Holiday Pay Calculator

Holiday pay is whatever your employer's policy promises: many pay 1.5× or 2× for hours actually worked on a holiday, and some add holiday premium on top of the paid day off. The math is rate × multiplier × hours worked; the tax treatment is ordinary wages plus withholding.

Quick answer: Working a holiday at 1.5× pays rate × 1.5 × hours. If your employer also gives you the paid day off, that day is paid at your normal rate. A $22/hour worker doing a 8-hour holiday shift at 1.5× earns $264 gross for the shift.

Hourly rate

Hours at holiday shift (1.5×)

hrs

Paid holiday hours off (normal rate)

hrs

If your employer pays the holiday itself, add those hours here

State

State supplemental rate (estimate)

Net pay

$261.40

of $400.00 gross ($20/hr × 1.5× × 8 hrs + $160.00 holiday pay)

Gross pay	$400.00
Premium portion (deductible from federal tax in 2026)	$80.00
Federal withholding (22%)	− $88.00
FICA (7.65%)	− $30.60
State tax (custom 5%)	− $20.00

Paycheck-level estimate using the 22% federal supplemental rate. Withholding on a real check may differ; the premium deduction is claimed on your 2026 return. Not tax advice.

Core facts

Formula	Holiday shift = rate × multiplier × hours; floating holiday day-off = rate × 8
Legal minimum	Federal law: no holiday premium required; it's policy or contract
Taxed as	Ordinary supplemental wages — same withholding as bonus checks

Common uses

Check a Thanksgiving or Christmas shift paycheck
Compare working the holiday versus taking the day off
Plan December income when multiple holidays stack

Frequently asked questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Is holiday pay taxed differently?

No different legally — it is ordinary wages. But because holiday premiums often arrive in bonus-like checks, employers may withhold at the 22% supplemental rate, making the net look small. The tax evens out when you file.