A lot of readers write to me asking about salaries in Saudi Arabia. Many have job offers and want to know if the quoted salary is sufficient and whether it will cover their expenses during their stay in the kingdom.
Of course, no one can say for sure. Our needs and circumstances differ.
So to help you make a decision, I decided to look into Saudi government statistics (GASTAT) and interview specific employers in the kingdom.
Here is what I found out:
So, What Is Considered A Good Salary In Saudi Arabia?
A good salary is (at least) the average amount for the job role, should meet your living costs in the kingdom, and allow you to save money. The Saudi Labour Law states that foreign workers have a right to a salary, benefits, decent housing, transportation, 51 days of annual leave, and a return ticket home.
You can easily find the average salaries of jobs in the kingdom. However, calculating your monthly living expenses is difficult. I will show you these.
What Will You Get From This Article?
In this article, I will guide you on how to find the average monthly salary for your job role and industry in Saudi Arabia.
Then, I will also compare the average salaries for Saudi and foreign nationals in the kingdom and the minimum and maximum amounts for each.
Finally, I will provide a comprehensive breakdown of relocation setup costs and how much a person or family should budget each month for housing and living costs.
You can use this information to determine whether moving to Saudi Arabia would be a good idea or to help you renew your current work contract.
Table of Contents
Click On The Link To Jump To A Section And Arrow To Return
1. Online Salary Information-Search For Jobs In Your Industry
2. Average Salaries For Saudis (Male and Female)
3. Average Salaries For Expat Workers (Male and Female)
4. Relocation, Set-up And Ongoing Monthly Expenses In The Kingdom
1. Online Salary Information-Jobs & Industry In Saudi Arabia
The following short list of websites shows vacancies in Saudi Arabia and tells you the average salary for your job and industry. n
1. Al Bayt is a well-known Saudi online employment database and job search. They advertise positions in Arabic and English.
There is also a useful search facility to find out the average salaries for your job or industry.
2. Pay Scale offers a customizable average salary search facility. You enter your job title, skills, education, and years of experience in the search box
They will send you a report with information on the range and average pay in Saudi Arabia for your position and industry.
The data obtained is from surveys of careers in Riyadh.
3. Glassdoor collects salary information about current and expired advertised jobs and positions in companies based in Riyadh.
information about specific Saudi companies, the jobs they offer, and the estimated rates of pay when a user searches on Glassdoor.
4. Labour Market Statistics (GASTAT) offers official Saudi government statistics related to employment.
It also displays average salaries for Saudis and non-Saudis, showing salary information according to age groups and qualifications, in addition to a wealth of government data about employment-related issues.
2. What Are the Average Salaries for Saudi Nationals in Saudi Arabia?
According to official statistics from the Saudi government (GASTAT), the average monthly salary for Saudi citizens is around SR 10,500.
The public, private, non-profit, international, and regional agencies are the four sectors used to calculate this average salary.
A: Average Salaries For Saudis (Men And Women) According to Sector (2018)
- Public: SR 11,198 ($2,978)
- Private: SR 7,339 ($1,951)
- Non -Profit Organisations: SR 4,750 ($1,263)
- International/Regional Agencies: SR 16,257 ($4,323)
The GASTAT obtains its data from quarterly employee surveys conducted throughout the kingdom.
B: Average Salaries For Saudi Men ONLY
On average, Saudi men receive SR 10,357 per month.
Men between the ages of 45 and 54 earn the highest salaries (SR 15,054). The least amount paid to men between the ages of 15 and 24 is SR 5,212.
C: Average Salaries For Saudi Women ONLY
On average, Saudi women receive about SR 3,000 per month less than men and take home SR 7,556.
Women aged 45–54 earn the highest salaries (SR 10,402). The lowest amount (SR 4,466) is for women aged 15–24.
Findings
So, on average, Saudi men earn between SR 800 (for the lowest age group) and SR 5,000 (highest age group) more than Saudi women.
