Payroll Calculator
Compute gross pay (regular + overtime + bonus) and total employer payroll cost in one pass.
Written by Golam Rabbani, Founder & Lead Engineer
How to use this payroll calculator
- Enter the hourly rate and the regular hours for the pay period, then choose the pay frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly); results update live as you type.
- Add one or more overtime tiers — each with its own hours and multiplier (e.g. 1.5× and a separate 2× holiday tier) — using “+ Add overtime tier”.
- Add any bonus or commission, then enter the employer-side payroll tax percentage you owe on top of gross pay.
- Optionally enter a rough employee tax rate to estimate take-home, and read the breakdown table, the employer-cost composition bar, the step-by-step math, and the per-frequency / annualized table.
- Use Copy to save gross pay, total employer cost, and the annualized figure, or Reset to clear.
About this payroll calculator
The payroll calculator computes gross pay for an hourly employee and the total cost to the employer, including employer-side payroll taxes. You bring the employer tax percentage because rates differ by country, by state, and by year — bundling a 2024 or 2025 table would mean the tool drifts the day rates change.
The formula is: regular_pay = rate × regular_hours; overtime_pay = Σ (rate × multiplier × overtime_hours) across each tier; gross = regular + overtime + bonus; employer_tax = gross × employer_rate%; total_cost = gross + employer_tax. Multiple overtime tiers let you mix, say, time-and-a-half and a double-time holiday rate in one period.
Worked example: hourly rate 25, 40 regular hours, 5 overtime hours at 1.5×, 200 bonus, employer payroll tax 7.65%, tax year 2025. Regular pay = 25 × 40 = 1,000. Overtime = 25 × 1.5 × 5 = 187.50. Bonus = 200. Gross = 1,387.50. Employer payroll tax = 1,387.50 × 0.0765 ≈ 106.14. Total employer cost = 1,387.50 + 106.14 = 1,493.64. The tool also annualizes these figures by the chosen pay frequency (here weekly: × 52) and shows the equivalent weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, and monthly amounts in one table.
The headline view is the employer-side cost — the part most calculators omit. An optional employee tax rate gives a rough net-pay estimate, but it is a single-rate approximation, not real withholding (for accurate take-home use a full paycheck calculator). Real payroll also includes unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, paid leave accruals, and wage-base caps. Verify with your local tax authority and a payroll provider before running real payroll. Not financial advice.
FAQ
- What does the payroll calculator actually compute?
- Gross pay for one employee for one pay period (regular + overtime + bonus) and the total cost to the employer once you add the employer-side payroll tax. Employee withholding is not modelled here — use the Paycheck Calculator for take-home pay.
- Why is the overtime multiplier editable?
- Most jurisdictions use 1.5× for overtime, but some use 2.0× for holidays, and salaried overtime rules vary. Editing the multiplier lets you match whatever rule applies to your contract or country.
- What rate should I enter for employer payroll tax?
- Use the combined employer share that applies to you. In the US that is roughly 7.65% (Social Security + Medicare match) plus federal and state unemployment — the actual number depends on state and turnover. Outside the US, use your national contribution rate.
- Does this tool calculate net pay or income tax withholding?
- No. It shows gross pay and total employer cost. To estimate the employee's net pay, use the Paycheck Calculator with federal, state, and FICA percentages.
- Can I model more than one overtime rate?
- Yes. Use “+ Add overtime tier” to stack as many tiers as you need — for example 6 hours at 1.5× and 3 holiday hours at 2.0×. Each tier has its own hours and multiplier, and the tool sums them into total overtime pay and shows the substituted arithmetic for each.
- How does the per-frequency / annualized table work?
- The hours and pay you enter represent one pay period at the frequency you select. The tool annualizes that figure (weekly × 52, bi-weekly × 26, semi-monthly × 24, monthly × 12) and then shows the equivalent amount at every frequency plus the annual total — assuming the same pay each period.
- Can I use this for salaried employees?
- Yes — divide the salary by hours worked to get an hourly rate, enter that as the rate, the actual hours in regular hours, and zero overtime. Or just enter the salary as a bonus with rate 0 and hours 0.
- Is anything stored or sent to a server?
- No. All calculation runs in your browser; nothing is sent or saved. Closing the page clears every input.