Hire from Pakistan
Working with developers in Pakistan from the US: time zones and overlap
Pakistan (PKT, UTC+5, no daylight saving) is 9 hours ahead of US Eastern in summer and 10 in winter, and 12–13 hours ahead of US Pacific. The usual overlap is the US morning: 9–11 am Eastern is 6–8 pm in Pakistan in summer. Most teams agree 2–3 overlap hours and work asynchronously for the rest.
The time difference at a glance.
Pakistan does not change its clocks, so the gap shifts by an hour when the US starts and ends daylight saving time.
| US time zone | Summer (daylight time) | Winter (standard time) | 9 am US is, in Pakistan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern (New York) | PKT is 9 hours ahead | PKT is 10 hours ahead | 6 pm (summer) / 7 pm (winter) |
| Central (Chicago) | 10 hours ahead | 11 hours ahead | 7 pm / 8 pm |
| Mountain (Denver) | 11 hours ahead | 12 hours ahead | 8 pm / 9 pm |
| Pacific (San Francisco) | 12 hours ahead | 13 hours ahead | 9 pm / 10 pm |
Plan the overlap, then protect the rest.
- Agree 2–3 fixed overlap hours, usually the US morning, for stand-ups, reviews and decisions.
- Put the overlap hours in the job description so candidates can judge fit before applying.
- Move status updates to written async notes so meetings are for decisions.
- Hand over at the end of each US day: work progresses overnight in Pakistan.
If your team is on the West Coast.
A 9 am Pacific meeting is 9–10 pm in Pakistan. Either shift one short sync to late afternoon Pacific (early morning in Pakistan), or rely more on async work and a weekly overlap. State this clearly when hiring.
Common questions
What is the time difference between Pakistan and New York?
Pakistan is 9 hours ahead of New York during US daylight saving time and 10 hours ahead in winter, because Pakistan does not use daylight saving.
What are good overlap hours with a developer in Pakistan?
For US East Coast teams, 9–11 am Eastern (6–8 pm in Pakistan in summer) is the most common overlap. Two to three hours is usually enough when the rest of the work is asynchronous.
Your next step
Make the role worth matching.
Describe the work, confirm the requirements, and review the fit.