Cayman Islands United Arab Emirates

Updated 2026-05-04

Cayman Islands

Minimum Wage

$8.75 /hr

$10.50 USD

United Arab Emirates

No statutory minimum wage

Avg. Gross Salary

AED16,000 /mo

Unlike the United Arab Emirates, which has no statutory minimum wage, the Cayman Islands mandates a wage floor of $11/hr.

Detailed Comparison

Detailed wage comparison between Cayman Islands and United Arab Emirates
Metric	Cayman Islands	United Arab Emirates	Diff
Minimum wage /hr	$8.75 $10.50	None	—
Minimum wage /mo	$1,516.67 $1,820.08	None	—
Minimum wage /yr	$18,200 $21,840.87	None	—
Avg. gross salary /mo	N/A/mo	AED16,000 /mo $4,356.71	—
Avg. net salary /mo	N/A/mo	AED16,000 /mo $4,356.71	—
Median individual income /yr	N/A/yr	AED120,000 /yr $32,675.29	—

Percentage differences are based on USD equivalent values. Positive means Cayman Islands is higher.

Work Week

Cayman Islands: 40 hrs/wk standard

Max 48 hrs/wk

Overtime : 1.5x pay

Standard workweek is 40 hours under the Labour Act.
United Arab Emirates: 48 hrs/wk standard

Max 48 hrs/wk

Overtime : 1.25x pay

Standard workweek is 8 hours/day, 48 hours/week (6-day week). Government sector moved to a 4.5-day week (Mon-Fri noon) in January 2022. During Ramadan, working hours are reduced by 2 hours/day. Overtime premium: 25% for normal overtime, 50% for overtime between 9pm-4am. Maximum 2 hours overtime per day. Friday is the weekly rest day (or as per contract).

What This Means for Workers

Standard work weeks differ: the Cayman Islands mandates 40 hours while the United Arab Emirates mandates 48 hours.

See this comparison from United Arab Emirates's perspective: United Arab Emirates vs Cayman Islands

Compare Cayman Islands with...

Cayman Islands vs United States $ 7.25 /hr

Cayman Islands vs China ¥ 25 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Germany € 13.9 /hr

Cayman Islands vs United Kingdom £ 12.71 /hr

Cayman Islands vs India ₹ 4,576 /mo

Cayman Islands vs Japan ¥ 1,121 /hr

Cayman Islands vs France € 12.02 /hr

Cayman Islands vs South Korea ₩ 10,320 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Canada C$ 18.1 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Australia A$ 24.95 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Brazil R$ 7.37 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Russia ₽ 156.31 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Mexico MX$ 9,583.52 /mo

Cayman Islands vs Netherlands € 14.71 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Saudi Arabia ﷼ 23.08 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Turkey ₺ 164.94 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Switzerland

Cayman Islands vs Poland zł 31.4 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Sweden

Cayman Islands vs Singapore

Cayman Islands vs Norway

Cayman Islands vs Austria

Cayman Islands vs Denmark

Cayman Islands vs Israel ₪ 35.4 /hr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the minimum wage higher in Cayman Islands or United Arab Emirates?

In the Cayman Islands, the minimum wage is $8.75/hr ($10.50 USD). In the United Arab Emirates, it is no statutory minimum wage.

How do work hours compare between Cayman Islands and United Arab Emirates?

United Arab Emirates has a longer standard work week at 48 hours, compared to 40 hours in the Cayman Islands. Workers in the Cayman Islands work 40 hours per week by law. Longer mandatory hours can offset a nominally higher wage; a worker in the Cayman Islands working fewer hours may have comparable or better effective hourly earnings depending on the wage levels of each country. Total annual compensation depends on both the wage rate and the number of hours required.