Shift Differential Calculator

The effective hourly rate is total gross pay divided by total hours worked, and since evening, night, and weekend hours are paid at the base rate plus a differential, any hours worked in those categories pull the blended average above the plain base rate. The more of the schedule that falls into differential shifts, the further the effective rate rises above the base hourly rate alone.

No -- each shift category's pay is calculated independently from its own hours and its own rate (base rate for regular hours, base rate plus differential for evening, night, and weekend hours), then the four amounts are simply added together. Changing night hours changes night pay and the total, but never changes the separately calculated regular, evening, or weekend pay amounts.

This calculator expects each differential as a flat dollar amount added per hour, which is the most common structure for nursing shift differentials. If your employer instead pays a percentage differential (for example, 15% above base), convert it to a dollar amount first by multiplying your base hourly rate by that percentage, then enter the resulting dollar figure in the differential field.

Usually the base rate increase, if you work any regular daytime hours at all. Raising the base hourly rate increases pay across every shift category at once, since regular, evening, night, and weekend pay all include the base rate as part of their formula (base rate alone for regular hours, base rate plus differential for the other three). A higher base rate therefore raises total pay by more than the same dollar change to a single shift differential would, because it applies to every hour worked, not just one shift category.