Find out what you earn for working a holiday. Enter an hourly rate or salary, the holiday hours you worked and the multiplier (1.5×, 2× or your own), plus any paid holiday hours you didn't work, to get holiday pay and total gross pay for the period.
Last updated:
Your pay
I am paid
$/ hr
$/ yr
h
Used to turn the salary into an hourly rate.
Holiday hours
h
×
h
Paid holiday time off at the regular rate (e.g. 8 for a paid day off).
h
Non-holiday hours, e.g. 32 in a 40-hour week with one holiday.
Enter your values to see the result.
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How to use the Holiday Pay Calculator
Choose hourly or salary and enter your rate (salaries are converted using hours per week).
Enter the holiday hours you worked and pick the multiplier your employer pays.
Add paid holiday hours you received without working, if any.
Enter regular hours for the rest of the pay period.
Read your total gross pay and compare other multipliers in the table.
Holiday pay formulas
Holiday worked pay = holiday hours worked × hourly rate × multiplier.
Holiday premium = holiday hours worked × hourly rate × (multiplier − 1), the extra over straight time.
For a salary, hourly rate = salary ÷ (52 × hours per week). Example: $20/hr, 8 holiday hours at 1.5× and 32 regular hours: 8 × 20 × 1.5 = $240, plus 32 × 20 = $640, so gross is $880.
Pay for an 8-hour holiday shift
Hourly rate
1× straight
1.5× time and a half
2× double time
2.5×
$12
$96.00
$144.00
$192.00
$240.00
$15
$120.00
$180.00
$240.00
$300.00
$18
$144.00
$216.00
$288.00
$360.00
$20
$160.00
$240.00
$320.00
$400.00
$25
$200.00
$300.00
$400.00
$500.00
$30
$240.00
$360.00
$480.00
$600.00
$40
$320.00
$480.00
$640.00
$800.00
The 11 US federal holidays are New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Private employers choose which holidays they observe and how they pay them.
Frequently asked questions
How is holiday pay calculated?
Multiply the hours worked on the holiday by your hourly rate and the holiday multiplier. Working 8 hours at $20 an hour with time and a half gives 8 × 20 × 1.5 = $240. Paid holiday hours you don't work are usually paid at your normal rate.
Is holiday pay required by law in the US?
Generally no. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require pay for time not worked or premium pay for working on holidays; it is set by employer policy or a contract. Overtime rules still apply if you work more than 40 hours in the workweek. Rules differ in other countries.
What is the difference between holiday pay and holiday premium pay?
Holiday pay often means being paid for a holiday you take off. Holiday premium pay is the extra you earn for working on a holiday, such as the additional 0.5× in time and a half. Some employers pay both when you work a holiday.
How do I calculate holiday pay for a salaried employee?
Convert the salary to an hourly rate: annual salary ÷ (52 × weekly hours). $52,000 ÷ 2,080 = $25 an hour. Salaried employees usually receive their normal salary for paid holidays; any extra holiday premium depends on company policy.
Do holiday hours count toward overtime?
Under the FLSA, hours paid but not worked (such as a paid holiday off) don't count toward the 40-hour overtime threshold. Hours actually worked on a holiday do count. An employer's holiday premium can sometimes be credited toward overtime owed.
What does double time and a half mean?
It means 2.5 times your hourly rate. At $20 an hour that is $50 for each hour worked. Some employers pay it on major holidays such as Thanksgiving or Christmas.
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