Nurse Pay12-Hour Shift Pay Calculator
What a 12-hour nursing shift pays after an unpaid break, with any differentials and overtime — and what three 12s a week add up to.
Your 12-hour shift pays
$552
- 11.5
- paid hours
- $48.00/hr
- effective rate
Breakdown
- Base pay11.5 h × $48.00
- $552.00
- Estimated gross pay
- $552.00
How this was calculated
Paid time
12h worked − 30m unpaid break = 11.5 h
Hours
11.5 h regular · 0 h overtime · 0 h double time
Rounding
Each line is rounded to the cent, then summed, so the breakdown always adds up.
Three of these a week
34.5 paid hours
$1,656.00
Your estimated pay: $552. Get this in seconds after every shift.
Nurse Pay for iPhone keeps your rate, differentials and overtime rules, so each shift is a tap. Nurse Pay Pro adds pay-period totals and job-offer comparison.
Download on theApp StoreWorked example: one 12 and a three-12 week
At $46/hour, a 7 AM–7 PM shift with a 30-minute unpaid lunch is 11.5 paid hours, not 12.
One 12-hour day shift
- Base pay11.5 h × $46.00
- $529.00
- Estimated gross pay
- $529.00
Three of those a week is 34.5 paid hours and $1,587.00 gross — under a 40-hour weekly threshold, so no overtime. Over 52 weeks that's about $82,524.00 before differentials, overtime or pickups (see the hourly to salary calculator).
How 12-hour shift pay works
- Paid hours = 12 minus any unpaid break. A 30-minute unpaid break makes it 11.5; if your breaks are paid, it's 12.
- Overtime depends on your employer. Some pay daily overtime after 8 or 12 hours; many only pay weekly overtime after 40. Three 12s (36 hours) don't reach 40; a fourth usually does.
- Differentials for nights, weekends or charge are added on top. Night 12s (7P–7A) often earn a night differential for all or part of the shift.
For a full week including a pickup shift, use the nurse overtime calculator in "A full week" mode.
Common 12-hour situations
- Day 12 (7A–7P)
- Usually no night differential. Check weekend differential on Saturdays and Sundays.
- Night 12 (7P–7A)
- Turn on night differential; limit it to your employer's night hours if needed.
- Stayed late 30 minutes
- Set the end time to 7:30. With daily overtime after 12, the extra half hour is overtime.
- Fourth 12 this week
- Open Overtime & holiday and set hours already worked this week to 36.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours are paid in a 12-hour shift?
12, minus any unpaid break. With a 30-minute unpaid meal break, 11.5 hours are paid.
Do nurses get overtime for 12-hour shifts?
Only if your employer or state pays daily overtime past a threshold you exceed, or once your weekly hours pass the weekly threshold. Many employers pay no overtime for a standard 12.
How much do three 12-hour shifts pay a week?
Your rate × paid hours × 3, plus differentials. The result panel above shows it under "Three of these a week".
Related calculators and guides
- Nurse Pay CalculatorEverything for one shift: base pay, differentials, overtime and holiday pay.
- Nurse Overtime CalculatorOvertime for one shift or a full week, with daily and weekly thresholds.
- Night Shift Differential CalculatorNight pay for the hours inside your employer's night window.
- Hourly to Salary CalculatorTurn an hourly rate into annual, monthly and weekly pay.
Nurse Pay for iPhone
Every 12, calculated in two taps.
- 7A–7P and 7P–7A presets, your break and differentials remembered.
- Save shifts and see what the pay period will be.
- Works offline. No account.
Nurse Pay provides estimates based on the compensation information and rules you enter. Actual payroll, overtime, differentials, employer policies, taxes, deductions, and applicable laws may vary.