GCC Salary Report 2026
Free pay benchmarks across all six Gulf states — median monthly salary by seniority, the highest-paying roles per country, and which GCC market pays most for the same job.
50
Roles
6
GCC countries
300
Data points
Tax-free
Income tax
Updated 2026-06-19 · Indicative monthly gross ranges in local currency unless stated.
Median monthly salary by country & seniority
| Country | Entry | Mid | Senior | Executive | Overall median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAE (AED) | AED 9,750 | AED 17,250 | AED 28,500 | AED 44,500 | AED 17,000 |
| Saudi Arabia (SAR) | SAR 9,000 | SAR 15,250 | SAR 26,000 | SAR 40,500 | SAR 15,000 |
| Qatar (QAR) | QAR 10,750 | QAR 18,750 | QAR 30,750 | QAR 45,500 | QAR 18,000 |
| Kuwait (KWD) | KWD 600 | KWD 1,000 | KWD 1,650 | KWD 2,550 | KWD 1,013 |
| Bahrain (BHD) | BHD 503 | BHD 840 | BHD 1,375 | BHD 2,100 | BHD 800 |
| Oman (OMR) | OMR 550 | OMR 950 | OMR 1,513 | OMR 2,288 | OMR 900 |
Median across 50 professional roles per country. Each country’s figures are in its own (USD-pegged) currency.
Which GCC country pays most? (senior level, USD)
GCC currencies are USD-pegged; cross-country figures use fixed pegs (AED 3.6725, SAR 3.75, QAR 3.64, KWD 0.3068, BHD 0.376, OMR 0.385 per USD).
| Role | UAE | Saudi Arabia | Qatar | Kuwait | Bahrain | Oman |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investment Banker | $15,657 | $14,000 | $16,896 | $12,223 | $8,378 | $9,091 |
| Lawyer | $14,295 | $12,400 | $13,736 | $8,149 | $5,452 | $5,584 |
| Cloud Architect | $13,342 | $11,733 | $14,286 | $10,430 | $7,181 | $7,662 |
| Dentist | $12,253 | $10,667 | $13,187 | $9,778 | $6,649 | $7,273 |
| Construction Manager | $11,572 | $10,667 | $12,775 | $9,615 | $6,649 | $7,013 |
| HSE Manager | $11,572 | $10,667 | $12,775 | $9,615 | $6,649 | $7,013 |
| IT Manager | $11,572 | $10,267 | $12,088 | $9,289 | $6,250 | $6,623 |
| Data Scientist | $10,211 | $9,200 | $10,989 | $7,823 | $5,452 | $5,844 |
| Product Manager | $10,211 | $9,333 | $10,989 | $8,149 | $5,585 | $5,844 |
| Project Engineer | $10,619 | $9,600 | $10,989 | $5,378 | $3,856 | $4,026 |
| Risk Manager | $10,211 | $8,933 | $10,989 | $8,149 | $5,718 | $6,039 |
| Compliance Officer | $9,530 | $8,400 | $10,302 | $7,497 | $5,053 | $5,325 |
| DevOps Engineer | $9,530 | $8,400 | $10,302 | $7,497 | $5,053 | $5,390 |
| Software Engineer | $8,986 | $9,067 | $10,302 | $4,889 | $3,723 | $3,896 |
| Business Development Manager | $9,394 | $8,267 | $10,027 | $4,889 | $3,457 | $3,701 |
Senior-level midpoint converted to USD at fixed pegs. Highlighted = highest-paying market for that role. Figures link to the full per-country salary guide.
Highest-paying roles in each GCC country
UAE
- 1. Investment BankerAED 57,500
- 2. LawyerAED 52,500
- 3. Cloud ArchitectAED 49,000
- 4. DentistAED 45,000
- 5. Construction ManagerAED 42,500
- 6. HSE ManagerAED 42,500
- 7. IT ManagerAED 42,500
- 8. Project EngineerAED 39,000
Saudi Arabia
- 1. Investment BankerSAR 52,500
- 2. LawyerSAR 46,500
- 3. Cloud ArchitectSAR 44,000
- 4. Construction ManagerSAR 40,000
- 5. DentistSAR 40,000
- 6. HSE ManagerSAR 40,000
- 7. IT ManagerSAR 38,500
- 8. Project EngineerSAR 36,000
Qatar
- 1. Investment BankerQAR 61,500
- 2. Cloud ArchitectQAR 52,000
- 3. LawyerQAR 50,000
- 4. DentistQAR 48,000
- 5. Construction ManagerQAR 46,500
- 6. HSE ManagerQAR 46,500
- 7. IT ManagerQAR 44,000
- 8. Data ScientistQAR 40,000
Kuwait
- 1. Investment BankerKWD 3,750
- 2. Cloud ArchitectKWD 3,200
- 3. DentistKWD 3,000
- 4. Construction ManagerKWD 2,950
- 5. HSE ManagerKWD 2,950
- 6. IT ManagerKWD 2,850
- 7. LawyerKWD 2,500
- 8. Product ManagerKWD 2,500
Bahrain
- 1. Investment BankerBHD 3,150
- 2. Cloud ArchitectBHD 2,700
- 3. Construction ManagerBHD 2,500
- 4. DentistBHD 2,500
- 5. HSE ManagerBHD 2,500
- 6. IT ManagerBHD 2,350
- 7. Risk ManagerBHD 2,150
- 8. Product ManagerBHD 2,100
Oman
- 1. Investment BankerOMR 3,500
- 2. Cloud ArchitectOMR 2,950
- 3. DentistOMR 2,800
- 4. Construction ManagerOMR 2,700
- 5. HSE ManagerOMR 2,700
- 6. IT ManagerOMR 2,550
- 7. Risk ManagerOMR 2,325
- 8. Data ScientistOMR 2,250
Frequently asked questions
Which GCC country pays the highest salaries?
On a USD-normalized basis, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait typically lead for senior professional roles, though the ranking varies by occupation. Because all GCC currencies are pegged to the US dollar, cross-country comparison is stable. See the comparison table above for role-by-role figures.
Are GCC salaries tax-free?
Yes — there is no personal income tax on employment salaries in any of the six GCC countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman), so quoted figures are effectively net of income tax. Employers separately carry visa, social-insurance (for nationals) and end-of-service costs.
What does this report cover?
It aggregates MenaJobs salary benchmarks across 300 role-country combinations (50 roles × 6 countries), reporting median monthly pay by seniority in local currency plus a USD cross-country comparison. Figures are indicative market ranges, updated 2026-06-19.
Can I cite or republish this data?
Yes. You're welcome to cite the GCC Salary Report with a link back to this page (menajobs.me/gcc-salary-report). For per-role detail by country, follow the links in each table to the underlying salary guides.
Hiring in the Gulf, or job-hunting?
Employers: benchmark an offer and post a role. Candidates: see the full pay breakdown for your job and country.