24/48 Schedule Calendar
Pick your platoon to see every 24-hour shift by date, the hours in each 28-day period and the overtime under FLSA 7(k) or other rules.
Free · runs in your browser · nothing is uploaded
How to use the 24/48 Schedule Calendar
- Under Schedule, confirm that 24 on 48 off is selected.
- Open the Crew menu and choose A, B or C. This pattern has three crews.
- In Crew A starts the cycle on, enter the date of day 1 of crew A’s rotation. The other crews follow the same cycle, delayed by a fixed number of days.
- Set First month and Months to show to the period you want to review.
- Under Shift times and breaks, check the start, end and unpaid break of each shift. The default is 07:00 to 07:00 with no break.
- Enter your Hourly rate, then pick a rule pack under What sets your overtime?
- Read the result card for paid hours, shifts worked, overtime hours and estimated gross pay.
- Tap a work day to cycle it through sick, vacation, off and swapped shift. Tap a day off to mark a picked-up shift. The rotation itself does not change.
- Use Download calendar (.ics), Download CSV or Print. Clear my marks removes your marks.
Not sure which crew works a particular shift? Use Find my crew with the shift and the date. Overtime is counted over whole workweeks, so a week cut off by the edge of the months shown still counts in full.
How do I know which days I work on a 24/48?
Each crew works one day in every three. Crew A’s first day is a 24-hour shift, followed by two days off, and the cycle then repeats. Once you know crew A’s start date, every later work day follows from that count, and Find my crew can confirm any date.
- Find day 1 of crew A’s rotation and enter it in Crew A starts the cycle on.
- Count day 1 as a 24-hour work shift, then days 2 and 3 as days off.
- Day 4 starts the next cycle, so crew A’s next work day falls three days later.
- Switch the Crew menu to B or C to see those crews, which run the same cycle on a delayed start.
How many hours a week and a year does a 24/48 crew work?
A crew averages 56 paid hours a week and about 2,920 paid hours a year, with 121.7 shifts. Weekly totals range from 48 to 72 hours, depending on where the three-day cycle falls within a Monday-to-Sunday week. The figures below use the default shift times.
| Measure | Crew A, 24 on 48 off |
|---|---|
| Cycle length | 3 days |
| Work days per cycle | 1 |
| Longest run on / off | 1 day on, 2 days off |
| Average paid hours per week | 56 |
| Range in a Monday-to-Sunday week | 48 to 72 hours |
| Shifts per year | 121.7 |
| Paid hours per year | about 2,920 |
| Weekends fully off | 33% |
| 24/7 coverage with one crew | Yes, every hour covered by exactly one crew |
Does a 24/48 schedule have built-in overtime?
The pattern does not set overtime by itself. Overtime depends on the rule pack you select under What sets your overtime? Over a 28-day work period this rotation averages about 224 hours, 12 more than the 212 hours the FLSA 7(k) fire pack allows at straight time, so that pack reports overtime.
| Rule pack | Threshold used |
|---|---|
| US federal 40-hour workweek (FLSA) | 40 hours in a workweek |
| FLSA 7(k) fire protection | 212 hours in 28 days |
| FLSA 7(k) police | 171 hours in 28 days |
| California daily, weekly and 7th-day | Daily, weekly and 7th-day rules |
Worked example: Crew A starting 1 Nov 2026, four weeks to 28 Nov, at $30 an hour under the FLSA 7(k) fire pack gives 10 shifts, 240 paid hours, 219 regular hours and 21 overtime hours at 1.5x. The estimated gross pay is $7,515.00. The last shift ends at 07:00 on 29 Nov, so its final 7 hours count in the next 28-day work period. Switching the rule pack recalculates the same month.
More questions
24/48 vs Kelly schedule: what is the difference?
The Kelly schedule is a different rotation with its own cycle, so the numbers on this page do not apply to it. This calendar covers the 24/48 pattern only. The related pages below cover other rotations.
Can I mark sick days, pickups and swaps?
Yes. Tap a work day to cycle it through sick, vacation, off and swapped shift, or tap a day off to mark a picked-up shift. These marks do not change the rotation, and they are stored only in this browser until you use Clear my marks.
Can I export my shifts?
Yes. Download calendar (.ics) gives one event per worked shift for Google, Apple or Outlook calendars. Download CSV lists each shift with paid, regular and overtime hours and pay, and Print prints the calendar without the form.
Is the pay estimate exact?
No. Every pay result is an estimate under the rule pack you picked. Contracts and union agreements can differ, and this page is not legal or payroll advice.
