Domestic Helper Salary Calculator Singapore
Work out your helper’s daily rate, pay for rest days she works, pay for a part month, and what she really costs you each month including the levy.
The basic monthly salary in your employment contract, before any rest-day pay.
Many contracts give 4 (one a week). The law requires at least 1 a month.
Only rest days she agrees to work. At least one rest day a month cannot be worked or paid out.
MOM has no FDW-specific formula for a part month (helpers are not covered by the Employment Act incomplete-month calculator). Agree the method in writing. Levy is always charged by the day.
Your helper’s pay
One day’s salary is monthly salary ÷ 26, as MOM states, whatever the month’s length. Rest days she agrees to work earn at least that amount each on top of her salary. A part-month levy is the official daily rate times days employed. The 12-month figure is an estimate. Check MOM before paying.
Breakdown
Part-month levy uses MOM’s daily rate × days employed: $9.87 (first helper) or $1.98 (concession) — (monthly × 12 / 365) rounded up to the cent.
About this domestic helper salary calculator
Paying a domestic helper in Singapore looks simple until a rest day is worked or a helper joins mid-month. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) gives one clear rule: one day’s salary is the monthly salary divided by 26, whatever the number of days in the month. A helper on $650 a month earns $25 a day.
Rest days. Helpers are entitled to a weekly rest day. From 1 January 2023, at least one rest day a month cannot be compensated away. Any other rest day she agrees to work earns at least one day’s salary on top of her monthly salary. Two extra rest days worked on $650 means $50 more that month.
A part month. MOM publishes no FDW-specific incomplete-month salary formula. Domestic workers are not covered by the Employment Act, so the Act’s “gross pay ÷ working days × days worked” calculator does not apply. This page offers two transparent methods — calendar days or the ÷ 26 daily rate used for rest-day pay — and never pays more than a full month’s salary. Agree the method in the contract.
Levy. A completed calendar month is the monthly rate ($300 first helper, $60 concession). If she did not complete the month, MOM charges the daily rate: $9.87 or $1.98, which is (monthly × 12 / 365) rounded up to the cent, times days employed. Ten days at the first-helper rate is $98.70, not $300.
12-month cost is an estimate: twelve times this month’s salary, rest-day pay (if you entered any) and the full monthly levy. Food, lodging, medical care and insurance are extra, and MOM does not allow you to deduct them from her salary.
How to use it
- Enter the monthly salary from your helper’s contract.
- Enter her contract rest days and how many extra rest days she is working instead this month.
- Tick “part month” for a first or last month, then enter the days worked and pick a method.
- Tick the concession if you qualify for the $60 levy.
- Read the daily rate, her total pay and your total monthly cost.
Key terms and concepts
One day’s salary: monthly salary ÷ 26, per MOM, regardless of days in the month — used for rest-day pay in-lieu.
Rest day: a weekly day off. From 1 January 2023 at least 1 a month is mandatory and cannot be worked or compensated.
Rest-day compensation: at least one day’s salary for each other rest day she agrees to work, paid on top of her salary.
Salary period: no longer than one month. Pay is due within 7 days after it ends.
FDW levy: $300 a month ($9.87 a day) for a first helper, $60 ($1.98 a day) with the concession. Daily rates apply only to an incomplete calendar month.
Common use cases
- Working out what to pay a helper who works on her day off.
- Paying a first month for a helper who arrives on the 12th.
- Calculating her final pay when she leaves part-way through a month.
- Budgeting the true monthly cost of hiring a helper.
- Checking a helper’s pay slip or an agency’s figures.
Examples
Example 1 — MOM’s rest-day example. $650 ÷ 26 = $25 a day. Two rest days worked: $50 extra, so she is paid $700.
Example 2 — two rest days worked, full month. Pay $700 plus the $300 levy = $1,000 this month. Estimated 12-month cost if that pattern continues: ($650 + $50 + $300) × 12 = $12,000.
Example 3 — asked to work all four. At least one rest day a month cannot be worked, so only 3 can be compensated: 3 × $25 = $75.
Example 4 — 10 days employed in a 30-day month. Salary by calendar days: $650 × 10 ÷ 30 = $216.67. By daily rate: 10 × $25 = $250. Levy is 10 × $9.87 = $98.70 (not a full $300).
Important notes
Official sources (verified 14 October 2026).
- Daily salary ÷ 26 and rest-day pay in-lieu of at least 1 day’s salary on top of monthly pay: MOM rest-day pay FAQ (example $650 ÷ 26 = $25).
- One rest day a month cannot be compensated away from 1 January 2023, on top of the weekly rest day: rest days and well-being, 7 October 2022 press release.
- Incomplete-month salary: no FDW-specific MOM formula was found. Helpers are excluded from the Employment Act, so the Act’s incomplete-month calculator does not apply: who the Employment Act covers, FDW salary guidelines, contracts.
- Part-month levy — first helper $9.87/day, concession $1.98/day; full calendar month $300 / $60: paying levy (formula and table current when fetched). Worked example of daily × days: levy waiver.
Payment. Pay monthly, within 7 days after the salary period ends, and keep records of what you pay.
No deductions. MOM does not allow deductions from a helper’s salary for her food, lodging, medical costs or performance issues.
Not modelled: first-time helpers’ levy starting on the 5th day of arrival, subsequent-helper levy ($450 / $14.80), agency fees, insurance, security bond, food and lodging.
The 12-month cost is an estimate assuming this salary, rest-day pay and full monthly levy every month.
Not legal advice. Check MOM’s guide for employers of migrant domestic workers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my domestic helper’s daily salary?
Divide her monthly salary by 26, as MOM states, whatever the number of days in the month. For $650 a month, one day’s salary is $25.
How much must I pay if my helper works on her rest day?
At least one day’s salary for each rest day worked, on top of her monthly salary — and only if she agrees. For a $650 helper, that is at least $25 per rest day.
Can my helper give up all her rest days?
No. She must have at least one rest day a month that cannot be worked or paid out. Other rest days can be worked by mutual agreement.
How do I pay a helper for a part month?
MOM has no FDW-specific formula, and the Employment Act incomplete-month calculator does not apply to domestic workers. Common methods are salary × days employed ÷ days in the month, or days employed × (salary ÷ 26). Agree on one in writing. Levy for those days is the official daily rate, not a fraction of $300.
When must I pay my helper’s salary?
Monthly, no later than 7 days after the end of the salary period, which cannot be longer than one month.
Can I deduct food or lodging from her salary?
No. MOM does not allow deductions for upkeep costs such as food, lodging or medical expenses, or to penalise performance issues.
How much does a domestic helper cost per month?
For a full month: her salary, plus rest-day pay if she worked rest days, plus the levy ($300, or $60 with the concession) — before food, insurance, medical costs and agency fees. The 12-month figure on this page is an estimate using those amounts.
Is this the official MOM calculation?
The ÷ 26 daily rate, rest-day pay and daily levy rates follow MOM’s published pages. Part-month salary methods are common practice, not a MOM formula. Check MOM before paying.