The 21 on / 21 off rotation
Work 21 consecutive days, then take 21 off — a 42-day cycle common in Canadian camp, shutdown, mining and oil-and-gas work.
Workdays / year
189
Days off / year
176
Cycle length
42 days
Exact counts for a 365-day year starting on shift Monday 2026-01-05; your own start date shifts these by at most a day or two.
Eight weeks on 21 on / 21 off
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
5 working
6 working
7 working
8 working
9 working
10 working
11 working
12 working
13 working
14 working
15 working
16 working
17 working
18 working
19 working
20 working
21 working
22 working
23 working
24 working
25 working
26 off
27 off
28 off
29 off
30 off
31 off
1 off
2 off
3 off
4 off
5 off
6 off
7 off
8 off
9 off
10 off
11 off
12 off
13 off
14 off
15 off
16 working
17 working
18 working
19 working
20 working
21 working
22 working
23 working
24 working
25 working
26 working
27 working
28 working
1 working
workingoffstarting 2026-01-05
What does 21 on / 21 off pay?
Hourly rate alone won't tell you — 189 workdays with overtime after 8 or 10 hours, LOA or camp, travel pay and vacation pay change what a year is actually worth, and what each day away from home earns you.
Estimates for comparing offers — not tax, payroll, or financial advice. Enter the OT and allowance rules from the actual offer or agreement; they vary by employer and agreement.
Estimate 21 on / 21 off pay in the calculator