Updated · Built and checked by the PlinzoTools team, formulas tested against published sources
Calculate holiday pay from an hourly rate, hours worked, and a holiday pay multiplier.
This tool calculates holiday pay as hourly rate × hours worked × multiplier, where the multiplier is whatever premium rate your employer applies for working a recognized holiday (commonly 1.5x or 2x standard pay). US federal law does not mandate holiday pay or a specific multiplier -- it's set by your employer's policy or a union contract, so enter the multiplier that actually applies to you.
Enter your hourly rate, the hours worked on the holiday, and your employer's holiday pay multiplier. Your total holiday pay appears instantly.
The tool multiplies three numbers: hourly rate, holiday hours worked, and the multiplier. Defaults are 20 for the rate, 8 hours, and a multiplier of 1.5, which gives 240.00. The multiplier box accepts decimals in steps of 0.1. There is no separate field for regular holiday pay you may receive without working, so the result represents pay for the hours you enter at the premium rate.
Holiday pay = hourly rate x holiday hours x multiplier
An important distinction is whether your multiplier replaces or adds to your normal pay. Suppose your employer pays a paid holiday to everyone whether they work or not, and pays time and a half if you work. There are two common interpretations. Under one, you get the holiday's regular paid day plus the hours worked at 1.5 times. Under another, the 1.5 covers the whole entitlement. The calculator shows only the hours-times-multiplier figure, so if your policy stacks a separate paid day on top, add that amount yourself. Read the policy wording or ask your payroll department which applies, since the tool cannot tell.
This is a simple product of three inputs. It does not know which days your employer counts as holidays, whether you qualify by length of service or by working the days before and after, or how your state handles the topic. Rules for premium pay may differ for public employees, union members, and different industries. For a dispute over what you were owed, refer to your written policy or contract, and consider contacting your state labor agency or the U.S. Department of Labor for general guidance.
No -- federal law doesn't require extra pay for working a holiday; it depends entirely on your employer's policy or a collective bargaining agreement. Check your own employer's policy for the multiplier that applies to you.
Yes. Decimals work in the hours field, so 6.5 hours is fine. The final amount is rounded to two decimal places for display.
You can express a flat rate as a multiplier by dividing the flat hourly amount by your normal hourly rate, or simply calculate it yourself. The tool is designed around a multiplier.
No. It only calculates the hours you enter at the multiplier. If your employer also pays a day off, add that separately based on your policy.
The calculator gives gross pay from three inputs. Your pay stub may use a different base rate, include other pay types, and show amounts after withholdings.
Reference: Internal Revenue Service