Colorado Overtime Calculator
Updated November 2026 · Free · No sign-up
Calculate Colorado overtime — Daily OT after 12 hours (or 12 consecutive), weekly after 40. COMPS Order rules: 1.
Quick answer: Colorado overtime: Daily OT after 12 hours (or 12 consecutive), weekly after 40. COMPS Order rules: 1.5x past 12 hours/day, 12 consecutive hours, or 40/week — whichever yields more.
The Colorado Rule
Daily OT after 12 hours (or 12 consecutive), weekly after 40. COMPS Order rules: 1.5x past 12 hours/day, 12 consecutive hours, or 40/week — whichever yields more.
Worked Examples
Example 1 — weekly OT. $22/hour, 46 hours: 6 OT hours × $33 = $198 premium on top of straight time — the federal baseline that applies in every state.
Example 2 — the daily dimension. A 10-hour day here adds 2 daily-OT hours even in a short week — the state layer federal-only calculators miss.
Example 3 — the regular rate. Nondiscretionary bonuses and shift differentials fold into the rate BEFORE the 1.5x — a $22 base with $2 differential makes OT $36, not $33; systematic base-only OT is recoverable back pay.
Who Is Exempt in Colorado
Salary alone exempts no one: the duties tests (executive/administrative/professional) plus the salary threshold decide — check the line. Misclassified salaried staff recover 2-3 years of OT.
Claims and Records
Keep personal hour logs (courts accept reasonable employee reconstructions), compare payslips against this math, and file with the state labor agency or federal DOL — FLSA adds liquidated-damages doubling. For daily-rule comparisons, California remains the strictest (its ladder here).
Frequently Asked Questions
When is overtime owed in Colorado?
Daily OT after 12 hours (or 12 consecutive), weekly after 40 — at 1.5x the regular rate including differentials and nondiscretionary bonuses.
Does Colorado have daily overtime?
Yes — COMPS Order rules: 1.
Can salaried employees get overtime in Colorado?
Yes if below the applicable salary threshold or failing the duties tests — titles don’t decide; misclassification claims recover years.
What goes into the overtime rate?
The regular rate: base plus shift differentials, nondiscretionary bonuses, and commissions for the week — then × 1.5.
How do I claim unpaid overtime?
Document hours, demand in writing, then the state labor agency or US DOL — 2-3 year lookbacks plus federal liquidated damages.
✓ Formula verified • Last updated: November 3, 2026