01
Start with the monthly basic salary
Use the monthly basic salary only. Overtime in the UAE is commonly checked against the basic wage, not the full package with allowances.
🇦🇪 UAE overtime
UAE Overtime Calculator
Last updated on May 17, 2026 • Editorial policy
Estimate overtime pay in the UAE private sector here. The most important rule to keep in mind is that overtime is commonly checked on the basic salary only, while the actual rate changes depending on whether the extra work happened on a normal day, at night, on a rest day, or on a public holiday.
8 hours a day
The common private-sector baseline is 8 hours a day unless a different lawful schedule applies.
48 hours a week
That usual daily limit ties into a common weekly baseline of 48 working hours in the private sector.
10 PM to 4 AM
Public UAE guidance commonly frames night overtime around work performed between 10 PM and 4 AM.
Basic salary only
Overtime is commonly checked on the basic salary rather than on the full package with allowances.
Overtime calculator
Enter your monthly basic salary, pick the overtime categories that match your case, and review the hourly rate used for each part of the estimate.
Use basic salary, not your full package
UAE overtime is usually calculated on the basic salary only. Housing, transport, and other allowances are not typically used as the wage base for overtime calculations.
How to read the overtime result
Break overtime into the right categories first. That is usually the fastest way to make the result feel realistic.
02
Split the overtime hours by type
Put regular, night, rest day, and public holiday hours into separate fields so the page can apply the correct multiplier to each group.
03
Check the monthly hours basis
Use the monthly hours field if you want to adjust the hourly base used in the estimate instead of relying on a standard hours assumption.
04
Use advanced options if a substitute day off applies
If rest-day work or public-holiday work is balanced by a substitute day off, update the advanced options so the estimate reflects that softer cash treatment.
05
Review the bucket-by-bucket payout
Compare the hourly rate, each overtime category, and the final total so you can see which type of overtime is actually driving the result.
How overtime categories usually work in the UAE
These are the overtime buckets people usually need to separate before a calculation starts making sense.
Regular extra hours
Regular overtime is commonly checked at 125% of the hourly basic wage
This is the overtime category people most often use for extra hours on normal working days outside the usual shift.
125%
Night work
Night overtime is commonly checked at 150%
Public UAE guidance commonly frames this around overtime worked between 10 PM and 4 AM.
150%
Rest day or holiday
Rest day or holiday work can involve 150% treatment unless substitute time off applies
The cash outcome can change if the employer gives another day off instead, which is why the advanced options let you soften those categories.
150%
What changes the overtime result
Overtime disputes usually come from the wage base, the overtime category, or whether the employee is even eligible for overtime in the first place.
01
Basic salary versus total package
Most confusion starts here. Overtime in the UAE is commonly checked on the basic salary, which means a large allowance package does not necessarily increase overtime pay in the way many workers expect.
02
The overtime type
Regular extra hours, night work, rest-day work, and public-holiday work do not always use the same multiplier, so lumping them together can produce the wrong result.
03
Substitute time off
Some rest-day or holiday scenarios may be handled with substitute time off instead of the strongest cash outcome, which is why the page includes a softer option in the advanced settings.
04
Worker category and sector exceptions
Supervisory, managerial, or other special categories may not fall into standard overtime treatment in the same way, so role category still matters even when the wage formula looks straightforward.
How the numbers are calculated
The page keeps the overtime formula visible so the result is easier to check against your own attendance and payroll records.
Step 1
Estimate the hourly basic rate
Basic monthly salary / monthly hours used
The default follows a practical monthly-hours assumption, and you can override that field when your workplace uses a different hours basis for checking overtime.
Step 2
Apply the overtime multiplier
Hourly basic rate x overtime multiplier x overtime hours
Regular overtime commonly uses 125%, while night, rest-day, or public-holiday scenarios commonly move toward 150% depending on the case.
Step 3
Add the overtime buckets together
Regular pay + night pay + rest-day pay + holiday pay
The page shows each bucket separately so you can see where the overtime total is actually coming from instead of relying on one hidden formula.
Examples
These examples show how overtime can move when the work happens in different time slots or on different types of days.
Example 01
Employee working 4 regular overtime hours
Basic salary: AED 8,000. Monthly hours used: 208.
AED 192.31
- Hourly basic rate: AED 38.46
- Regular overtime multiplier: 125%
- 4 hours checked
Example 02
Employee working 2 night overtime hours
Basic salary: AED 8,000. Monthly hours used: 208.
AED 115.38
- Hourly basic rate: AED 38.46
- Night overtime multiplier: 150%
- 2 hours checked
Example 03
Employee with mixed overtime in one month
Basic salary: AED 10,000. Regular overtime: 6 hours. Rest-day work: 4 hours.
AED 649.04
- Hourly basic rate: AED 48.08
- Regular overtime pay: AED 360.58
- Rest-day overtime pay: AED 288.46 before any substitute-day adjustment
Overtime rules and official sources
Read the guide to check overtime logic and likely pay, not to replace your employer’s payroll record or attendance system.
- The calculation follows the common UAE private-sector overtime framework under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.
- The overtime estimate uses the basic salary as the wage base because that is the common labour-law treatment for private-sector overtime calculations.
- Rest-day and public-holiday work can be handled differently when substitute time off applies, so the form gives you a softer option for those scenarios.
- Managerial, supervisory, and other special categories may not be covered by standard overtime treatment in the same way, so the final payroll outcome can still vary by role and contract.
Source direction
- UAE Government: Working hours and overtime
- Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Articles 17 and 19
- MOHRE: Dear Worker – Know Your Rights
If your contract, sector, or worker category follows a more specific overtime treatment than the public baseline, compare this result with your contract terms and employer payroll records before relying on it as final.
Related UAE tools
These pages usually help next when overtime is only one part of the pay question you are trying to answer.
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Explore UAEFAQ
These are the overtime questions people usually ask before they trust the number.
Is UAE overtime based on basic salary or total package?
UAE overtime is generally calculated on the basic salary only, not the full package with allowances.
What overtime rates are commonly used in the UAE?
A common guide is 125% of the hourly basic wage for regular overtime, and 150% for night overtime, weekly rest day work, or public holiday work when no substitute day off applies.
What hours count as night overtime?
Public UAE guidance commonly frames night overtime around hours worked between 10 PM and 4 AM.
Does weekly rest day work always mean a 150% payout?
Not always. Employers may provide a substitute rest day under the law, which can change the cash treatment of that work.
Who may be excluded from overtime treatment?
Some managerial, supervisory, or special worker categories may not fall under standard overtime treatment in the same way, so role category still matters.
Does the overtime result replace a payroll record?
No. The overtime result is a practical estimate and should still be checked against your attendance records, contract, and employer payroll treatment.