Young Saudi women and men aged 15 to 24 make about the same money, or SR 5,212 and SR 4,466. Men earn SR 800 more than women.
However, Saudi men receive about SR 3,000 more per month than women in the 25–54 age range, at SR 11,220 and SR 8,032, respectively.
3. What Are the Average Salaries for Non-Saudis in Saudi Arabia?
In contrast, the average salary for non-Saudi residents is SR 4,469 per month, according to official statistics from the Saudi government (GASTAT).
The public, private, non-profit, international, and regional agencies are the four sectors used to calculate this average salary.
A: Average Salaries For Non-Saudis (Men And Women) According To Sector (2022)
- Public: SR 9,883 ($2,628)
- Private: SR 3, 855 ($1,025.38)
- Non -Profit Organisations: SR 10,600 ($2,819)
- International/Regional Agencies: SR 16,257 ($4,323)
To learn about actual salaries in Saudi Arabia, how they are determined, who foreign nationals are and an overview and the impact of Saudization click though to read Inside Saudi’s, ‘What Are The Actual Salaries For Expats In Saudi Arabia?‘
B: Average Salaries For Non-Saudi Men ONLY
According to government data cited by GASTAT, non-Saudi men earn an average monthly salary of SR 4,469.
Men over 55 years old receive the highest pay (SR 5,249). The lowest salary (SR 2,298 per month) is for young non-Saudis aged 15 to 24.
C: Average Salaries For Non-Saudi Women ONLY
Across all age groups, non-Saudi women earn approximately SR 1,500 less than non-Saudi men, with a monthly take-home pay of SR 2,942.
However, non-Saudi women over 55 receive the highest pay (SR 3,961) of all the age groups. The lowest amount (SR 1,665) is for non-Saudi women aged 15–24.
A Comparison of Average Salaries For Saudis And Non-Saudis
A: By Sector
The following table shows you the differences between average salaries for Saudis and non-Saudis.
Comparison of Average Salaries For Saudis and Non Saudis By Sector (Men and Women)
| Sector | Saudi | Non-Saudi | Difference + or – |
| Public | SR 11,198 ($2,978) | SR 9,883 ($2,628) | -SR 1,315 |
| Private | SR 7,339 ($1,951) | SR 3, 855 ($1,025.38) | -SR 3,855 |
| Non Profit Organisations | SR 4,750 ($1,263) | SR 10,600 ($2,819) | +SR 5,850 |
| International/Regional Agencies | SR 16,257 ($4323.50) | SR 16,257 ($4323.50) | 0 |
| All | SR 9,886 ($2,630) | SR10,149 ($2,700) | +SR 263 |
On average and across all four sectors, non-Saudis earn SR 263 more than Saudis. In comparison, they earn the most in non-profit organizations, earning +SR 5,850.
However, in the public and private sectors, non-Saudis earn much less -SR 1,135 and -SR 3,855 respectively.
Comparison of Average Salaries By Age Group (Men Only)
B: By Male Age Groups
The following table shows you the differences between average salaries for Saudi and non-Saudi men across all age groups.
Comparison of Average Salaries By Age Group (Men Only)
| Age Group | Saudi Men | Non-Saudi Men | Difference + or – |
| 15-24 | SR 5,212 | SR 2,298 | -SR 2,327 |
| 25-34 | SR 8,829 | SR 3,157 | -SR 5,672 |
| 35-44 | SR 12,101 | SR 4,738 | -SR 7,363 |
| 45-54 | SR 15,054 | SR 4,932 | -SR 10,122 |
| 25-54 | SR 11,220 | SR 4,428 | -SR 6,792 |
| 55+ | SR 9,920 | SR 5,249 | -SR 4,671 |
| All Ages | SR 10,357 | SR 4,469 | -SR 5,888 |
According to GASTAT figures in 2022, disparities in earnings differ hugely in favour of both Saudi men and women by comparison with non-Saudis.
