Overtime calculator (Guatemala)
Calculate the pay for your overtime hours in Guatemala with the 50% surcharge over the ordinary hour set by art. 121 of the Labor Code.
What this calculator does
Calculates the pay for your overtime hours in Guatemala. Overtime is paid with a minimum 50% surcharge over the ordinary hour (article 121 of the Labor Code), so each overtime hour is worth 1.5 times the normal hour.
The calculator first derives your ordinary hourly wage from the monthly salary and then applies the 50% surcharge, showing the total for the overtime hours you enter.
Who it is for
- Workers who want to verify the pay for their overtime hours.
- Employers and payroll staff who calculate overtime surcharges.
- Students and labor advisors who need a quick, transparent calculation.
What information you need
- Your ordinary monthly salary (without the Q250 incentive bonus).
- The hours of your ordinary daily shift (the law sets 8 hours for the day shift).
- The number of overtime hours worked that you want to pay or verify.
How it is calculated
The ordinary hour is obtained by dividing the monthly salary by 30 days and by the daily shift hours: ordinary hour = salary ÷ 30 ÷ hours.
The overtime hour is paid with a 50% surcharge: overtime hour = ordinary hour × 1.5.
The overtime total is the overtime hourly rate multiplied by the number of overtime hours.
Formula
- Ordinary hour
ordinary hour = monthly salary ÷ 30 ÷ shift hours- Overtime hour (+50%)
overtime hour = ordinary hour × 1.5- Total pay
total = overtime hour × overtime hours
Worked example
You earn Q4,000 per month with an 8-hour daily shift and worked 10 overtime hours in the month.
- Ordinary hour: Q4,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = Q16.67.
- Overtime hour: Q16.67 × 1.5 = Q25.01.
- Total: Q25.01 × 10 = Q250.10.
The 10 overtime hours add up to Q250.10, at Q25.01 per hour.
How to interpret the result
The 50% is the legal minimum; a contract or collective agreement may set a higher surcharge, but never a lower one.
Guatemala has no night-work pay surcharge: the protection for night work is the shorter 6-hour shift, not extra pay per hour.
Ordinary plus overtime hours may not exceed 12 hours per day (article 122), and workers under 18 may not work overtime.
Common mistakes
- Including the Q250 incentive bonus in the base salary: it is not salary and is not part of the ordinary hour calculation.
- Paying the overtime hour at the ordinary hourly value, without the 50% surcharge.
- Using a number of days other than 30 to derive the hour without disclosing it; here the 30-day month convention is used.
Frequently asked questions
How much is overtime paid in Guatemala?
At least 50% more than the ordinary hour (article 121 of the Labor Code), that is, 1.5 times the normal hour. An agreement may set a higher surcharge.
Is there a night-work surcharge?
There is no pay surcharge per night hour. The protection for night work is a shorter shift (6 hours a day instead of 8), not extra pay. That is why this calculator applies a single 50% surcharge for every overtime hour.
How is the ordinary hourly value obtained?
The monthly salary is divided by 30 days and then by the daily shift hours. The law does not fix a single monthly-to-hourly conversion, so the 30-day month convention is used and disclosed in the assumptions.
What is the ordinary shift in Guatemala?
The day shift may not exceed 8 hours a day or 48 a week; the night shift, 6 a day and 36 a week; and the mixed shift, 7 a day and 42 a week (articles 116 and 117).
Is there an overtime limit?
Ordinary plus overtime hours may not exceed 12 hours per day (article 122), except for exceptional cases provided by law.
Do overtime hours pay IGSS and ISR?
Yes. Overtime hours are part of the total salary, so they are subject to the IGSS contribution (4.83% for the worker) and to labor income ISR, unlike the aguinaldo and the bono 14.
How much is one overtime hour worth on a Q4,000 salary?
With an 8-hour day shift, the ordinary hour is Q4,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = Q16.67, and the overtime hour with the 50% surcharge is Q16.67 × 1.5 = Q25.01. Ten overtime hours add up to Q250.10 (article 121 of the Labor Code).
How is work on a holiday or rest day paid?
Work on a holiday (asueto) or on the weekly rest day is paid as extraordinary time (article 128). The Code sets paid holidays such as January 1, May 1, September 15, and December 25 (article 127).
Can minors work overtime?
No. Workers under 18 may not work overtime (article 122). The general 12-hour daily limit combining ordinary and overtime hours applies to all other workers.
Sources
- Código de Trabajo de Guatemala (Decreto 1441), arts. 116, 121, 122 — Organismo Judicial de Guatemala (CENADOJ, texto consolidado) (Art. 116: jornada ordinaria diurna máx. 8 h/día y 48 h/semana. Art. 121: jornada extraordinaria remunerada con al menos un 50% más del salario ordinario. Art. 122: ordinaria + extraordinaria no puede exceder 12 h/día. See docs/research/gt-labor-rules.md, section 9.)
- Horas extras en Guatemala — guía laboral — Jibble (Secondary corroboration of the +50% overtime surcharge and the absence of a night-pay premium.)
- Last reviewed:
- July 23, 2026
- Calculation version:
- 1.0.0
Important notice
The results of these calculators are informative estimates and may differ from official calculations. They do not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Always verify with the competent institutions or a professional.