Engineering is a demanding job in the United Arab Emirates which attracts a large number of engineers around the world to apply for. But how much money does an engineer make in the UAE? What is the minimum salary for engineering in the UAE? Here is a comprehensive review of engineering salaries and benefits in the UAE.
A person working as an engineer in the UAE typically earns around 10,000 AED. However, the salaries may range from 3,150 AED (the minimum salary) to 15,000 AED (the maximum). Engineering salary and benefits could actually go far over this maximum depending on the demands and the job.
Companies usually consider various benefits and compensation for engineers they hire which could encompass housing, transportation, and several other advantages. Thus, the salaries and perks within the engineering domain in the UAE can be listed as some of the highest across various professions.
Minimum to maximum salaries for engineers in the UAE
As we already mentioned, the minimum salary for engineering work in the UAE could start at 3,150 AED and the median salary reaches 10,500 AED. It could be said that about 65% of engineers hired in the UAE earn within this range. However, about 15% earn a maximum of 15,000 AED. Considering the benefits companies provide to their employees, the maximum salary could reach 25,000 AED. That is a good reason to motivate even beat engineers around the world to apply for a job in the UAE.
Also, keep in mind that engineering salaries in Dubai could even go further and improve by 5% in total. Notice that the numbers presented in not legally mandated wages and they simply represent the average salary reported by those active in engineering in the UAE.
Median Salary
Honestly speaking, about half of the engineers working in the UAE earn a median salary of around 10,500 AED while 15% earn less than that. The remaining population of engineers in the UAE are better paid and also receive better job benefits. Thus, as a rule of thumb, all engineers in the UAE try their best to be a part of the group earning above the median salary.
What is the pay scale structure like for an engineer in the UAE?
There are several factors that directly influence on average salary paid to an engineer in the UAE. Here are the most important ones:
- Years of experience or experience level is the most important factor in determining an engineer’s salary. The more experienced the engineers, the higher their salaries. As an example, engineers with experience of 5 to 8 years earn about 30% more than the juniors working in the field. And, if the years working in engineering raises to 15 years, the salary increases by another 20%.
- Education is another effective factor in engineers’ incomes. Simply put, higher education levels equal to much bigger salaries. It is legally defined that attaining a Bachelor’s Degree improves an engineer’s income by 20% while a Master’s Degree provides a 30% increase. PhD holders earn 40% more than a high school graduate engineer.
- Gender is also influential. Although gender should not influence payment, it does in the real world. It is already known that male engineers earn more than females by 7% on average in the United Arab Emirates.
A list of engineering fields with the highest and lowest salaries in the UAE
Let’s run the list of the maximum and minimum engineering salaries in the UAE from the highest incomes.
| Director of engineering | 29,000 AED |
| Engineering production manager | 25,000 AED |
| Engineering research and development manager | 23,000 AED |
| Electrical engineering manager | 21,000 AED |
| Engineering consultant | 20,000 AED |
| Automation engineer | 15,500 AED |
| Assistant chief engineer | 15,000 AED |
| CAD Design engineer | 14,600 AED |
| Piping Design engineer | 7,000 AED |
| Instrument technician | 6,800 AED |
| PCB Assembler | 4,000 AED |
| Fitter and Turner | 3,300 AED |
| Drilling Forman | 3,100 AED |
