How do you calculate overtime pay in Nevada?

Calculating overtime pay in Nevada follows the state and federal regulations to ensure employees are fairly compensated for extra hours worked beyond the standard workweek. While federal law provides the foundation, Nevada has specific rules that employers must follow.

This guide outlines the steps and considerations on how to calculate overtime pay in Nevada, covering various methods for hourly, salaried, commission-based, and piece rate employees.

Which Overtime Laws Apply in Nevada?

In Nevada, overtime laws are governed by the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Nevada State Overtime Law. These laws ensure eligible employees are compensated fairly for hours worked beyond the standard workday or workweek.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, covered employers are required to:

• Compensate eligible employees at an overtime rate of one and a half (1.5) times their regular rate of pay for any hours beyond 40 in a single workweek.
• Ensure that salaried employees are classified correctly, as exempt employees are not entitled to overtime.

In addition to the federal regulations, the Nevada State Overtime Laws provide broader employee overtime protections. As per the Nevada Revised Statutes 608.018, employers are required to:

• Pay employees overtime pay for any hours worked over eight hours in a 24-hour period, regardless of whether they reach 40 hours in a week. This is a significant difference from federal law and offers greater protections to Nevada workers.
• Pay employees overtime for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek, in line with federal law.

Nevada allows certain industries, such as healthcare, to implement alternative workweek agreements where employees can work shifts longer than eight hours without overtime, provided the total hours do not exceed 40 in a week.

How Much is Overtime Pay in Nevada?

Overtime pay in Nevada is generally compensated at one and a half (1.5) times the employee’s regular rate of pay for any hours worked beyond a certain threshold:

• Daily overtime: Employees who work more than eight hours in a single workday are entitled to overtime pay.
• Weekly overtime: Employees who work over 40 hours in a workweek.

To learn more, check out our guide on Nevada Overtime Laws. 

Who is Eligible for Overtime Pay in Nevada?

Most employees in Nevada are eligible for overtime pay if they work more than eight hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. Eligible employees include:

• Hourly workers
• Commission-based employees, such as salespeople
• Piece rate employees, paid per unit of work
• Salaried employees, who do not meet the exemption criteria

In addition, employees earning less than 1.5 times the minimum wage qualify for daily overtime after working more than eight hours in a 24-hour threshold.

Check out our guide on Overtime Rights in Nevada.

Hourly employees in Nevada are paid based on the number of hours they work. They earn a predetermined amount per hour, and their wages can vary depending on the total hours worked each week. If hourly employees work more than eight hours in a day or more than 40 hours in a week, they are entitled to overtime pay.

To calculate overtime pay for hourly employees in Nevada:

• Determine the regular rate of pay: This is the hourly wage an employee earns under normal working conditions. If an employee earns $12 per hour, their regular hourly rate is $12.
• Calculate overtime rate: The overtime rate is paid at 1.5 times the regular rate of pay. If the employee earns $12 per hour, the employee would receive $18 for each overtime hour.
• Determine the overtime hours: Any hours worked beyond eight in a day or 40 in a workweek are counted as overtime hours. If the employee worked 10 hours in a day, they are entitled to overtime compensation for the additional two hours worked (10 hours – 8 hours).
• Calculate the overtime pay: Multiply the overtime rate by the number of hours worked beyond the eight-hour or 40-hour threshold. In the example above, the employee worked an additional two hours; they would receive an extra $36 for the day ($18 x 2 hours).

Read our guide on Your Rights as an Hourly Employee in Nevada to learn more.

Salaried employees in Nevada are paid a fixed amount regardless of how many hours they work in a week. While some salaried employees are exempt from overtime, non-exempt salaried employees are entitled to overtime pay if they work beyond the daily or weekly threshold.

