Free 8 and 80 Overtime Calculator for Nurses (2026)

Page last updated 25 Oct 2026

How to use the 8 and 80 overtime calculator

Check first that your employer is a hospital or residential care establishment with an agreement made before the work, using a fixed 14-day period.
Enter the hours you worked on each of the 14 days, and your base rate.
Add shift differentials per day and any bonus; they go into the regular rate for the period.
Read the overtime hours and total pay, then compare with the same schedule under two normal 40-hour workweeks.

How is 8 and 80 overtime calculated?

Under section 7(j) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, overtime for a 14-day period is every hour over 8 in a day plus any hour over 80 for the period that is not already counted as daily overtime. The regular rate is total pay, including differentials and bonuses, divided by total hours, and each overtime hour earns an extra half of it. The same schedule is priced under normal 40-hour weeks for comparison.

For example, seven 12-hour shifts in 14 days is 84 hours. Four hours over 8 on each shift is 28 overtime hours, nothing is over 80 once those are taken out, and at $40 an hour the period pays $3,920.00 under 8 and 80 against $3,520.00 under two normal 40-hour workweeks. The schedule and rate are made up; yours come from what you type.

Who should use the 8 and 80 overtime calculator

Nurses and other hospital or residential care staff paid on a 14-day period
Payroll staff in healthcare checking an 8 and 80 pay run
Workers deciding whether 8 and 80 or a 40-hour week pays more for their schedule

Who should not use this

Employees of employers outside hospitals and residential care, who are paid on the normal 40-hour week
Police and fire employees under section 7(k), who have longer work periods
Postal Service employees, whose overtime follows union contracts

Limitations

Federal rule only; California daily overtime is much narrower than it looks, and New York follows 1.5 times over 40.
Hours must be actual hours worked; paid leave does not add overtime hours.
A prior agreement with employees is required, and this tool cannot check it.
The qualified overtime figure is an estimate; withholding is not changed.
Nothing is uploaded or stored on a server. Clearing your browser data also removes the saved profile.

What this calculator does

This page is built for the cases other tools leave out, with the arithmetic shown so you can check it against your own pay stub. It includes:

Day-by-day grid for the 14-day period, with no double counting.
Shift differentials per day and bonuses in the regular rate.
Side-by-side with normal 40-hour weeks.
Eligibility check before you rely on it.
Qualified overtime deduction estimate.

The 8 and 80 rule in one formula

Under 8 and 80, overtime is every hour over 8 in a day plus any hour over 80 in the 14 days that was not already counted. As a formula:

Formula overtime hours = hours over 8 each day + max(0, (total hours − daily overtime hours) − 80)

Seven 12-hour shifts: 84 hours, 28 overtime hours, $3,920.00 at $40.

Do you actually qualify?

The employer must be a hospital or residential care establishment, have an agreement made before the work, and use a fixed 14-day period. Employees who work for another employer or who are in a state with its own rule may be paid differently.

Sources and review

Reviewed on 25 Oct 2026 against the published sources below. Rules and prices change, so check the current position before you rely on a figure.

Common questions

What is 8 and 80 overtime?

Section 7(j) of the Fair Labor Standards Act lets hospitals and residential care establishments use a 14-day period instead of a 40-hour week, if there is an agreement made before the work is done. Overtime is paid for hours over 8 in a day and hours over 80 in the 14 days.

How do I calculate 8 and 80 overtime?

Overtime hours = hours over 8 each day + any hours over 80 that are not already counted. Seven 12-hour shifts is 84 hours: 4 hours over 8 on each of 7 shifts is 28 overtime hours, so 56 hours are regular. At $40 an hour the period pays $3,920.00.

Who can use 8 and 80?

Only hospitals and establishments that mainly care for the sick, aged or mentally ill who live on the premises. Employers must have an agreement before the work is done, and employees must be told the period. Outside those employers the normal 40-hour week applies.

Is 8 and 80 better than the 40-hour week?

It depends on the schedule. Seven 12-hour shifts in 14 days (84 hours) pay $3,920.00 at $40 under 8 and 80 but $3,520.00 under two 40-hour workweeks, because the daily overtime applies even in a week that stays under 40. A plain 5 x 9-hour schedule over 10 days pays the same either way. The calculator compares both for your own schedule.

Does 8 and 80 apply in Texas?

Texas has no overtime law of its own for private employers; the federal Fair Labor Standards Act applies, including section 7(j) for covered hospitals.

Does 8 and 80 apply in New York (NYS)?

New York’s overtime rule is 1.5x over 40 hours and follows the federal exemptions and methods. Check your agreement and the New York State Department of Labor if you are unsure. The calculator applies the federal rule.

What about California?

California daily overtime applies after 8 hours and double time after 12. The federal 8 and 80 option is very narrow in California. Many healthcare employers there use a 12-hour alternative workweek instead; use the 12-hour option on the overtime rate adjustment calculator.

How are shift differentials and bonuses handled?

They go into the regular rate for the whole 14-day period (total pay ÷ total hours). Add them in the boxes above.

Is there an 8 and 80 calculator on the DOL website?

The Department of Labor’s FLSA advisor does not calculate 8 and 80. That is why this calculator exists.

Does 8 and 80 count paid time off?

No. Overtime is based on hours actually worked. Paid leave is paid at the regular rate but does not add overtime hours.

What is qualified overtime?

Qualified overtime is the half-time premium of FLSA overtime that can be deducted on a 2025–2028 tax return, up to $12,500 ($25,000 joint), phasing out above $150,000 ($300,000 joint) of income. Enter your income above for an estimate. Withholding is not changed.

How is overtime calculated for police officers and firefighters?

Law enforcement and fire protection employees under section 7(k) have a longer work period and a higher overtime threshold (for example 171 hours in 28 days for law enforcement and 212 hours for fire protection). This calculator does not cover 7(k).

How do I calculate unpaid overtime?

Compute what you should have been paid with the calculator, then subtract what was paid. Keep your own record of hours; the Department of Labor and state agencies can help with claims.

How is USPS overtime calculated?

The Postal Service pays overtime under union contracts with their own rules, so the 8 and 80 calculator does not apply to USPS.

Guides that explain the rules

Related tools

Results are estimates, not legal, tax, payroll or financial advice. They follow the rules and rates named under Sources, leave out anything the page does not mention (such as other income, credits, local rules or your employer’s own policy), and can differ from a payroll run, a tax return or an agency’s decision. See the disclaimer. Found a mistake? Report an error in a calculation.