Overtime pay calculator
Choose your country, enter your wage and the hours you worked beyond your normal day, and see what the law says you should be paid.
How overtime is calculated
Hourly wage = monthly wage ÷ 30 ÷ normal hours per day
UAE and Qatar: overtime hour = hourly basic × 1.25 (× 1.50 at night or on a rest day)
Saudi Arabia: overtime hour = hourly actual wage + 0.5 × hourly basic wage
| UAE | Qatar | Saudi Arabia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal hours | 8 a day / 48 a week | 8 a day / 48 a week; 36 a week in Ramadan | 8 a day / 48 a week; 6 / 36 in Ramadan for Muslims |
| Ordinary overtime | Basic + at least 25% | Basic + at least 25% | Hourly wage + 50% of basic |
| Night overtime | + at least 50%, 10 pm to 4 am (not shift workers) | + at least 50%, 9 pm to 6 am (not shift workers) | No separate rate |
| Rest day | Another day off, or normal pay + at least 50% | Another rest day + at least 150% of basic (Friday) | Holidays and Eid: all hours are overtime |
| Limit | 2 overtime hours a day | 2 overtime hours a day | Up to 10 hours a day / 60 a week in listed cases (Art. 106) |
| Law | Decree-Law 33/2021, Arts. 17, 19 | Law 14/2004, Arts. 73–75 | Labor Law, Arts. 98, 107 |
Official sources: the UAE government portal's working hours page, Saudi Arabia's Labor Law on the Bureau of Experts site, and Qatar's Labour Law on Al Meezan.
Worked examples
Example 1: UAE, weekday and night overtime
Basic AED 6,000, so the hourly basic is 6,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = 25. Ten ordinary overtime hours at 31.25 = 312.50, and four night hours at 37.50 = 150. Total AED 462.50.
Example 2: UAE, a rest day paid in cash
Basic AED 7,200 (30 an hour). Eight hours on a rest day, with no substitute day off, at 45 an hour: AED 360.
Example 3: Qatar, a busy month
Basic QAR 4,800 (20 an hour). Twenty ordinary hours at 25 = 500; five night hours at 30 = 150; eight hours on Friday at 30 = 240. Total QAR 890, plus a substitute rest day for the Friday.
Example 4: Saudi Arabia, Article 107
Basic SAR 6,000 and actual wage 9,000 (with housing and transport). Hourly actual wage 37.50, hourly basic 25, so an overtime hour pays 37.50 + 12.50 = 50. Twelve hours pay SAR 600.
Example 5: Saudi Arabia in Ramadan
The same worker on a 6-hour Ramadan day: hourly actual 9,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 6 = 50, hourly basic 33.33, so each overtime hour pays about 66.67. Ten hours pay about SAR 666.67.
Common mistakes
- Using full salary in the UAE or Qatar. The rate is based on the basic wage there.
- Using basic salary only in Saudi Arabia. The hourly wage is the actual wage; only the 50% premium is on basic.
- Counting your normal hours. Enter only the hours beyond your normal daily or weekly hours.
- Forgetting Ramadan hours. Shorter normal hours mean overtime starts earlier.
- Taking a "fixed overtime allowance" as final. If your hours are paid as a flat allowance, compare it with what the law gives for the hours you actually work.
Frequently asked questions
How is overtime calculated in the UAE?
Each overtime hour is paid at the normal hourly wage based on basic salary plus at least 25%, rising to at least 50% for hours between 10 pm and 4 am (not for shift workers). Overtime should not exceed 2 hours a day (Federal Decree-Law 33/2021, Art. 19).
How is overtime calculated in Saudi Arabia?
Article 107 of the Labor Law: each overtime hour is paid at the hourly wage plus 50% of the hourly basic wage. All hours worked on official holidays and Eid count as overtime.
How is overtime calculated in Qatar?
Under Articles 74 and 75 of Labour Law 14/2004, overtime is paid at the basic wage plus at least 25%, and at least 50% between 9 pm and 6 am (except shift workers). A worker who works on Friday gets another rest day and at least 150% of the basic wage for that work.
What hourly wage does the calculator use?
Monthly wage ÷ 30 ÷ normal daily hours. Saudi law defines a month as 30 days (Art. 2); none of the three laws spells out an hourly formula, and some employers use a yearly basis (monthly × 12 ÷ 365) instead, which gives a slightly lower rate.
Is overtime paid on basic or full salary?
In the UAE and Qatar the rate is based on the basic wage. In Saudi Arabia the hourly wage is the actual wage (basic plus fixed allowances), and the 50% premium is worked out on the basic wage.
What about working on my day off in the UAE?
Your employer must give you another rest day, or pay the normal wage for those hours plus at least 50%. Enter the hours as rest-day hours only if you are being paid instead of getting a day off.
Do managers get overtime?
Often not. The laws exclude some roles, such as senior managers with management authority in Saudi Arabia (Art. 108) and supervisory roles in the UAE. Check your contract and the law for your role.
Results are estimates. The laws set minimums ("at least"), so your contract may pay more. Shift workers, managers and some sectors have different rules. This is not legal advice.
Sources: UAE Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 (Arts. 17 and 19, as summarised on the official u.ae portal), Qatar Labour Law 14/2004 (Arts. 73 to 75), Saudi Labor Law (Arts. 2, 98 and 107).