To calculate overtime pay for salaried employees in Nevada:

• Determine the regular rate of pay: The regular rate of pay for a salaried employee is calculated by dividing their weekly salary by the number of hours worked during the workweek. If a salaried employee earns $820 per week and works 40 hours, their regular rate of pay is $20.50 per hour.
• Calculate overtime rate: The overtime rate for non-exempt salaried employees is 1.5 times the regular rate of pay. If the employee is paid $20.50 per hour, their overtime rate for any additional hours worked is $30.75 ($20.50 x 1.5).
• Determine the overtime hours: Any additional hours worked beyond eight in a single day or 40 in a workweek are considered overtime hours. If the employee worked 45 hours in a week, they are entitled to overtime compensation for the five additional hours (45 hours – 40 hours).
• Calculate overtime pay: Multiply the number of hours by the overtime rate to calculate the overtime compensation. In this example, the employee would be paid $153.75 for the five overtime hours ($30.75 x 5).

Check out our guide on Your Rights as a Salaried Employee in Nevada.

Commission employees in Nevada earn part or all of their compensation based on sales or other performance-based metrics. Common commission-based workers are salespeople and real estate agents. While commission employees may not have a traditional hourly wage, they are still entitled to overtime pay if classified as non-exempt.

• Determine the regular rate of pay: To find the regular rate, calculate the total earnings for the workweek, including both commission and any base salary, and then divide that amount by the total hours worked.

For example, a real estate agent earns a base salary of $500 per week and a commission of $340 from sales during the same week. If the agent worked 50 hours that week, the calculation would be:

Total earnings for the week = $500 + $340 = $840
Regular rate of pay = $840 ÷ 50 = $16.80

• Calculate overtime rate: Multiply the regular rate of pay by 1.5 to find the overtime rate. If the employee’s regular rate of pay is $16.80, their overtime rate would be $25.20 ($16.80 x 1.5)
• Determine overtime hours: Track the number of hours worked that exceed the 40-hour threshold for the week. In this case, the real estate agent worked 10 overtime hours (50 hours – 40 hours).
• Calculate overtime pay: Multiply the overtime hours by the calculated overtime rate. In this example, the real estate agent will receive an overtime compensation of $252.

Piece rate employees in Nevada are paid based on the number of units or tasks they complete rather than an hourly wage. Common examples include factory workers paid per item produced or agricultural workers paid per bucket of produce harvested.

To calculate overtime for piece rate employees in Nevada, follow these steps:

• Determine the regular rate of pay: Calculate the total earnings for the workweek (piece rate multiplied by the number of units completed) and divide that amount by the total number of hours worked during the same week. This will give you the regular rate of pay.

For example, if a factory worker produces 160 widgets in 50 hours a week and is paid at a piece rate of $5 per widget, the total earnings for the week is $800. If $800 is the employee’s total earnings, their regular rate of pay is $16 ($800 ÷ 50).

• Calculate overtime rate: Once you have the regular rate, multiply it by 1.5 to find the overtime rate. This is the amount to be paid for any overtime hours worked beyond the standard limits. If the employee’s regular rate of pay is $16, the employee’s overtime rate is $24.
• Determine overtime hours: Track the number of hours worked that exceed the 40-hour threshold for the week or the eight-hour threshold for any single day. In the example above, the employee worked 50 hours, exceeding ten hours (50 – 40). The employee’s overtime hours is ten.
• Calculate overtime pay: Multiply the overtime hours by the calculated overtime rate. In the example above, the employee is entitled to an overtime pay of $240 (10 x $24).

Nevada employees have a limited time to file claims for unpaid overtime wages. Under Nevada law, the statute of limitations for recovering unpaid wages, including overtime, is two years from the violation date. This means that employees must file their claim within this period, or they risk losing their right to recover any owed overtime wages.

Nevada law requires employers to maintain detailed and accurate records of employees’ hours worked and wages paid, including overtime for at least two years. These records are crucial for compliance with wage and hour laws and must include specific information such as:

• Employee’s full name, address, and social security number
• Total hours worked each day and each workweek
• Regular hourly rates of pay
• Total overtime earnings for each workweek
• All deductions and net wages paid

These records must be readily available for inspection by the Nevada Labor Commissioner or in the event of a wage dispute.