South Carolina Overtime Calculator

South Carolina does not have its own state overtime statute. Instead, overtime in South Carolina is governed entirely by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA, 29 U.S.C. § 207). Under the FLSA, covered non-exempt employees must be paid overtime at a rate of at least 1.5 times (one and one-half times) their regular hourly rate for all hours worked exceeding 40 hours in a designated 7-day workweek. South Carolina has no daily overtime rules; working 10 or 12 hours in a single shift does not trigger overtime unless your weekly total exceeds 40 hours. In addition, under the South Carolina Payment of Wages Act (S.C. Code § 41-10-50), all earned wages, including overtime, must be paid within 48 hours of separation or on the next regular payday (never more than 30 days out).

In South Carolina, overtime is defined strictly as any time worked beyond 40 hours in a defined 7-day workweek by a covered non-exempt employee, under the federal FLSA (29 U.S.C. § 207). Hours worked on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays are not considered overtime under South Carolina law unless they push your total hours worked in that payroll week over 40. There is also no daily overtime trigger in South Carolina — shifts lasting longer than 8 hours are compensated at straight time as long as total weekly hours remain at or below 40.

Yes, South Carolina taxes overtime pay as standard earned wage income. South Carolina income tax withholding on weekly paychecks follows the South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) Form WH-1603F percentage formula, with rates of 0%, 3%, and 6% applied to annualized taxable wages after personal allowances ($5,000 per allowance) and the standard deduction (10% of gross up to $7,500). Overtime earnings are combined with regular wages for withholding purposes; the additional earnings may push a portion of your income into the 3% or 6% state tax brackets. South Carolina has no county or municipal local wage taxes.

Overtime pay in South Carolina is at least 1.5 times (time and a half) your regular hourly rate for every hour worked beyond 40 in a workweek. For example, if your base rate is $20.00 per hour, your overtime rate is $30.00 per hour ($20.00 × 1.5). At the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour (which applies in South Carolina), the statutory overtime floor is $10.88 per hour ($7.25 × 1.5). For tipped employees receiving the $2.13 cash wage, the maximum tip credit of $5.12 remains fixed, requiring the employer to pay a direct cash overtime wage of at least $5.76 per hour ($10.88 − $5.12).

Overtime pay in South Carolina is taxed through three withholding layers: federal income tax (10% to 37% progressive brackets under IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32), FICA taxes (6.2% Social Security up to $184,500 + 1.45% Medicare, plus 0.9% additional Medicare over $200,000), and South Carolina state income tax (0%, 3%, and 6% brackets under SCDOR Form WH-1603F). For instance, a single worker earning $20.00/hr who works 45 hours earns $150.00 in overtime pay ($950.00 total gross); on their weekly paycheck, total taxes are $177.67 ($72.08 federal, $72.68 FICA, and $32.91 SC state), leaving $772.33 in net take-home pay. South Carolina levies no local or county wage taxes.

In South Carolina, overtime starts after 40 hours worked within an employer's designated 7-day workweek. South Carolina does not mandate overtime pay after 8 hours in a workday, nor does it require extra pay for weekend or holiday shifts. Only actual hours worked count toward the 40-hour threshold — paid time off (PTO), sick leave, vacation days, and unworked holiday hours do not count as hours worked when determining overtime eligibility under federal and South Carolina law.

South Carolina does NOT participate in the "No Tax on Overtime" deduction. While the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA § 225) introduced a temporary federal deduction for the 0.5× overtime premium slice (capped at $12,500 Single / $25,000 Joint) for tax years 2025 through 2028, South Carolina state law explicitly decouples from it. S.C. Code § 12-6-40 conforms only to the Internal Revenue Code as amended through December 31, 2024, meaning OBBBA changes do not apply; SCDOR Information Letter #26-4 (January 30, 2026) requires federal overtime deductions to be added back on Form SC1040; and Act 110 of 2026 starts the state calculation from federal AGI, excluding the below-the-line § 225 deduction. Therefore, South Carolina state tax savings from § 225 is strictly $0.00.

Salaried employees in South Carolina are entitled to 1.5× overtime pay unless they meet both the federal salary basis test and the statutory duties test under FLSA 29 C.F.R. Part 541. To be exempt, an employee must earn a guaranteed predetermined salary of at least $684 per week ($35,568 annually) AND perform primary duties that qualify as executive, administrative, or professional. If a salaried employee earns less than $684/week, or if their actual daily duties do not meet the legal criteria (regardless of job title), they are classified as non-exempt and must receive time-and-a-half overtime for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek.

This calculator runs the complete statutory payroll calculation in one workflow: (1) Overtime pay is computed at 1.5× your regular rate for all weekly hours above 40 (FLSA 29 U.S.C. § 207); (2) Gross earnings are annualized (weekly gross × 52); (3) Federal income tax withholding is calculated using 2026 IRS standard deductions ($16,100 Single, $32,200 Married, $24,150 Head of Household) and Rev. Proc. 2025-32 brackets; (4) FICA is deducted at 6.2% Social Security (capped at $184,500) and 1.45% Medicare; (5) South Carolina state withholding is determined under SCDOR Form WH-1603F by subtracting $5,000 per allowance and a 10% standard deduction (up to $7,500), then applying South Carolina's 0%, 3%, and 6% withholding schedule; (6) Weekly components are rounded to cents; and (7) Total withholdings are subtracted from gross pay to provide your net take-home pay.

Calculations produced by this calculator are high-accuracy estimates reflecting official 2026 formulas published by the South Carolina Department of Revenue (Form WH-1603F), IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, and federal FLSA regulations. Actual take-home paycheck amounts may differ slightly depending on employer payroll configurations, pre-tax deductions (such as 401(k), Section 125 cafeteria health plans, or HSA contributions), voluntary additional dollar withholding on Form SC W-4, or post-tax wage garnishments. These figures are withholding estimates and do not constitute formal tax or legal advice.