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Does the candidate's expected salary fit your budget, and how do you close the gap?
The checker compares the candidate's expected monthly salary with your budget range on the same basis (total package or basic only). Above the top of the range, it shows the monthly gap, the gap as a percentage of your maximum and the extra cost over 12 months. Inside the range, it shows where the number sits, from 0% at the bottom to 100% at the top. If you add the candidate's current pay, it also shows the increase they are asking for. Nothing is benchmarked against market data — the figures are yours and the candidate's.
| Case | Your budget | Candidate expects | Fit | Increase over current |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Within range | AED 12,000 – AED 15,000 | AED 14,000 | Within · 67% up the range | 12.0% |
| Above the top | AED 12,000 – AED 15,000 | AED 16,500 | AED 1,500 over (10.0%) · AED 18,000 a year | 26.9% |
| Below the bottom | AED 12,000 – AED 15,000 | AED 10,500 | AED 1,500 under the range | 16.7% |
Computed with the same function the checker uses.
Check pay for the role in our salary guides, confirm the start date with the notice period & joining date checker, then write it up with the offer letter generator.
Either, as long as your budget and the candidate's number use the same basis. Gulf candidates often quote a total monthly package (basic plus housing, transport and other allowances), while some employers budget on basic. Mixing the two is the most common reason a 'gap' turns out not to exist — or turns out bigger than it looked.
End-of-service gratuity is usually calculated on basic salary, and so are some other entitlements, so two packages with the same total can cost an employer different amounts over time. If you need to close a gap, adding to an allowance and adding to basic are not the same decision.
First find out where the number comes from — a specific allowance, a counter-offer, or a cost of moving. Then consider a one-time joining bonus, a written salary review after probation, non-cash benefits such as flights or schooling, or re-levelling the role if the candidate is stronger than you planned. If the budget can't move, say so early.
Asking for expectations is standard. Current salary is commonly asked in the Gulf, but treat it as optional — a candidate may decline, and pay should follow the role's value rather than their last employer's pay. The tool works without it.
No. It compares the candidate's number with the budget you enter. To check whether your budget is realistic for the market, look at our salary guides for the role and city first.
Post the job on MenaJobs free in about 2 minutes. We review every post, and once approved it reaches job seekers across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
Post a job freeNotice Period & Joining Date Checker
A candidate's last working day and earliest joining date under Gulf notice rules.
Open toolOffer Letter Generator
A Gulf-format offer letter with basic pay, allowances, probation and notice, in English and Arabic.
Open toolSalary Package Calculator
Basic + allowances = package, with the gratuity basis for each GCC country.
Open toolCounter-Offer Response Template
Answer a candidate's counter-offer: improve, meet part-way or hold firm, in English or Arabic.
Open toolKnockout Questions Builder
Must-pass screening questions on visa status, notice, salary, location and licences.
Open toolPhone Screen Script
A timed phone screen script with notice, salary and visa questions and a score sheet.
Open toolOnly if the candidate chose to share it.
Salary expectation check
total monthly package
total monthly package
AED 1,500 × 12 months
The gap, the yearly cost and ways to close it — to share with the hiring manager.