Last checked: October 2026. Rules from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
How do you calculate a daily rate of pay in Singapore?
For a monthly-rated employee, the daily rate is the monthly salary × 12 ÷ (52 × the number of working days in a week). Use basic salary for the basic daily rate, and basic salary plus fixed allowances for the gross daily rate. The hourly basic rate is monthly basic salary × 12 ÷ (52 × 44).
Why the daily rate matters
Most payroll errors in Singapore start with the wrong rate, not the wrong arithmetic. Rest day pay, public holiday pay, unpaid leave, overtime and leave encashment each depend on a daily or hourly rate, and each uses a specific version of it. Dividing the monthly salary by 26 or 30 days is a common shortcut that gives the wrong answer for most employees.
Basic rate and gross rate
The basic rate of pay leaves out allowances, overtime and bonuses. The gross rate of pay is basic pay plus fixed allowances, but still excludes overtime, bonuses and reimbursements. Rest day pay and the extra day's pay for working on a public holiday use the basic rate. Paid public holidays and paid leave generally use the gross rate.
The formulas
Daily rate = monthly salary × 12 ÷ (52 × working days a week)
Hourly basic rate = monthly basic salary × 12 ÷ (52 × 44)
For a 5.5-day week, use 5.5 as the number of working days. The hourly basic rate always uses 44 hours, whatever the employee's actual weekly hours, because it comes from the Employment Act's standard working week.
Worked example
A worker on a monthly basic salary of S$1,800 with S$200 of fixed allowances works a 6-day week.
| Basic daily rateS$1,800 × 12 ÷ (52 × 6) | S$69.23 |
| Gross daily rateS$2,000 × 12 ÷ (52 × 6) | S$76.92 |
| Hourly basic rateS$1,800 × 12 ÷ (52 × 44) | S$9.44 |
| Overtime hourly rate1.5 × S$9.4406 | S$14.16 |
On a 5-day week, the same salary gives a basic daily rate of S$83.08, because the year's pay is spread over fewer working days.
Sample only. Names and figures are illustrative.
Daily-rated workers
Daily-rated workers are paid a rate per day set in their contract. To estimate their hourly rate for overtime, this calculator divides the daily rate by their normal daily hours. Daily-rated pay patterns vary, so check the result against the contract, or let us set up each worker as part of your monthly payroll processing.
Official source: MOM, monthly and daily salary: definitions and calculation. This calculator gives an estimate and is not legal advice.