Overtime Pay and Rates 2026
Overtime is time worked beyond the ordinary hours set by an award, paid at a higher rate than normal. Each modern award decides when overtime starts and how much extra it pays.
Awards set a limit on ordinary hours, both for a single day and for the working week. Work past that limit, or outside the span of hours the award treats as ordinary, and it usually counts as overtime. The exact trigger varies between awards: some count overtime once daily hours pass a set point, others once the weekly total is exceeded, and many use both tests together.
Overtime is normally paid as a multiple of the ordinary rate. A very common pattern is time-and-a-half for the first stretch of overtime, then double time after that. Overtime worked on a Sunday or a public holiday often attracts a higher rate again. As with penalty rates, the precise steps and the thresholds where they change are set by the individual award, so they are worth checking for the specific job.
How overtime interacts with the casual loading and with penalty rates also differs between awards. Some calculate overtime on the base rate alone, while others work from a rate that already includes the loading, and the order in which these amounts stack changes the final figure. That is one reason overtime is easy to get wrong when it is worked out by hand.
This is what the overtime calculator is for. You enter the award, the classification and the hours of a shift, and it applies that award's own overtime steps to return the pay for the shift, using the Fair Work Commission minimums current for 2026. It shows the ordinary and the overtime portions separately, so the make-up of the total is clear rather than hidden in a single number.
Keep in mind that overtime rules can also cover rest breaks between shifts and minimum payments for being recalled to work. Those details live in the award text. The calculator handles the core case of hours worked beyond the ordinary limit for a classification, which is the part most people need when they are checking a shift for 2026.
Work out overtime
Common questions
When does overtime start?
When work goes beyond the ordinary hours the award sets for a day or a week, or outside the span of ordinary hours. The exact trigger varies by award.
What are the usual overtime rates?
A common pattern is time-and-a-half for the first part of the overtime and double time after that, with higher rates again on Sundays and public holidays in many awards.
How can I work out overtime pay?
Enter the award, the classification and the shift hours into the overtime calculator, and it applies the award's own overtime steps for 2026.
Rates current as of 1 July 2026. Source: Fair Work Commission — Modern Awards Pay Database. Last checked .
General information only — not legal, industrial or financial advice. These are the published minimum rates for information. Your modern award or enterprise agreement prevails if there is any inconsistency. Check the official source above or the Fair Work Ombudsman for your situation.