12-hour shift pay planner Estimate gross earnings from a 12-hour rota using the weekly overtime threshold and premium multiplier that match your workplace or planning scenario.
Display currency
Currency preference changes only the display format used in the pay sheet. The hours and overtime split stay the same.
Schedule presets
Load a common three-shift week, four-shift overtime week, 2-2-3 average, or unpaid-break case, then adjust the pay rule below.
Scope and assumptions
This calculator starts from 12 scheduled hours per shift, subtracts any unpaid break minutes you enter, and applies overtime only after the weekly threshold you choose. The default 40-hour threshold and 1.5x multiplier mirror a common US planning assumption, but many employers and jurisdictions use different rules.
Night premiums, union rules, unpaid meal breaks, daily overtime, double time, taxes, and deductions are outside this model. Use it as a gross-pay estimate rather than a payroll ruling.
Result
$900.00 / week
Based on 36 paid weekly hours across 3 twelve-hour shifts, with overtime paid after 40 hours at 150% of the base rate.
Biweekly pay
$1,800.00
Monthly pay
$3,900.00
Annual pay
$46,800.00
Overtime hours
0
Overtime pay
$0.00
Average pay per shift
$300.00
Pay split
36 hours are paid at the base rate, producing $900.00 of regular pay. 0 hours are paid at the overtime rate, producing $0.00.
Your blended hourly rate for the week is $25.00 per paid hour once the overtime premium is spread across all 36 paid hours worked.
The annual estimate uses 52 paid weeks per year, so seasonal or unpaid-leave patterns can be modelled without changing the weekly rota.
A 12-hour shift pay calculator helps you turn a demanding rota into numbers you can actually plan around. Instead of stopping at weekly gross pay, this page shows how regular hours and overtime hours split inside a 12-hour schedule, what that means for biweekly, monthly, and annual earnings, and why the same shift pattern can produce different pay depending on the overtime rule being applied.
What a 12-hour shift pay calculator is really measuring
A 12-hour shift pay calculator starts with one simple fact: every shift contributes 12 scheduled hours before breaks or unpaid time are taken out. Multiply that by the number of shifts worked in a week and you have the scheduled weekly hours. The calculator then subtracts any unpaid break minutes you enter so the regular and overtime split is based on paid hours, not just time on the rota. The next step is deciding which of those paid hours qualify as regular time and which qualify as overtime under the threshold you choose.
That distinction matters because many workers search for 12-hour shift pay calculator, 12-hour shift overtime calculator, or how much does a 12-hour shift schedule pay when the real question is not just how many hours they work, but which hours receive a premium rate. Under a weekly 40-hour threshold, three 12-hour shifts produce 36 hours and no overtime. Four 12-hour shifts produce 48 hours, so eight of those hours qualify for overtime in the simplified model used here.
Scheduled weekly hours = 12 x shifts per week
The calculator starts from 12 scheduled hours per shift before unpaid breaks are removed.
Paid weekly hours = (12 - unpaid break hours per shift) x shifts per week
Paid hours drive the regular and overtime split, so unpaid meal breaks reduce the weekly total before pay is estimated.
Regular pay = hourly rate x regular hours
Regular pay uses the base hourly rate on hours at or below the overtime threshold.
Overtime pay = hourly rate x overtime multiplier x overtime hours
Overtime hours are any weekly hours above the threshold entered in the calculator, paid at the premium multiplier you choose.
The calculator first totals weekly hours from your 12-hour rota. It then splits those hours into regular hours and overtime hours using the overtime threshold entered on the page. Regular hours are paid at the base hourly rate. Overtime hours are paid at the base rate multiplied by the overtime premium, such as 1.5 for time-and-a-half or 2.0 for double time. Weekly pay is the sum of those two amounts.
Once the weekly gross figure is known, the calculator annualises the same pattern to estimate biweekly, monthly, and annual pay. You can keep the default 52 paid weeks per year for a steady year-round rota or lower the paid-week count for seasonal work, contract gaps, or a schedule you only expect to hold for part of the year. That is useful for workers on repeating 2-2-3 schedules, three-shift patterns, or four-shift weeks because the raw weekly number alone often does not answer the pay-period question they actually care about. The pay sheet also shows how much of each estimate comes from regular pay versus overtime pay, which helps you see how dependent the schedule is on premium hours.
Worked example: if hourly pay is $25, the overtime threshold is 40 hours, and you work four 12-hour shifts in a week, total weekly hours are 48. The first 40 hours are regular time and produce $1,000. The remaining eight hours are overtime. At 1.5x, those eight hours are paid at $37.50 each and add $300. Weekly gross pay is therefore $1,300 before tax, deductions, or any shift differential.
Using breaks and schedule presets
Many searches for a 12 hour shift pay with breaks or a 12 hour shift schedule pay calculator are really asking whether the whole 12 hours are paid. The calculator handles that by showing scheduled weekly hours separately from paid weekly hours when you enter an unpaid break. For example, four scheduled 12-hour shifts look like 48 hours on the rota, but a 30-minute unpaid break on each shift removes two paid hours from the week and leaves 46 paid hours for the regular/overtime split.
