Overtime Pay Calculator Singapore 2026
Calculate your MOM-compliant overtime pay for weekdays, rest days and public holidays — free calculator with real-time results in SGD.
Your Work Details
Your Overtime Pay Breakdown
Based on MOM Employment Act rates: 1.5× weekday OT, 1.5× rest day (within normal hrs), 3× rest day (beyond), 2× public holiday. Applies to employees earning ≤ S$2,600/mth basic salary.
Understanding Overtime Pay for Singapore Workers
Overtime pay in Singapore is governed by the Employment Act (Cap. 91), administered by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Under the Act, eligible employees are entitled to overtime pay at a minimum of 1.5 times their hourly basic rate of pay for any work performed beyond their contractual hours. The rules apply to all employees earning a basic monthly salary of up to S$2,600 (for workmen, the threshold is S$4,500). Despite the salary cap, many employees in Singapore’s retail, F&B, logistics, and manufacturing sectors fall within this bracket — making a clear understanding of overtime calculations essential for both employees and HR managers. This calculator uses the MOM-prescribed formula: Hourly Basic Rate = Monthly Basic Salary ÷ (Hours per day × Working days per month). All figures are based on the Employment Act provisions as at Q1 2026. Not financial or legal advice. Always verify entitlements with MOM’s official guidelines or an employment lawyer.
Who Is Covered Under the Employment Act?
The Employment Act protects most employees in Singapore, but not all. Employees engaged in managerial, executive, or professional roles — such as company directors, HR managers, or lawyers — are generally excluded from the Act’s Part IV provisions on overtime pay. However, all employees (regardless of salary) are covered by the Act’s core provisions on rest days, annual leave, and public holidays. If you earn above S$2,600 per month in a non-workman role, your overtime pay entitlement will depend entirely on your employment contract rather than the statutory minimums. Always check your contract and seek MOM’s iWorkplace portal for clarification.
How Is the Hourly Rate Calculated?
Under the Employment Act, the hourly basic rate of pay is calculated as: Monthly Basic Salary ÷ (26 days × Normal daily working hours), with 26 being the statutory denominator MOM uses by default for monthly-rated employees. Some employers use actual working days in the month (e.g. 20–22 for a 5-day week), which can slightly alter the hourly rate. Our calculator lets you set your own working days to reflect your actual arrangement. Note that “basic salary” excludes allowances, bonuses, commissions, and overtime pay itself — only the fixed monthly base counts.
How to Use This Overtime Pay Calculator
- Enter your monthly basic salary: Input your fixed base salary in SGD, excluding any allowances, CPF contributions, or bonuses. This is the salary figure stated in your employment contract.
- Set your normal working hours per day: Most Singapore employees work 8 hours a day. Adjust if your contract specifies a different daily norm (e.g. 7.5 or 9 hours).
- Set your working days per month: MOM’s default is 26 days for monthly-rated employees. If you work a 5-day week (approximately 21–22 days), adjust accordingly — this affects your calculated hourly rate.
- Enter overtime hours by day type: Input the number of overtime hours worked on weekdays, rest days (typically Sundays), and public holidays separately. Each attracts a different multiplier under the Employment Act.
- Read your results instantly: The calculator shows your hourly basic rate, overtime pay by day type, and total monthly overtime entitlement.
The calculator instantly shows your results in SGD. Combine this with our Annual Leave Encashment Calculator and Notice Period Pay Calculator to understand your full employment entitlements under the Employment Act.
Pro tip: Use this alongside our Retirement Planning Calculator to model how consistent overtime income could accelerate your path to financial independence.
What Is Overtime Pay in Singapore?
Overtime pay (OT pay) in Singapore refers to the additional compensation employees receive for working beyond their contractual working hours. Under the Employment Act (Part IV), overtime is defined as any hours worked in excess of the contractual number of hours per day or week — capped at a maximum of 72 overtime hours per month. The Employment Act’s overtime provisions protect employees earning a basic monthly salary of up to S$2,600 for non-workmen and up to S$4,500 for workmen (those engaged in manual labour or machinery operation).
Singapore’s Employment Act was significantly updated in 2019 and again in 2021, extending protections to all employees regardless of salary for rest-day and public holiday pay. The MOM estimates that approximately 1.4 million employees fall under Part IV of the Act, making up a substantial portion of Singapore’s 2.3 million-strong resident workforce. Industries with the highest overtime incidence include manufacturing, logistics, healthcare (nurses and support staff), retail, and food & beverage.
Overtime pay must be paid to eligible employees within 14 days after the end of the salary period in which the overtime was worked. Failure to pay overtime entitlements is a violation of the Employment Act and can result in MOM enforcement action, fines, and back-pay orders against employers.
