Syed Waleed

Working Thanksgiving or Christmas? Holiday shifts usually pay a premium — but the math gets confusing fast. Enter your rate and hours to see your holiday pay, the extra premium over a regular shift, and totals across every federal holiday you work.

Holiday Pay Calculator

Working Thanksgiving, Christmas, or another federal holiday? Find out exactly what your shift is worth at straight time, time and a half, or double time — including how much extra the holiday premium adds.

Your regular hourly wage before any holiday premium.
A standard full shift is 8 hours.
Most US employers pay 1.5x for worked holidays; some pay 2x. Federal law does not require a premium — check your employer's policy.
Pay used in this calculation$0.00/h
Regular pay for one holiday shift$0.00
Holiday pay for one shift$0.00
Extra holiday premium per shiftHoliday pay minus regular pay$0.00
Holidays worked0
Total holiday pay (all selected holidays)$0.00
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Unlimited calculations with no paywalls and no trial periods.

How to use the holiday pay calculator

  1. 1Enter your pay

    Choose hourly or annual salary. Salaried pay is converted to an hourly rate using 2,080 work hours per year.

  2. 2Set hours and multiplier

    Enter the hours you worked on the holiday and pick your employer's multiplier: 1x, 1.5x, or 2x.

  3. 3Select the holidays you worked

    Check each 2026 federal holiday you worked. Totals update instantly as you check or uncheck.

  4. 4Read your results

    See per-shift holiday pay, the extra premium versus a regular day, and the combined total across all holidays you worked.

Why use this holiday pay calculator

Hourly or salary

Enter an hourly wage or an annual salary — the calculator converts salary to an hourly rate automatically.

All 11 federal holidays

The full US federal holiday list with 2026 dates, ready to check off for the holidays you worked.

1x, 1.5x, or 2x premiums

Match your employer's actual policy, from straight time to time and a half to double time.

Premium broken out

See exactly how much extra the holiday premium adds on top of a regular day's pay — per shift and in total.

Instant and private

No forms to submit and no data stored. Every number updates live as you type, right in your browser.

Mobile friendly

Works perfectly on your phone, so you can verify your holiday paycheck anywhere.

Holiday pay FAQs

Is holiday pay required by federal law?
No. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require employers to pay a premium for working on holidays, or to pay you at all for holidays you do not work. Holiday pay is set by employer policy, union contracts, or state law — always check your employee handbook.
How does time and a half work on a holiday?
You are paid 1.5 times your regular rate for the hours you work. At $25 per hour, an 8-hour holiday shift pays $300 instead of the regular $200 — the extra $100 is the holiday premium. Select the 1.5x multiplier above to calculate it.
What are the US federal holidays?
The 11 federal holidays are New Year's Day (01/01/2026), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (01/19/2026), Presidents' Day (02/16/2026), Memorial Day (05/25/2026), Juneteenth (06/19/2026), Independence Day (07/04/2026), Labor Day (09/07/2026), Columbus Day (10/12/2026), Veterans Day (11/11/2026), Thanksgiving (11/26/2026), and Christmas Day (12/25/2026).
What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend?
Federal offices observe the nearest weekday — Friday when the holiday falls on Saturday, Monday when it falls on Sunday. Private employers vary: some observe the adjacent weekday, some pay the premium only for hours actually worked on the calendar date. Check your company policy.
How do I calculate holiday pay from a salary?
Divide your annual salary by 2,080 (40 hours times 52 weeks) to get your hourly rate, then multiply by the hours worked and the holiday multiplier. For example, $52,000 per year is $25 per hour, so an 8-hour holiday at 1.5x pays $300.
Do I get paid if I do not work the holiday?
It depends on your employer. Many US companies offer paid holidays off as a benefit, but federal law does not require it. If you do get holiday pay for time not worked, it is typically at your straight-time rate.
Can holiday hours also count as overtime?
Sometimes. Overtime is based on total hours in the workweek, so a long holiday week can push you past 40 hours. Whether holiday hours count toward the 40 depends on your employer's policy — ask HR if your holiday shift also triggered overtime.

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