Employer cost calculator: UAE 2026

What an employee really costs in UAE: gross salary plus mandatory employer contributions. A AED 10,000 monthly salary costs about AED 10,575 (1.06× gross).

Total cost to employer per month
–

Employer cost by salary

The end-of-service gratuity accrual for expats (21 days of basic per year), or GPSSA pension contributions for UAE nationals. Figures below are for an expat.

Gross per monthAED 5,000AED 10,000AED 20,000AED 50,000
End-of-service gratuity (accrual)AED 288AED 575AED 1,151AED 2,877
Total employer costAED 5,288AED 10,575AED 21,151AED 52,877
Cost multiplier1.058×1.058×1.058×1.058×
Employee take-homeAED 4,995AED 9,995AED 19,990AED 49,990

Employer GPSSA for UAE nationals: 12.5% (+2.5% paid by government) below AED 20,000, 15% at AED 20,000+. Expat end-of-service gratuity accrued at 21 days of basic per year for the first 5 years, 30 days after.

Employee side: UAE take-home pay calculator.

Building payroll, EOR or salary-advance software? Get these numbers as JSON: GET /v1/employer-cost?country=ae&gross=… — free API key, 1,000 calls/month.

Questions

How much does it cost to employ someone in UAE?

On top of gross pay, employers in UAE pay the end-of-service gratuity accrual for expats (21 days of basic per year), or GPSSA pension contributions for UAE nationals. Figures below are for an expat. For a AED 10,000 monthly salary the total is about AED 10,575, or 1.06 times gross pay.

Does this include benefits or an EOR fee?

No. It covers statutory employer contributions and mandatory accruals only. Private health insurance, allowances, equipment and Employer of Record fees come on top.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-13. Estimates for planning only, not tax advice.