Revealed: Top 10 salaries in Qatar

The average salary in Qatar fell by 2.22 per cent – or $275 – in the last year, the 2016 Gulf Business Salary Survey has found.

Currently, the average monthly expatriate salary in the country stands at $12,086 – down from $12,361 last year.

The annual survey, compiled using data from a select group of recruiters, also shows a marginal decline in pay packets across the Gulf Cooperation Council region in the last year.

The average salary for Arab, Asian and Western expats in this year’s survey is $11,123 per month, down 0.8 per cent from last year when salaries rose 7.88 per cent to $11,211.

As with the other Gulf states, the survey found stark differences in wages pocketed by Arab, Asian and Western expats in Qatar.

For instance Western banking branch managers in the country make almost 79 per cent more than their Asian peers and 16 per cent more than their Arab counterparts.

Interestingly, the survey also found that Asian media publishing editors – at $5,605 per month – earned 19 per cent more than their Arab peers ($4,700 per month). Western media publishing editors earned the highest monthly wages at $7,402.

Looking at our highest paying position in the country – the chief executive of a multinational – we found that Arabs pocket $43,017 per month on average, 5.7 per cent more than Westerners at $40,702 and 39.5 per cent more than Asians at $30,819.

Top 10 salaries in Qatar

(All the amounts are monthly averages taken from Asian, Western and Arab expat salaries)

1. Chief executive officer/managing director – multinational: $38,179

2. Chief executive officer/managing director – local company: $24,222

3. Banking – treasury manager: $14,445

4. Information technology – manager: $13,882

5. Construction – project manager: $13,077

6. Real estate – manager: $12,092

6. Human resources – manager: $11,605

7. Legal – lawyer marketer/manager: $11,087

8. Banking – retail/personal banking manager: $10,710

9. Healthcare – general practitioner/manager: $10,702

10. Banking – branch manager: $10,615

Looking ahead, recruitment consultancy Nadia’s director Ian Giulianotti estimates that average salaries across the GCC will increase by 6 per cent this year.

However, recruitment firm Charterhouse’s managing director for Middle East and Europe, Jennifer Campori anticipates a flat year ahead.

“I believe there will not be any substantial increases in salaries in 2016. The market will remain reasonably flat,” she said.