Work Hours & Time Card Calculators

Night shift pay calculation

Direct answer

A night shift has no universal premium; calculate cross-midnight paid hours first, then apply only the differential in the agreement.

shift workNight Shift Calculatorwork hours
Region
Global time-span math; U.S. federal law does not itself require extra night pay.
Best calculator
Night Shift Calculator
Reviewed
2026-07-14

Reproducible workflow

Method, inputs, and worked result

Method

  1. 1Move the end time to the next date.
  2. 2Remove the recorded unpaid break.
  3. 3Apply the agreement's qualifying window.

Inputs used

  • 22:00-06:30 next-day shift
  • 30-minute unpaid break
  • $24 base and $2 whole-shift differential

Worked example

A qualifying overnight shift spans 8.5 hours.

  1. 1.Subtract the break for 8 paid hours.
  2. 2.Base pay is 8 x $24 = $192.
  3. 3.Differential is 8 x $2 = $16.

$208 planning gross with no overtime inferred.

Reproduce: Set end date to the following day, deduct 30 minutes, and select the stated whole-shift premium.

Copy-ready note

Planning summary to paste into a task, invoice, or message

Open Night Shift Calculator
Scenario: Night shift pay calculation
Direct answer: A night shift has no universal premium; calculate cross-midnight paid hours first, then apply only the differential in the agreement.
Region: Global time-span math; U.S. federal law does not itself require extra night pay.
Inputs: 22:00-06:30 next-day shift; 30-minute unpaid break; $24 base and $2 whole-shift differential
Method: Move the end time to the next date. Remove the recorded unpaid break. Apply the agreement's qualifying window.
Example result: $208 planning gross with no overtime inferred.
Reproduce: Set end date to the following day, deduct 30 minutes, and select the stated whole-shift premium.
Boundary: The employment agreement controls differential treatment; overtime must be reviewed separately.
Next step: open Night Shift Calculator from Work Hours & Time Card Calculators.

Common use cases

graveyard shift

premium window

pay estimate

What can change the result

Clock-window premium

Break occurs in premium window

Weekly overtime stacking

Mistakes to avoid

  • Ignoring date rollover
  • Assuming automatic premium
  • Paying premium on unpaid minutes

Questions to explore next

  • Whole shift or clock hours?
  • Did break reduce premium time?
  • Does shift cross overtime threshold?