A person working in United Arab Emirates typically earns around 19,600 AED per month. Salaries range from 4,370 AED (lowest average) to 90,100 AED (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Salaries vary drastically between different careers. If you are interested in the salary of a particular job, see below for salaries for specific job titles.
Salaries in United Arab Emirates range from 4,370 AED per month (minimum salary) to 90,100 AED per month (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).
The median salary is 18,400 AED per month, which means that half (50%) of the population are earning less than 18,400 AED while the other half are earning more than 18,400 AED. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of the population are earning less than 10,300 AED while 75% of them are earning more than 10,300 AED. Also from the diagram, 75% of the population are earning less than 51,000 AED while 25% are earning more than 51,000 AED.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher the wage.
Generally speaking, employees having experience from two to five years earn on average 32% more than freshers and juniors across all industries and disciplines.
Professionals with experience of more than five years tend to earn on average 36% more than those with five years or less of work experience.
As you hit the ten years mark, the salary increases by 21% and an additional 14% for those who have crossed the 15 years mark.
Those figures are presented as guidelines only. The numbers become more significant if you consider one job title at a time.
It is well known that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We compared the salaries of professionals at the same level but with different college degrees levels across many jobs, below are our findings.
Workers with a certificate or diploma earn on average 17% more than their peers who only reached the high school level.
Employees who earned a Bachelor's Degree earn 24% more than those who only managed to attain a cerificate or diploma.
Professionals who attained a Master's Degree are awarded salaries that are 29% more than those with a Bachelor's Degree.
Finally, PhD holders earn 23% more than Master's Degree holders on average while doing the same job.
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in United Arab Emirates costs anywhere from 97,900 UAE Dirham(s) to 294,000 UAE Dirham(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support this tactic. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
The decision really depends on your situation and experience among many other factors. Putting all variables aside, if you can afford the costs of higher education then the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male employees in United Arab Emirates earn 7% more than their female counterparts on avergae across all sectors.
Male | 20,200 AED | |
Female | -7% | 18,800 AED |
Employees in United Arab Emirates are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 8% every 17 months.
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency
Banking | 2% | |
Energy | 4% | |
Information Technology | 6% | |
Healthcare | 8% | |
Travel | 1% | |
Construction | 3% | |
Education | 5% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in United Arab Emirates for the year 2022. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
Junoir Level | 3% - 5% | |
Mid-Career | 6% - 9% | |
Senior Level | 10% - 15% | |
Top Management | 15% - 20% |
The difference in increment rates is somehow justified because employers put more effort to retain more experienced staff since they are harder to acquire than less experienced ones.
50% of surveyed staff in United Arab Emirates reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 50% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 5% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 50% | |
No Bonus | 50% |
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
Finance | High | |
Architecture | High | |
Sales | High | |
Business Development | High | |
Marketing / Advertising | High | |
Information Technology | Moderate | |
Healthcare | Moderate | |
Insurance | Moderate | |
Customer Service | Moderate | |
Human Resources | Moderate | |
Construction | Low | |
Transport | Low | |
Hospitality | Low |
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Accounting and Finance | |
Accountant | 13,400 AED |
Accounting Assistant | 10,600 AED |
Accounting Manager | 29,500 AED |
Bookkeeper | 9,140 AED |
Chartered Accountant | 17,800 AED |
Corporate Treasurer | 28,000 AED |
Financial Analyst | 25,600 AED |
Financial Manager | 41,700 AED |
Internal Auditor | 18,400 AED |
Administration / Reception / Secretarial | |
Administrative Assistant | 10,100 AED |
Office Manager | 16,400 AED |
Receptionist | 9,430 AED |
Secretary | 8,170 AED |
Advertising / Grapic Design / Events | |
Art Director | 19,400 AED |
Creative Director | 19,100 AED |
Graphic Designer | 12,300 AED |
Photographer | 10,300 AED |
Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | |
Aerospace Engineer | 26,200 AED |
Air Traffic Controller | 20,800 AED |
Flight Attendant | 13,100 AED |
Pilot | 35,200 AED |
Architecture | |
Architect | 23,300 AED |
CAD Drafter | 9,560 AED |
Automotive | |
Mechanic | 6,910 AED |
Service Advisor | 14,100 AED |
Banking | |
Bank Branch Manager | 35,300 AED |
Teller | 6,620 AED |
Bilingual | |
Teacher | 14,500 AED |
Translator | 17,800 AED |
Business Planning | |
Business Analyst | 24,600 AED |
Business Development Manager | 30,900 AED |
Project Manager | 26,300 AED |
Care Giving and Child Care | |
Nanny | 7,890 AED |
Nursery Teacher | 6,640 AED |
Construction / Building / Installation | |
Civil Engineer | 17,700 AED |
Construction Project Manager | 31,800 AED |
Health and Safety Officer | 8,760 AED |
Customer Service and Call Center | |
Call Center Representative | 6,780 AED |
Customer Service Manager | 27,600 AED |
Customer Service Representative | 7,260 AED |
Engineering | |
Civil Engineer | 17,400 AED |
Electrical Engineer | 20,200 AED |
Engineer | 18,500 AED |
Mechanical Engineer | 18,800 AED |
Executive and Management | |
Chief Executive Officer | 45,400 AED |
Chief Financial Officer | 40,400 AED |
General Manager | 36,000 AED |
Project Manager | 21,400 AED |
Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering | |
Chef | 11,800 AED |
Executive Chef | 14,600 AED |
Hotel Manager | 35,900 AED |
Receptionist | 7,100 AED |
Travel Agent | 12,000 AED |
Waiter / Waitress | 5,770 AED |
Health and Medical | |
Dentist | 48,200 AED |
Dietitian | 40,900 AED |
Laboratory Technician | 14,700 AED |
Nurse | 15,400 AED |
Human Resources | |
Human Resources Manager | 31,000 AED |
Human Resources Officer | 12,000 AED |
Information Technology | |
Computer Technician | 14,600 AED |
Database Administrator | 19,600 AED |
Developer / Programmer | 19,200 AED |
Information Technology Manager | 33,900 AED |
Network Engineer | 17,300 AED |
Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | |
Police Officer | 11,100 AED |
Legal | |
Attorney | 39,600 AED |
Legal Assistant | 10,300 AED |
Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | |
Journalist | 23,000 AED |
Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology | |
Biomedical Engineer | 16,200 AED |
Pharmacist | 24,600 AED |
Sales Retail and Wholesale | |
Cashier | 7,050 AED |
Sales Manager | 36,500 AED |
Sales Representative | 12,300 AED |
Teaching / Education | |
Elementary School Teacher | 13,100 AED |
Secondary School Teacher | 16,200 AED |
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
City | Average Salary |
Abu Dhabi | 21,000 AED |
Ajman | 19,300 AED |
Al Ain | 19,800 AED |
Dubai | 21,500 AED |
Fujairah | 18,100 AED |
Ras Al Khaimah | 18,700 AED |
Sharjah | 20,400 AED |
Um Al Quiwain | 17,500 AED |
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in United Arab Emirates earn 6% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 18,900 AED | |
Public Sector | +6% | 20,100 AED |