Calculate your overtime pay.
The basic hourly wage here is basic monthly salary × 12 ÷ 365 ÷ 8 hours. Some employers divide by 30 days instead, which gives a slightly higher rate. Allowances are not included, because overtime is calculated on basic salary.
Overtime rules in the UAE.
Normal hours: up to 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week for most private-sector jobs.
Overtime limit: no more than 2 hours a day, and total working hours must not exceed 144 hours every three weeks.
Overtime rate: basic hourly wage plus at least 25%.
10 pm to 4 am: basic hourly wage plus at least 50%, except for shift workers.
Rest day or public holiday: a substitute day off, or basic wage plus at least 50%.
These rules come from Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 and its implementing regulations. Senior managers and some other categories are excluded from the working-hours provisions, and free zones such as DIFC and ADGM have their own employment laws.
Example: AED 4,000 basic salary, 10 hours of overtime.
Basic hourly wage: 4,000 × 12 ÷ 365 ÷ 8 = AED 16.44.
Overtime rate (+25%): AED 20.55 an hour.
10 hours of regular overtime: about AED 205.48.
If those hours were between 10 pm and 4 am (+50%): about AED 246.58.
Other UAE workplace calculators.
Estimate your end-of-service benefit with the gratuity calculator, your holiday pay with the leave salary calculator, and your last working day with the notice period guide. Looking for a better-paid role? Browse open jobs.
Frequently asked questions
How is overtime calculated in the UAE?
Your basic hourly wage plus at least 25% for each overtime hour, or plus at least 50% between 10 pm and 4 am. Work on a rest day or public holiday earns a day off in lieu or basic wage plus at least 50%.
Is overtime based on basic or total salary?
Basic salary. Housing, transport and other allowances are not part of the overtime calculation.
How many overtime hours are allowed in the UAE?
No more than two hours a day, and total working hours must not exceed 144 hours in any three-week period, except in specific emergencies set out in the law.
Do managers get overtime in the UAE?
Employees in senior supervisory or management roles are generally excluded from the working-hours and overtime provisions. Check your contract.
UAE overtime calculator: work out your overtime pay.
Under the UAE Labour Law, overtime is paid at your basic hourly wage plus at least 25%, or plus at least 50% for overtime between 10 pm and 4 am. Work on your rest day or a public holiday earns either a day off in lieu or your basic wage plus at least 50%. Overtime is capped at two hours a day. Enter your hours below for an estimate.
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