Introduction
Holiday pay is the money you earn for a holiday, like the 4th of July or Christmas. Some bosses pay extra when you work on a holiday. Others pay you for the day even if you stay home. Many people are not sure how much they should get.
Start with your hourly wage or your yearly salary. Then add the hours you worked on the holiday and the hours you were scheduled to work. Pick your pay rate, such as time and a half (1.5×) or double time (2×). You can also add the other hours you worked that week to check for overtime.
You will see your holiday pay, the value of a paid day off, and your total holiday pay. Pick your state and you also get an estimate of your take-home pay after taxes. Charts and step-by-step math show you exactly where each dollar comes from.
Use it to check your paycheck, plan your budget, or decide if working a holiday shift is worth it. The numbers are estimates, so always check your company's holiday pay rules with your boss or HR team.
How to use our Holiday Pay Calculator
Enter your pay, your hours, and your holiday pay rate. The calculator shows your holiday pay, the value of your paid day off, your total holiday pay, your weekly gross pay, and an estimate of your take-home pay after taxes.
Employee Classification: Pick Hourly (Non-Exempt) if you are paid by the hour. Pick Salaried (Exempt) if you are paid a set yearly amount. Salaried pay is changed into a day rate and an hourly rate for the math.
Employment Status: Choose Full-Time, Part-Time, or Temporary/Seasonal. This adds notes about whether you may qualify for holiday pay.
Your Hourly Wage: Type your pay per hour, or drag the slider. This only shows for hourly workers.
Your Annual Salary: Type your yearly pay before taxes. This only shows for salaried workers.
Hours Worked on the Holiday: Tap a preset button like 8 hrs, or type your own number. Enter 0 if you had the day off.
Scheduled Hours: Enter the shift length you were set to work that day. For salaried workers, enter your normal workday length.
Holiday Pay Rate: Pick your multiplier, such as 1× regular pay, 1.5× time and a half, or 2× double time. Choose Other to type a custom rate.
Holiday Hours Toward Overtime: Pick Yes or No. This tells the calculator if paid hours you did not work count toward the 40-hour overtime limit.
Other Hours Worked This Week: Enter the hours you worked that week, not counting the holiday. This checks if you passed 40 hours and earned overtime.
Your State: Pick your state to see an estimate of federal tax, state tax, FICA, and your net pay. Leave it blank to see gross pay only.
Calculate and Reset: Click Calculate to see your results, charts, and step-by-step math. Click Reset to start over.
What Is Holiday Pay?
Holiday pay is the money you get for a holiday like Christmas, Thanksgiving, or the Fourth of July. It can work in two ways. Some workers get paid for the day even when they stay home. Other workers come in and get extra pay for each hour they work. Some people get both.
Is Holiday Pay Required by Law?
In the United States, federal law does not make private employers give holiday pay. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not treat a holiday as special. So extra holiday pay is a company choice, not a rule. Your employee handbook or union contract tells you what you actually get. The 11 federal holidays are paid days off for federal workers, but private jobs set their own list.
Common Holiday Pay Rates
- 1× (regular pay): You earn your normal wage for hours worked.
- 1.5× (time and a half): The most common holiday bonus rate.
- 2× (double time): Often used for big holidays or hard-to-fill shifts.
- 2.5× or 3×: Rare, but some union jobs and hospitals pay this much.
Example: if you make $25 an hour and work 8 hours at time and a half, you earn $25 × 8 × 1.5 = $300 instead of $200.
Holiday Pay and Overtime
Overtime is different from holiday pay. Under the FLSA, you get overtime after you work more than 40 hours in one week. A paid day off does not count as hours worked, so it usually does not push you into overtime. But many employers choose to count it anyway. That choice can change your check, so read your policy.
Hourly vs. Salaried Workers
Hourly (non-exempt) workers get paid for each hour, so a holiday premium adds real dollars. Salaried (exempt) workers get the same paycheck each period, so a paid holiday does not add money, but it still has value. To see that value, split your yearly salary into a day rate and an hour rate. A $65,000 salary works out to about $250 a day, which is what one paid holiday is worth.
Who May Not Get Holiday Pay
Part-time workers often get holiday pay cut down to match their normal hours. Temporary and seasonal workers are often left out of the policy. New hires may need to finish a waiting period first. Some companies also require you to work the day before and the day after the holiday to qualify.
Taxes on Holiday Pay
Holiday pay is normal wages, so it gets taxed like the rest of your check. Federal income tax, state income tax, and FICA (Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%) all come out. Nine states have no income tax, so workers there keep more. Your take-home pay will always be less than the gross amount you earn.