UAE Overtime Calculator
Find your hourly basic wage and what your overtime, night overtime and rest-day hours are worth under the UAE Labour Law, and check the working-hour limits.
Basic only, without housing or other allowances. Overtime is worked out on basic pay.
Paid at + 25%.
Paid at + 50%.
Your contract hours. The law allows at most 8.
Used for the month estimate and the limits.
Leave blank to spread it over your working days. Used for the 2-hours-a-day check.
Shift workers do not get the + 50% night rate. Their night overtime is paid at + 25%.
Normal hours are 2 hours shorter a day in Ramadan, so time past that counts as overtime.
Then ÷ your normal hours a day. × 12 ÷ 365 is the usual practice; some employers use the others.
These are the legal minimums. Your contract may pay more, but not less.
Type the rate you get: how many of that currency you get for 1 AED.
How your overtime pay is worked out
An hourly basic wage from your salary, the extra for each kind of hour, then hours × rate.
- 1
Hourly basic wage
6,000 × 12 ÷ 365
÷ 8 = AED 24.6575 - 2
Add the extra
24.6575 × 1.25
= AED 30.8219 - 3
Hours × rate
10 h × 30.82
= AED 308.22 - 4
Check the limit
0.46 h a day
within 2 h a day
Read more: the law, the formula, a worked example, limits and Ramadan hours
Articles 17 and 19 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the UAE Labour Law for the private sector, set these rules for working hours and overtime:
- normal working hours are at most 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week
- normal hours are cut by 2 hours a day in Ramadan
- overtime should not be more than 2 hours a day, and total working hours should not go over 144 hours every 3 weeks
- overtime is paid at the basic-hour wage plus at least 25%
- overtime between 10 pm and 4 am is paid at the basic-hour wage plus at least 50%, except for shift workers
- work on your weekly rest day earns a substitute rest day, or the basic wage for those hours plus at least 50%
- work on an official public holiday earns a substitute day off, or the day's wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage (Article 28)
The formula
hourly basic wage = basic monthly salary × 12 ÷ 365 ÷ normal hours a day
overtime pay = overtime hours × hourly basic wage × 1.25
night overtime pay = night hours × hourly basic wage × 1.5
rest-day pay = rest-day hours × hourly basic wage × 1.5
total = all of these added together
Worked example
Your basic salary is AED 6,000 a month and your normal day is 8 hours. A year of basic pay is 6,000 × 12 = AED 72,000, which is 72,000 ÷ 365 = AED 197.26 a day and 197.26 ÷ 8 = AED 24.66 an hour (24.6575 before rounding).
An overtime hour pays 24.6575 × 1.25 = AED 30.82 (30.8219). You worked 10 hours of daytime overtime this month, so your overtime pay is 10 × 30.8219 = AED 308.22. Spread over about 21.67 working days (5 days a week), that is under half an hour a day, well within the 2-hour limit.
Had 4 of those hours been between 10 pm and 4 am, they would pay 24.6575 × 1.5 = AED 36.99 each (36.9863), so 4 × 36.9863 = AED 147.95.
Rates on a basic of AED 6,000 (8-hour days)
| Kind of hour | Extra | Pay an hour |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly basic wage | — | AED 24.66 |
| Daytime overtime | + 25% | AED 30.82 |
| Night overtime, 10 pm–4 am | + 50% | AED 36.99 |
| Night overtime, shift worker | + 25% | AED 30.82 |
| Rest-day work (if paid) | + 50% | AED 36.99 |
Notes
- The law does not write out the hourly-rate formula. Basic × 12 ÷ 365 ÷ daily hours is the usual practice; some employers divide by 30 days or 26 working days instead, which you can pick in Advanced mode.
- Overtime is worked out on basic pay, not your full salary with allowances. A contract can be more generous, never less.
- In Ramadan the calculator keeps your hourly wage on your usual daily hours and shows the shorter normal day, so you can see when overtime starts. Ask your employer how they work it out.
- Senior managers and some jobs, such as those needing continuous work, may have different rules for hours and overtime.
Free zones and government jobs
The DIFC and ADGM financial free zones have their own employment laws. Government jobs follow the federal or local government HR rules. This calculator uses the mainland private-sector rules overseen by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE).
For your annual leave pay, use the UAE leave salary calculator, and for end-of-service pay the UAE gratuity calculator.
Sources: Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (Articles 17, 19 and 28) and the u.ae working hours page (u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/employment-in-the-private-sector/working-hours). This is an estimate for general information, not legal advice. Check your contract, or ask your employer or MOHRE, before relying on it.
Common questions
How is overtime calculated in the UAE?
Work out your hourly basic wage, usually basic monthly salary × 12 ÷ 365 ÷ your normal hours a day. Overtime is paid at that hourly wage plus at least 25%, so 1.25 times. For example, a basic of AED 6,000 with 8-hour days gives AED 24.66 an hour, so each overtime hour pays at least AED 30.82.
What is the overtime rate for night work in the UAE?
Overtime worked between 10 pm and 4 am is paid at the hourly basic wage plus at least 50%, so 1.5 times. This does not apply to shift workers, whose night overtime is paid at the usual plus 25%. On a basic of AED 6,000 with 8-hour days, a night overtime hour pays at least AED 36.99.
How much overtime can I work in a day in the UAE?
Overtime should not be more than 2 hours a day, and your total working hours should not go over 144 hours in every 3 weeks. Normal working hours are at most 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week. Some jobs and emergencies have exceptions, so check with your employer or MOHRE.
What do I get for working on my rest day in the UAE?
If you have to work on your weekly rest day, your employer must give you another rest day instead, or pay you the basic wage for those hours plus at least 50%. On a basic of AED 6,000 with 8-hour days, that is at least AED 36.99 an hour, or about AED 295.89 for a full 8-hour rest day.
Is UAE overtime paid on basic or gross salary?
Overtime is worked out on your basic wage, not your full salary with housing and other allowances. That is why the calculator asks only for your basic salary. Your contract can pay more than the legal minimum, for example on gross pay or at a higher rate, but not less.
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