The schedule presets are designed for common planning questions rather than legal conclusions. The 3 x 12 preset is a quick 36-hour week. The 4 x 12 preset shows the overtime exposure of a heavier week under a 40-hour threshold. The 2-2-3 average preset uses 3.5 shifts per week to approximate a longer rotating cycle, while the break preset demonstrates how unpaid time changes the answer even when the scheduled rota looks the same.
If your payroll system applies overtime by day, by pay period, by averaged schedule cycle, or under a collective agreement, use the threshold and multiplier controls as a transparent planning model rather than a final entitlement decision. The value of the calculator is that it makes the assumptions visible: paid hours per shift, weekly threshold, premium multiplier, and paid weeks per year are all adjustable.
Use 0 unpaid break minutes when the entire 12-hour shift is paid.
Use 30 or 60 unpaid break minutes when meal breaks are excluded from paid time.
Use 3.5 shifts per week only when an average is more useful than comparing the short and long weeks separately.
Use fewer than 52 paid weeks per year for seasonal, temporary, or partial-year rota planning.
Where 12-hour shift pay estimates go wrong
The biggest mistake is assuming every 12-hour schedule automatically creates overtime. That is only true if the schedule crosses the overtime rule being used. A three-shift week can still be a 36-hour week. A four-shift week may generate eight overtime hours under a weekly 40-hour rule but produce a different answer under a daily-overtime jurisdiction. That is why the threshold on this page is configurable and why the result should be read as a rule-based estimate rather than a universal payroll outcome.
The second mistake is ignoring premiums outside basic overtime. Night-shift differentials, weekends, holidays, union enhancements, unpaid meal breaks, call-out pay, and guaranteed minimums can all change a real payslip. Some employers also average hours over a longer schedule cycle, while others follow daily overtime rules or sector-specific agreements. This page does not model those complexities. It is strongest as a transparent gross-pay planning tool built from the weekly threshold and overtime multiplier you enter.
That limitation matters for legal interpretation too. In the United States, overtime entitlement is often framed around hours worked over 40 in a workweek for covered nonexempt employees, but other countries and even US states can apply different rules. The page therefore states its scope explicitly: it is a configurable 12-hour-shift gross-pay estimator, not a legal determination of wage entitlement in every jurisdiction.
GOV.UK — Overtime: your rights — UK government guidance showing that overtime rules and entitlement can vary by contract and minimum-wage compliance.
What this shift-pay calculator does not include
This page does not calculate take-home pay, withholding, payroll tax, pension deductions, or net pay. It also does not decide whether a worker is exempt or nonexempt under labour law. If you need a tax-aware answer, combine the gross-pay result with a salary after tax or take-home-pay tool for the relevant country and tax year.
Use the calculator as a planning and cross-check tool. It is ideal when you want to compare three versus four 12-hour shifts, test a different overtime multiplier, or understand how heavily your earnings depend on premium hours. It is not a substitute for your contract, payslip rules, collective agreement, or payroll adviser when the question is about the exact amount legally owed.
Starts from each shift contributing 12 scheduled hours, then removes the unpaid break minutes entered in the calculator before splitting paid time into regular and overtime hours.
Monthly and annual outputs assume the same weekly pattern repeats across the paid weeks per year entered in the calculator.
Does not include shift differentials, bonuses, hazard pay, holiday premiums, or deductions.
Labour-law entitlement can differ by country, state, contract, and worker classification.
Why do three 12-hour shifts show no overtime at a 40-hour threshold?
Because three 12-hour shifts equal 36 total hours for the week. Under a weekly overtime rule that starts only after 40 hours, all 36 hours are still regular time. That does not mean your employer can never pay a premium on that pattern. It only means this specific weekly-threshold model has not crossed its overtime trigger.
Is overtime always owed after eight hours in a day?
No. Some workers are used to daily overtime rules, but many overtime systems are based on total weekly hours instead. This calculator uses the overtime threshold you enter, which is why it can model a weekly 40-hour rule but should not be treated as proof of legal entitlement in jurisdictions that apply daily overtime, double time, or sector-specific rules.
Does this include night-shift, weekend, or holiday differentials?
No. The tool only splits base pay and overtime pay. If your employer pays an extra premium for nights, weekends, bank holidays, call-outs, or specialist duties, those amounts need to be added separately. The result here should therefore be read as a core gross-pay estimate rather than a full payroll simulation.
How should I use this for a 2-2-3 or other rotating schedule?
Use the weekly shifts that best match the week you are evaluating, then compare multiple scenarios if the rota changes from week to week. For example, a 2-2-3 pattern often alternates between weeks with three shifts and weeks with four shifts. The 2-2-3 average preset is useful for a quick long-cycle estimate, but running the three-shift and four-shift weeks separately is usually clearer when overtime exposure differs sharply between the shorter and longer weeks.
Should unpaid breaks be included in a 12-hour shift pay estimate?
Only include break time if it is paid. If a 12-hour shift includes a 30-minute unpaid meal break, enter 30 minutes in the unpaid break field so the calculator uses 11.5 paid hours per shift. That changes both the weekly paid hours and any overtime hours above the threshold.
Why does the calculator ask for paid weeks per year?
The weekly result is the cleanest pay estimate, but annual and monthly figures depend on how many weeks the schedule actually repeats. Use 52 paid weeks for a steady year-round rota, or reduce the value for seasonal work, planned unpaid leave, temporary contracts, or a schedule you only expect to work for part of the year.