How this tool works and where the numbers come from
The calendar repeats the rotation from your crew’s start date and counts every shift minute by minute. Overtime and pay are worked out over whole workweeks (or the 7(k) and 7(j) work periods) under the rule pack you pick, following the official texts below. Results are estimates, not legal or payroll advice.
Sources
- 29 U.S.C. § 207 (FLSA § 7): overtime after 40 hours a week; § 7(j) hospitals (8 and 80); § 7(k) fire and police work periods (U.S. Code, 2023 Edition) · checked
- 29 CFR § 553.230: maximum hours table, 212 h fire / 171 h police per 28 days and shorter periods (eCFR current as of 2026-10-23) · checked
- 29 CFR § 553.224: the 7(k) work period (7 to 28 consecutive days) (eCFR current as of 2026-10-23) · checked
- 29 CFR § 553.222: sleep time, excludable only on tours of duty of more than 24 hours (eCFR current as of 2026-10-23) · checked
- 29 U.S.C. § 213(b)(20) (FLSA § 13(b)(20)): fire and police agencies with fewer than 5 such employees (U.S. Code, 2023 Edition) · checked
- 29 CFR Part 778: overtime compensation (regular rate, workweek) (eCFR current as of 2026-10-23) · checked
- 29 CFR § 778.105: the workweek is a fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours (eCFR current as of 2026-10-23) · checked
- 29 CFR § 778.207(b): shift differentials are part of the regular rate (eCFR current as of 2026-10-23) · checked
- California Labor Code § 510: daily overtime over 8 hours, double time over 12, seventh day (as amended by Stats. 1999, ch. 134, effective 2000-01-01) · checked
- California Labor Code § 500: workday, workweek and alternative workweek schedule defined (added by Stats. 1999, ch. 134, effective 2000-01-01) · checked
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: federal holidays (5 U.S.C. § 6103) · checked
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #8: law enforcement and fire protection employees (Revised March 2011) · checked
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #23: overtime pay requirements of the FLSA (Revised October 2019) · checked
- California DLSE: overtime FAQ · checked
Frequently asked questions
What is a 24/48 schedule?
A 24/48 schedule has one 24-hour shift followed by 48 hours off, so a worker is on duty one day in every three. Three crews rotate through the cycle so that someone is on shift at all times.
Is 24 48 or 48 96 better?
Both average 56 hours a week. A 24/48 gives two days off after every shift; a 48/96 puts two shifts back to back and then gives four days off. The 48/96 Schedule Calendar shows the other pattern with the same rule packs.
Who uses the 24/48 schedule?
Fire departments are the main users, and the pattern is built around crews that cover a station around the clock. The rule packs include FLSA 7(k) options for both fire protection and police work, but the 24/48 itself is most common in fire service.
What schedule do firefighters work?
Many firefighters work a 24/48 rotation, with a 24-hour shift followed by 48 hours off. Each crew cycles through the three-day pattern, so one crew is always on duty.
What are the three platoons on a 24/48?
Departments usually call them A, B and C shift. Each one works a 24-hour shift every third day, so the platoons take turns covering the station.
Do firefighters sleep at the station?
Many stations have bunk rooms, and crews rest between calls during a 24-hour shift. Under FLSA 7(k), sleep time can be excluded only on tours of duty of more than 24 hours, by agreement and never more than 8 hours (29 CFR 553.222(c)). On a 24-hour shift, sleep time counts as hours worked, so leave the break at 0 unless your tour is longer than 24 hours and an agreement applies.
How many hours a week is a 24/48 schedule?
A 24/48 averages 56 paid hours a week, with weekly totals from 48 to 72 hours. The figure assumes the default 24-hour shift times with no unpaid break.
Is this 24/48 calculator free?
Yes. There is no account and no charge for the calendar or the pay estimate.
Related tools
- Shift Calendar Maker: build a shift calendar for other patterns and dates.
- DuPont Schedule Calendar: view the DuPont rotation when you want a different cycle of shifts and rest.
- Pitman Schedule Calendar: check the Pitman rotation for a two-week pattern.
- 4 On 4 Off Schedule Calendar: plan a pattern with four days on and four days off.
- 12 Hour Shift Schedule Comparison: compare 12-hour rotations side by side.
- Overtime Calculator for Shift Workers: estimate overtime for hours worked outside this calendar.
- Timesheet Calculator: total hours from start and end times for a single week.
- How Many Work Hours in a Year: see how annual hours compare across schedules.