Wisconsin Overtime Calculator and Time Tracking Rules
Overtime in Wisconsin is time and a half after 40 hours in a week. Wisconsin follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Use the free calculator below, check the state's wage and hour rules, and see how Clox tracks your crew's hours.
NOVEMBER 6, 2026 · BY THE CLOX TEAM
If you run an hourly crew in Wisconsin, two questions come up every payroll: how much do you owe once someone crosses into overtime, and are you following the state's rules. Wisconsin uses the federal 40-hour rule, so any hour past 40 in a workweek is paid at 1.5 times the regular rate. Wisconsin follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. This page gives you a free Wisconsin overtime calculator, a plain summary of the state's wage and hour rules, and a look at how Clox tracks your crew's hours.
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Free Wisconsin overtime calculator
Enter the hours someone worked in a week and their pay rate to see the regular and overtime split. The math follows Wisconsin rules: time and a half after 40 hours, with no daily overtime.
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Wisconsin wage and hour rules
Here's the short version of the rules an hourly Wisconsin employer runs into. Each figure has a source below, and the rules change over time, so confirm anything you rely on with the state.
$7.25 per hour since July 24, 2009, for adults and minors alike. Tipped employees may be paid a cash wage of $2.33 per hour, and the employer must make up the difference if tips plus that wage do not average at least $7.25 per hour over the pay period. Employers may pay an opportunity wage of $5.90 per hour to workers under 20 during their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment. Workers move to $7.25 after 90 days or at age 20, whichever comes first. A tipped opportunity employee may be paid a cash wage of $2.13 per hour. Separate rates apply to golf caddies ($5.90 for 9 holes, $10.50 for 18 holes) and to camp counselors (weekly rates of $350, or $265 with board, or $210 with board and lodging). The legal basis is Wis. Stat. chapter 104 and Wis. Admin. Code DWD 272.
1.5x the regular rate for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek, regardless of age (Wis. Stat. §§ 103.01 to 103.03 and Wis. Admin. Code DWD 274). A week is a calendar week or a regular recurring period of 168 hours made up of seven consecutive 24-hour periods. Exemptions include agricultural employees, certain administrative, executive, and professional employees, certain outside sales and commissioned employees, taxicab drivers, certain motor carrier employees covered by federal transportation rules, salespeople, parts staff, and mechanics at motor vehicle dealers, and movie theater employees.
None in general. Overtime is owed only after 40 hours in a workweek, not for work on any particular day. The Department of Workforce Development notes one exception: some public works construction projects require daily overtime and overtime on certain holidays.
The Department of Workforce Development encourages, but does not require, meal periods of at least 30 minutes at a time reasonably close to the usual meal period. Minors under 18 must receive a 30-minute duty-free meal period for every six consecutive hours of work. Meal periods must be paid if the employee is not given at least 30 consecutive minutes free from work or is not free to leave the employer's premises (Wis. Admin. Code DWD 274.02). US DOL also lists a required 30-minute meal period after 6 hours for migrant workers.
If an employer gives rest periods or breaks shorter than 30 consecutive minutes, they count as work time and must be paid (Wis. Admin. Code DWD 274.02). US DOL does not list Wisconsin among the states that require paid rest periods.
That rule comes from Wisconsin's Wage Payment and Collection Law, Wis. Stat. chapter 109. Wisconsin also requires most employers to pay all wages earned at least monthly, with no more than 31 days between pay periods.
Confirm before you rely on these
Rates verified November 2026. Wisconsin's minimum wage has been $7.25 since July 24, 2009, and the Department of Workforce Development's minimum wage page lists no scheduled increase. This is general information, not legal or payroll advice. Check the Wisconsin labor department for the current rules, and talk to a professional for your situation.
Sources: dwd.wisconsin.gov, dwd.wisconsin.gov, dwd.wisconsin.gov, dwd.wisconsin.gov, dwd.wisconsin.gov, dol.gov, dol.gov, dol.gov.
How long to keep time records
Federal law requires keeping time cards 2 years and payroll records 3 years, and some states go longer. The full breakdown is in how long to keep timesheets and payroll records.
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Track Wisconsin hours accurately with Clox
A calculator is only as accurate as the hours you put into it. Clox is time tracking built for field and trade crews, so your crew's hours are recorded accurately in the first place, then the overtime is figured for you.
- Your crew clocks in with one tap on their phone, and it works offline, so a dead zone on the job doesn't lose a punch.
- Lock clock-in to a geofenced worksite so it has to happen on site. It's a strong deterrent, not a foolproof guarantee, because the location comes from the phone.
- Overtime is calculated automatically on the Wisconsin weekly-40 rule, so you're not doing this math by hand every Friday.
- Export payroll-ready files for QuickBooks, Gusto, ADP, and Paychex when the week is done.
If your crew moves between addresses during the day, settle how you handle drive time between job sites before you run the numbers. Those hours can count toward the weekly total, and leaving them untracked understates the overtime you owe.
You can see the plans on the pricing page, or start a free trial. It's 14 days free, no credit card to start, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
More state guides: Illinois time tracking, Indiana time tracking.