Wage Calculators

What Are Unpaid Wages — and When Do You Need a Calculator?

Unpaid wages are earnings you worked for but didn't receive. This happens more often than most workers realise — and it's not always obvious from a pay stub. The most common situations where workers are owed money:

• Missing hours on a paycheck: Your timecard shows 45 hours but your pay stub reflects 40. The 5-hour gap is unpaid wages owed at your regular rate — or at your overtime rate if those hours pushed you over 40 for the week.
• Overtime not paid at 1.5×: Under the FLSA, hours over 40 in a workweek must be paid at time-and-a-half for non-exempt employees. Many employers pay straight time for overtime or average hours across two weeks to avoid the threshold — both are violations.
• Off-the-clock work: Pre-shift setup, post-shift closing, mandatory training, security screenings, or answering work messages after hours all count as hours worked — even if they're not clocked. If you performed required tasks outside your paid hours, those minutes are owed.
• Auto-deducted breaks you worked through: A timekeeping system that automatically deducts 30 minutes for lunch even when you worked at your station is one of the most widespread payroll errors in hourly workplaces. Those deducted minutes are unpaid wages.
• Final paycheck issues: Wages, unused PTO, or commissions not included when you left a job — or a paycheck that arrived late in states with strict deadlines (California requires same-day payment on termination).
• Rate underpayment: Paid below minimum wage, below your agreed rate, or at an old rate that wasn't updated after a raise. Even a $0.50/hour shortfall adds up significantly over months or years.

A wage calculator is most useful as a first step — it gives you a concrete number before you contact payroll, file a wage claim, or consult an employment attorney. Knowing the approximate amount at stake helps you decide whether to pursue the issue and what records to gather.

Under the FLSA, unpaid wage claims can recover back wages plus equal liquidated damages — effectively doubling your recovery — and attorney's fees. Many states allow even longer lookback periods and stronger remedies. The calculators below estimate the base wage amount before those additional recoveries.

Not sure if what happened to you qualifies as a wage violation? Read Unpaid Wages Laws — Your Rights & How to Recover Pay for a full explanation of what counts, how far back you can claim, and how to file.

Which Wage Calculator Should I Use?

Choosing the right calculator depends on how and when the wages were missed. Use this guide to match your situation to the correct tool.

• Use the Unpaid Wages Calculator if you were paid for some hours but not all hours worked during a recent pay period.
• Use the Overtime Pay Calculator if you worked more than 40 hours in a week and did not receive overtime pay at 1.5× your rate.
• Use the Minimum Wage Underpayment Calculator if your hourly rate falls below the legal minimum wage in your state or province.
• Use the Back Pay Calculator if underpayment spans multiple pay periods or was discovered after a payroll audit or dispute.
• See the California Minimum Wage 2026 guide if you work in California and want to check your applicable rate by industry or city.
• Use the Pay Stub Error Calculator if you suspect a payroll error — compare expected gross pay to your pay stub amount.
• Use the Unpaid Breaks Calculator if break time was missed, interrupted, or auto-deducted from your pay.
• Use the Meal Break Penalty Calculator if you're in California and missed meal breaks — you may be owed one hour of premium pay per violation, on top of wages for any time you worked through the break.
• Use the Final Paycheck Calculator if you are owed wages, unused vacation, or other compensation after quitting or being terminated.
• Use the PTO Payout & Unused Vacation Pay Calculator if you are owed unused PTO or vacation pay after leaving a job.
• Use the Holiday Pay Calculator if you are owed pay for unpaid holidays.
• Use the Misclassification Cost Calculator if you were classified as a 1099 contractor but believe you should have been treated as an employee.
• Use the Notice Period Calculator to estimate how much notice was required when employment ended.
• Use the Pay in Lieu of Notice Calculator to estimate the lump-sum owed when notice wasn't worked.
• Use the Severance Pay & Package Calculator to estimate severance based on years of service and pay rate.
• Use the Wrongful Termination & Dismissal Calculator to estimate settlement ranges after unlawful termination or wrongful dismissal.

These calculators are designed for general use in the United States and Canada. Wage laws, minimum pay rates, and entitlements vary by jurisdiction — results are estimates only and are not legal advice.

Wage Calculator Comparison Table

The table below summarises each calculator and the situation it's designed for.