A shift differential is extra pay for working hours that are harder to staff, such as nights, weekends, or rotating shifts. Federal law does not require employers to offer one. When they do, it affects more than the hours it applies to: it also raises the rate used for overtime.
Two common forms
| Type | Example | Pay for a $18.00 base rate |
|---|---|---|
| Dollars per hour | $1.50 extra for night hours | $19.50 |
| Percentage of base | 10% extra for night hours | $19.80 |
Some employers pay the differential for every hour of a qualifying shift. Others pay it only for hours inside a set window, such as 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM. The shift hours calculator counts how many of your hours fall inside a window like that.
Differentials and overtime
Under federal rules, night-shift differentials, whether paid as a percentage or as cents per hour, are included in the regular rate. Overtime is then paid on that higher regular rate, not on your base rate.
Example: $18.00 base, 10% night differential, 48 hours
You worked 24 day hours and 24 night hours.
- Straight time for all hours: 48 × $18.00 = $864.00.
- Differential: 24 × $1.80 = $43.20.
- Total straight-time earnings: $907.20.
- Regular rate: $907.20 ÷ 48 = $18.90 an hour.
- Overtime premium: 8 hours over 40 × ($18.90 × 0.5) = $75.60.
- Gross pay for the week: $907.20 + $75.60 = $982.80.
If overtime had been figured on the $18.00 base rate alone, the premium would have been 8 × $9.00 = $72.00, which is $3.60 short.
Checking your pay stub
- Find the differential hours and rate on your stub.
- Check that overtime hours are paid at more than 1.5 times your base rate in weeks with differential hours.
- Remember that differentials are gross pay and are taxed like other wages.
Tools
- Shift differential calculator: differential pay, regular rate, and overtime premium.
- Overtime calculator: overtime for a single hourly rate.
Sources
- 29 CFR 778.207, Other types of contract premium pay distinguished (Cornell Legal Information Institute)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #56A: Overview of the Regular Rate of Pay Under the FLSA
About this guide. Written for US employees as general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules can differ by state, employer, and contract. See our methodology and disclaimer.