How MOM Calculates Overtime Pay: The Formula
The Employment Act prescribes a specific formula for calculating the hourly basic rate of pay, which forms the basis for all overtime calculations:
Hourly Basic Rate = Monthly Basic Salary ÷ (26 × Normal Daily Working Hours)
The “26” is MOM’s standard denominator for monthly-rated employees, representing the number of working days assumed in a month (excluding Sundays). If your employment contract specifically states a different denominator (for example, 20.92 days for a 5-day week), that figure takes precedence over the statutory default. Once you have the hourly basic rate, overtime pay is calculated by multiplying it by the applicable rate multiplier:
| Overtime Type | Multiplier | MOM Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Weekday overtime | 1.5× | Work beyond contractual daily hours on a normal workday |
| Rest day work (within normal hours) | 1.5× | Employee directed to work on designated rest day, up to normal daily hours |
| Rest day OT (beyond normal hours) | 3.0× | Hours on rest day that exceed the normal daily contracted hours |
| Public holiday work | 2.0× | Any hour worked on a gazetted Singapore public holiday |
For example, an employee earning S$3,000/month (basic), working 8 hours/day on a 26-day month basis, and doing 3 hours of weekday overtime would receive: Hourly rate = S$3,000 ÷ (26 × 8) = S$14.42. Weekday OT pay = 3 × S$14.42 × 1.5 = S$64.90 for that overtime session.
Weekday vs Rest Day vs Public Holiday OT in Singapore
Understanding the three categories of overtime is critical for accurate calculations. Singapore has 11 gazetted public holidays per year (as at 2026: New Year’s Day, Chinese New Year ×2, Good Friday, Labour Day, Vesak Day, Hari Raya Puasa, National Day, Hari Raya Haji, Deepavali, Christmas Day). If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is declared a substitute holiday. Any work on these days attracts the 2× multiplier, on top of which regular public holiday pay must still be provided.
Rest day overtime is often the most misunderstood. If an employee is directed by the employer to work on their rest day (typically Sunday or an agreed-upon off day), the first tier — up to the normal daily contracted hours — attracts 1.5×. Any hours beyond the normal daily hours on a rest day attract the elevated 3× rate. However, if the employee voluntarily works on their rest day (without being instructed by the employer), different rates apply under Section 37 of the Employment Act. Our calculator applies the employer-directed rates, which is the standard scenario.
Making the Most of Your Overtime Income
Overtime income, while not guaranteed, can meaningfully boost a Singapore worker’s take-home pay and long-term savings. The key is to channel OT pay strategically rather than spending it all on short-term consumption. Consider these approaches:
First, check whether your overtime income attracts CPF contributions. Under CPF rules, ordinary wages (OW) are subject to CPF up to the OW ceiling (S$7,400/month as at 2026). Overtime pay falls under Additional Wages (AW) and is subject to CPF contributions subject to the annual AW ceiling of S$102,000 minus the total OW on which CPF was paid during the year. This means overtime income builds your CPF balances, accelerating your retirement savings automatically. Use our CPF Contribution Calculator to see exactly how OT income affects your monthly CPF.
Second, consider using surplus overtime income to invest via Endowus or Syfe — Singapore’s leading robo-advisors with low fees and CPF/SRS compatibility. Even a consistent S$200/month from overtime, invested at 6% per year for 20 years, grows to approximately S$92,400 via dollar-cost averaging. Use our DCA Investment Calculator to model your own scenario.
Overtime Pay Rules: Singapore-Specific Nuances
The 72-hour cap: Employers cannot require eligible employees to work more than 72 hours of overtime per month. This cap was introduced to prevent employee burnout and is enforced by MOM. Any employer who causes or permits an employee to work beyond 72 overtime hours is liable to a fine of up to S$5,000 for a first offence.
Managerial exclusions: Employees in managerial or executive positions are excluded from Part IV’s overtime provisions, even if their salary falls below S$2,600. The exclusion is based on the nature of work, not just salary. MOM has issued guidelines clarifying that “genuine managers” who have supervisory authority, discretion over their work, and are not performing production or clerical work fall outside the OT protection regime.
Allowances not included: When computing overtime pay, only the basic salary is used. Transport allowances, meal allowances, housing allowances, variable bonuses, commissions, and gratuities are all excluded from the calculation. This is a common source of disputes — some employees mistakenly expect their full gross salary to be used as the OT base.
Salary payment timelines: MOM requires overtime pay to be paid within 14 days after the end of the salary period. Many employers pay OT with the monthly salary, which is compliant as long as the salary period ends within 1 month of the overtime being worked.
For more on employment entitlements, see our Retrenchment Benefits Calculator and Notice Period Pay Calculator.
