Shift Differential Pay Calculator
Split base and night hours with an extra rate into base, differential, and total pay.
What it does
Night and weekend hours often carry a small extra per hour on top of base rate. Thirty two day hours at $20 with 8 night hours at plus $2 total $816, with $176 of it visibly from the differential.
The tool above takes day hours, night hours, base rate, and night extra. It returns base pay, night pay, and the period total, so shift bids compare on dollars, not vibes.
This math fits flat extras per night hour. It does not fit percent differentials that scale with raises, overtime multipliers on top, or weekend premiums with their own rules.
Pay guidance frames the same split: night extras reward regularly scheduled night work, with federal schedules setting 10% for night hours, while private weekend and night extras stay a matter of agreement.
Confirm which hours count as night. Six pm to six am is the common federal window, but house rules define the exact start.
How to use
- Enter day hours at base rate.
- Enter night hours earning the extra.
- Enter base hourly rate.
- Enter night extra dollars per hour.
- Read base and night lines separately.
- Read period total for the paycheck.
Formula
- day hours
- Hours at straight base rate.
- night hours
- Hours earning the extra.
- extra
- Added dollars per night hour.
At least some hours are required. Zero extra returns straight rate for night hours too. Percent differentials need conversion to dollars first.
Worked example
Example: 32 day plus 8 night hours at $20 plus $2
Base hours 32, night hours 8, rate 20, extra 2.
- Base: 32 x 20 = $640.00.
- Night rate: 20 + 2 = $22.00.
- Night: 8 x 22 = $176.00.
- Total: 640 + 176 = $816.00.
- Tool shows base $640.00, night $176.00, total $816.00.
Reference table
| Night extra | Night pay | Total |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $160.00 | $800.00 |
| $2 | $176.00 | $816.00 |
| $5 | $200.00 | $840.00 |
Limits
- Flat extra only. Percent extras need conversion first.
- Ignores overtime multipliers stacked on differentials.
- Ignores weekend premiums with separate rules.
- Night windows vary by employer policy.
Common mistakes
- Applying the extra to all hours instead of night only.
- Entering the full night rate as the extra.
- Forgetting which hours the house counts as night.
- Stacking overtime multipliers without checking order.
- Comparing bids by extra alone instead of totals.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
40 day hours, no nights at $15?
Base $600.00, night $0.00, total $600.00.
20 day, 20 night at $18 plus $3?
Base $360.00, night $420.00, total $780.00.
0 day, 12 night at $25 plus $5?
Base $0.00, night $360.00, total $360.00.
Questions
How is shift differential figured?
Night hours times base plus extra, added to day hours times base.
What is a typical night differential?
Often $1 to $5 an hour privately, or 10% on federal schedules.
Do night hours also earn overtime?
Sometimes. Order of operations varies, so confirm payroll rules.
Which hours count as night?
House policy decides. Federal schedules commonly use 6 pm to 6 am.
Is differential part of base pay?
No. It is premium pay added for night hours, with its own line.
How do I compare shift bids?
Run full totals here. A bigger extra can lose to more night hours.