Self-employed work is usually a pricing question, not an FLSA overtime entitlement. Everhour keeps premium hours tied to budgets.
Calculate regular and overtime earnings based on your hours and rate. Supports standard time-and-a-half and double-time multipliers.
Total hours including overtime
Typically 40h/week
The calculator gives you the number — Everhour takes it from there.
One click and you're timing. Start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Everhour.
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For a true self-employed independent contractor, federal FLSA overtime does not apply because independent contractors are in business for themselves and are not covered by federal minimum wage or overtime protections. The calculation still matters when your contract prices excess hours at a higher rate, such as 1.5x after 40 client-approved hours in a week.
The result answers a practical billing question: how much should the week, sprint, or statement of work total once premium-priced hours are included? It does not prove worker classification. If a contractor-labeled worker is legally an FLSA-covered nonexempt employee, the federal baseline changes the answer: overtime is owed for hours worked over 40 in a fixed 168-hour workweek.
Self-employed premium billing starts with the written trigger. Use a specific threshold, rate, and measurement period: for example, approved client hours over 40 in a Monday-to-Sunday billing week are billed at 1.5x the standard hourly rate. Without that language, extra weekend or late-night work is usually a negotiation issue, not an automatic premium.
Do not borrow employee overtime rules loosely. The FLSA does not require overtime pay merely because work occurs on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, or regular days of rest, and true independent contractors are outside federal overtime coverage. For self-employed work, the contract should state whether premium pricing applies to total weekly hours, rush work, after-hours support, or only client-approved overages.
Example: a self-employed web developer bills 44 approved client hours in one week at $85 per hour, with a contract premium of 1.5x after 40 hours. Regular billable time is 40 hours × $85 = $3,400. The premium rate is $85 × 1.5 = $127.50. Premium time is 4 hours × $127.50 = $510.
The total invoice line for labor is $3,910. If the worker is later found to be a covered nonexempt employee instead of a true independent contractor, the employee calculation uses the regular rate, hours worked over 40 in the fixed workweek, and the applicable federal or more protective state rule. Labels, 1099 forms, and contractor agreements do not control classification by themselves.
A one-off calculation is enough when you have one contract, one rate, and a clear premium trigger for a closed billing period. Keep the hours, approval notes, rate, multiplier, and invoice total together so the number can be checked later without rebuilding the week from memory.
A managed workflow is better when premium time affects budgets, retainers, or client approvals every month. Everhour Project Budgeting lets teams track hour-based or money-based budgets, set recurring budget periods, send threshold alerts, and protect budgets from extra logging after limits are exceeded, which keeps premium work visible before it reaches an invoice.
This content is for general information only, may not be fully up to date, and is provided without any warranty or liability.
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A true self-employed independent contractor is not covered by FLSA federal minimum wage or overtime protections. Federal overtime applies to employees who are covered and nonexempt, not to workers who are genuinely in business for themselves. If classification is wrong and the worker is legally an employee, the FLSA overtime rules can apply.
Multiply regular hours by the standard contract rate, then multiply premium hours by the premium rate stated in the contract. If the contract says hours over 40 are billed at 1.5x, an $85 rate becomes $127.50 for those premium hours. Add regular pay and premium pay for the billing-period total.
DOL guidance focuses on the economic reality of the working relationship. Current WHD enforcement guidance lists factors including integral services, permanency, investment in facilities and equipment, principal control, profit and loss opportunity, initiative or judgment in open-market competition, and independent business organization and operation. A 1099 form or contractor agreement does not decide the issue alone.
Yes, if the contract says so. For a true self-employed contractor, weekend or holiday premiums come from pricing terms, not the FLSA. For employees, the FLSA does not require overtime merely because work occurs on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, or regular days of rest unless the hours also exceed the applicable overtime threshold.
The common mistake is mixing the billing trigger with the legal overtime trigger. A self-employed contract can price extra hours after 35, 40, or any negotiated threshold. FLSA overtime for covered nonexempt employees uses hours over 40 in a fixed 168-hour workweek, and workweeks cannot be averaged to avoid overtime.
Everhour Project Budgeting tracks time and money budgets as work is logged, with recurring budget periods and email alerts at selected thresholds. Budget protection can stop timers and prevent additional time logging after a budget is exceeded, keeping premium self-employed work from silently overrunning the agreed limit.
Set budget limits before extra work starts. Everhour connects tracked time to recurring project budgets, threshold alerts, and budget protection, giving self-employed teams clearer Everhour budget control.
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