Overtime Pay as a Passive Income Springboard
For many Singapore workers — especially those in their 20s and 30s — consistent overtime pay represents a reliable income supplement that, if invested wisely, can build a meaningful passive income stream over time. The classic strategy is to treat OT income as “bonus money” that goes directly to investments rather than lifestyle inflation.
Consider a 30-year-old nurse earning S$3,500/month basic, consistently doing 20 hours of weekday overtime per month. At 1.5×, her hourly OT rate is approximately S$10.10 (based on 26 days × 8 hours). Her monthly OT income is roughly S$202. Investing this consistently in an S-REIT ETF yielding 5.5% per year for 25 years produces approximately S$120,000 in accumulated wealth — enough to generate S$550/month in passive dividend income at retirement. See our Retirement Planning Calculator and Passive Income Guide to build your own roadmap.
The key insight: overtime income is not “extra spending money” — it is earned capital that, reinvested consistently, compounds into retirement security. Even small amounts matter when invested early and held for decades.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is overtime pay calculated in Singapore?
Under the Employment Act, overtime pay is calculated as: Hourly Basic Rate × 1.5 × Number of Overtime Hours. The hourly basic rate is derived by dividing your monthly basic salary by (26 days × normal daily working hours). For example, a S$3,000/month employee working 8 hours/day has an hourly rate of S$14.42. Three hours of weekday OT would earn S$64.90 additional pay.
Who is entitled to overtime pay in Singapore?
Employees earning a basic monthly salary of up to S$2,600 (non-workmen) or S$4,500 (workmen) are covered by Part IV of the Employment Act, which mandates overtime pay. Managerial, executive, and professional employees are excluded from overtime provisions regardless of salary, though their employment contracts may independently provide for OT pay. All employees, regardless of salary, are protected by core provisions on rest days and public holidays.
How much is overtime pay on a rest day in Singapore?
If you are directed by your employer to work on your rest day, you are entitled to: 1.5× your hourly rate for hours up to your normal daily contracted hours, and 3× your hourly rate for any hours beyond your normal daily contracted hours. For example, if your normal hours are 8/day and you work 10 hours on a rest day, the first 8 hours are at 1.5× and the final 2 hours are at 3×.
What is the overtime pay rate for public holidays in Singapore?
Work performed on a gazetted public holiday attracts an overtime pay rate of 2× the hourly basic rate for all hours worked. Singapore has 11 public holidays per year as at 2026. In addition to the overtime pay, employees who work on a public holiday are generally also entitled to an extra day off or an additional day’s pay in lieu — check your employment contract for details.
Is overtime pay subject to CPF contributions in Singapore?
Yes. Overtime pay is classified as Additional Wages (AW) under CPF rules and is subject to CPF contributions, subject to the annual AW ceiling. The AW ceiling for any calendar year is S$102,000 minus the total Ordinary Wages on which CPF was contributed in that year. Both employer and employee CPF contributions apply at the standard age-based rates (23% employer + 20% employee for those below 55 years old as at 2026).
What is the maximum overtime hours allowed per month in Singapore?
Under the Employment Act, the maximum overtime an employer can require an eligible employee to work is 72 hours per month. This cap exists to protect employee health and well-being. Employers who exceed this limit are liable to fines. Note that this cap applies to compulsory overtime — employees may voluntarily work more hours, but employers must still pay them at the prescribed overtime rates for any hours beyond the contractual norm.
Does overtime pay include allowances in Singapore?
No. Overtime pay in Singapore is calculated based on basic salary only. Transport allowances, meal allowances, housing allowances, commissions, bonuses, and any other variable components are excluded from the overtime calculation base. Only the fixed monthly basic salary — as stated in your employment contract — is used to derive the hourly basic rate. This is one of the most common points of confusion for employees calculating their expected OT entitlement.
How long does my employer have to pay me overtime in Singapore?
Under the Employment Act, overtime pay must be paid within 14 days after the end of the salary period in which the overtime was worked. For most employees, this means overtime worked in a given month must be paid within 14 days after month-end. Most Singapore employers include OT pay with the regular monthly salary, which is compliant with this requirement as long as it is paid within the stipulated timeframe.
Can I use my overtime income to invest in S-REITs or ETFs?
Yes, and this is a highly effective strategy for building passive income over time. Overtime pay is real earned income that, when channelled into investments like S-REITs or low-cost ETFs via platforms like Endowus or Syfe, compounds meaningfully over decades. Even S$200/month of overtime income invested at a 6% annual return for 20 years grows to approximately S$92,400. Use our DCA Investment Calculator to model your scenario.
Put Your Overtime Income to Work
Now that you know your overtime entitlement, the next step is making that income grow. Use our free tools and referral bonuses to put your knowledge into action.