Overtime cost is overtime hours times the overtime premium rate, and in field service it mostly comes from days that were booked longer than the shift. This calculator shows the yearly cost and how much of it drive time accounts for. Overtime rules vary; the 1.5× multiplier below is only a default. Check the U.S. Department of Labor's overtime guidance and your state's rules. Nothing you enter is saved or sent.
The formulas
- Overtime hours per year = technicians × overtime hours per tech per week × weeks
- Overtime cost = overtime hours × base wage × multiplier
- Premium = overtime hours × base wage × (multiplier − 1). This is what you pay on top of straight time for the same hours.
- Drive-related share = overtime cost × the share you attribute to excess drive
How to estimate the drive-related share
Pull a month of days that ran into overtime. For each, compare the total drive time to what that day's stops would have needed in a sensible order. If the excess drive is at least as long as the overtime, that day's overtime was a scheduling cost, not a workload cost. Count those days as a share of all overtime days. That's your input.
Overtime caused by work, such as a job that turned out bigger than quoted, is a scoping problem. Overtime caused by backtracking and phone-order booking is a scheduling problem, and checking travel before a slot is offered goes after it directly. See travel-time scheduling.
What to take away
- Field service overtime is mostly the last job of a day that didn't fit.
- Separate drive-caused overtime from work-caused overtime. They have different fixes.
- Overtime rules vary by jurisdiction; confirm yours before relying on any multiplier.
Common questions
How do you calculate overtime cost?
Multiply overtime hours by the base wage and the overtime multiplier. The premium alone is hours × wage × (multiplier − 1). Rules on when overtime applies vary; see the DOL overtime page and your state.
Does drive time between jobs count toward overtime?
Pay rules for travel time are a legal question that depends on circumstances and jurisdiction. Consult the DOL guidance or an employment professional.
Does this store anything?
No. It runs entirely in your browser.