifts the employee works each week.
- Calculate: Click the “Calculate” button to view the pay breakdown.
Looking to calculate total hours for payroll? Our payroll hours calculator makes it super easy.
12-Hour Shift Calculator
Your Pay Breakdown
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Weekly Pay (Based on Shifts)$0.00
Monthly Pay (Based on Shifts)$0.00
Annual Pay (Based on Shifts)$0.00
Average Hourly WageHow 12-Hour Shift Pay Impacts Payroll
Looking at 12-hour shift pay is a useful way for employers to plan for payroll by estimating total labor costs, including base and overtime pay.
This ensures they stay within budget, provide fair compensation, and maintain compliance with labor laws. It is important to mention that in the United States, overtime is regulated and required by FLSA.
Employers must pay at least 1.5 times the regular pay rate to employees who exceed the standard 40-hour workweek.
How to Calculate 12-Hour Shift Pay
When employees work 12-hour shifts, part of their time may qualify for overtime depending on your company policy and local labor laws.
Here’s how to calculate total pay per shift manually:
(Regular Hours × Hourly Wage) + (Overtime Hours × Overtime Wage) = Total Pay per Shift
For example, if an employee earns $20/hour and works 8 regular hours and 4 overtime hours at 1.5× pay:
- Regular pay: 8 × $20 = $160
- Overtime pay: 4 × $30 = $120
- Total per shift: $280
To estimate weekly pay, multiply by the number of shifts. To calculate monthly pay, multiply weekly pay by 4.33 (average weeks per month). To find annual pay, multiply weekly pay by 52. You can also divide total pay per shift by 12 to get the average hourly rate across the full shift.
Why This Matters
When managing employees who work long hours, it’s crucial to:
- Budget accurately – 12-hour shifts stack up quickly, especially with overtime.
- Stay compliant – U.S. employers must follow FLSA rules, which require paying at least 1.5× the regular rate for time worked beyond 40 hours a week. In some states, daily overtime kicks in after 8 hours per shift.
- Pay fairly – Ensuring correct overtime pay helps avoid disputes and keeps your team motivated.
Take the Stress Out of 12-Hour Shift Management with Connecteam
When you’re managing employees on 12-hour shifts, the margin for error is small, but the consequences are big. Whether it’s miscalculated overtime, missed breaks, or payroll delays, one small mistake can cost you time, money, and trust.
Connecteam makes it easy to stay on top of everything:
- Accurate time tracking: Employees clock in and out from their phones, with GPS to verify locations—ideal for remote and field-based teams.
- Built-in overtime rules: Automatically calculate overtime based on daily or weekly thresholds. Set custom policies for different teams, locations, or roles.
- Smart timesheets: Track total hours, breaks, and overtime in one place. No more chasing down paper logs or fixing errors at the last minute.
- Payroll-ready exports: Send clean, accurate data straight to your payroll system—no formatting, no fuss.
FAQs
In most U.S. states, overtime applies after 8 hours in a single day or 40 hours in a workweek, depending on local laws. That means in a 12-hour shift, at least 4 hours may qualify as overtime. Always check your state or industry-specific regulations to be sure.
Time and a half means the employee earns 1.5× times their regular hourly wage for overtime hours.
Double time is 2× the regular rate and typically applies on holidays or after a certain number of consecutive overtime hours.
This calculator allows you to input any overtime rate, so it’s flexible for both.
If you earn $12/hour and work a standard 40-hour week, your weekly pay would be $480 before taxes.
- Monthly pay: About $2,080 (based on 4.33 weeks/month)
- Annual pay: About $24,960
If you work 12-hour shifts with overtime, your total earnings may be higher—use the calculator above to get a precise breakdown.
Not automatically. Time and a half applies when you exceed certain legal limits, like 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week—depending on your state or country. In many U.S. states, the 4 extra hours in a 12-hour shift would qualify for overtime at 1.5× your regular rate. Always check your local labor laws.
If you work full-time (40 hours/week) at $40/hour, your annual salary would be about $83,200:
40 hours × $40 = $1,600/week
$1,600 × 52 weeks = $83,200/year
If you work more hours or take on overtime, your actual earnings may be higher.
No. This tool is designed for hourly employees working 12-hour shifts. For salaried workers, compensation doesn’t typically vary based on shift length or overtime hours unless they’re classified as non-exempt under FLSA rules.
By entering the number of 12-hour shifts per week, you can instantly estimate your monthly and yearly labor costs. This helps with scheduling, forecasting, and making informed staffing decisions, especially when managing overtime-heavy workloads.
No. The calculator assumes a full 12-hour paid shift. If your employees take unpaid breaks, you’ll need to subtract that time from the total hours manually before entering values into the calculator.
Connecteam simplifies 12-hour shift tracking by letting your team clock in/out from their phones, automatically calculating regular and overtime pay, and exporting error-free timesheets to payroll. It’s an all-in-one solution designed for businesses with long or complex shift structures.