Across all age groups, Saudi men earn SR 5,888 per month more than non-Saudi men.
The greatest difference is in the 45-55 age group. Here, Saudi men earn SR 10,122 more than non-Saudi men.
However, across all the age groups, salary differences are massive in favour of male Saudi nationals.
Comparison of Average Salaries By Age Group (Women Only)
C: By Female Age Groups
Comparison of Average Salaries By Age Group (Women Only)
| Age Group | Saudi Women | Non-Saudi Women | Difference + or – |
| 15-24 | SR 4,466 | SR 1,665 | -SR 1,665 |
| 25-34 | SR 6,377 | SR 2,342 | -SR 2,124 |
| 35-44 | SR 8,500 | SR 3,392 | -SR 2,985 |
| 45-54 | SR 10,402 | SR 3,165 | -SR 5,335 |
| 25-54 | SR 8,032 | SR 2,991 | -SR 7,411 |
| 55+ | SR 7,887 | SR 3,961 | -SR 4,071 |
| All Ages | SR 7,566 | SR 2,942 | -SR 4,945 |
The disparity between average salaries for Saudi and non-Saudi women is much less than for men.
However, in the 25-54 age group, Saudi women earn SR 7,411 more than non-Saudi women. This is the greatest difference.
Significant wage disparities hugely favour Saudi women across all age groups.
Comparison of Average Salaries Of Saudi And Non-Saudi Men
D: By Educational Level
Comparison of Average Salaries By Qualifications (Saudi and Non-Saudi Men)
| Educational Level | Saudi Men | Non-Saudi Men | Difference + or – |
| None | SR 3,516 | SR 1,754 | -SR 1,762 |
| Kindergarten | SR 4,525 | SR 1,851 | -SR 2,674 |
| Primary | SR 5,645 | SR 2,084 | -SR 3,794 |
| Low Secondary | SR 6,759 | SR 2,304 | -SR 4,455 |
| Upper Secondary | SR 8,179 | SR 2,851 | -SR 5,328 |
| Post Secondary | SR 9,958 | SR 4,991 | -SR 4,967 |
| Diploma | SR 9,896 | SR 4,794 | -SR 5,102 |
| BA/ B.Sc. | SR 12,886 | SR 9,216 | -SR 3,670 |
| Master’s | SR 20,416 | SR 16,064 | -SR 4,352 |
| Ph.D. | SR 27,814 | SR 19,125 | -SR 8,689 |
| Total Average | SR 10,357 | SR 4,469 | –SR 5, 911 |
There are huge disparities in pay scales across the board between Saudi and non-Saudi men by qualifications.
On average, Saudi men are paid nearly SR 6,000 more per month than non-Saudi men across all educational levels.
The lowest differences are in categories None, Kindergarten, and Primary, between SR 2,000 and SR 4,000 more for Saudi men.
The biggest differences are in the categories of Upper Secondary and Ph.D., where non-Saudi men with equivalent educational levels are paid a massive SR 5,500 and SR 9,000 less.
Comparison of Average Salaries Of Saudi And Non-Saudi Women
E: By Education Level
Comparison of Average Salaries By Qualifications (Saudis and Non-Saudi Women)
| Educational Level | Saudi Women | Non-Saudi Women | Difference + or – |
| None | SR 1,754 | SR 1,405 | -SR 2,954 |
| Kindergarten | SR 1,851 | SR 1,293 | -SR 3,019 |
| Primary | SR 4,484 | SR 1,536 | -SR 2,949 |
| Low Secondary | SR 4,560 | SR 1,611 | -SR 2,949 |
| Upper Secondary | SR 4,754 | SR 1,786 | -SR 2,968 |
| Post Secondary | SR 7,840 | SR 4,935 | -SR 2,905 |
| Diploma | SR 8,059 | SR 3,069 | -SR 4,990 |
| BA/ B.Sc. | SR 8,734 | SR 6,517 | -SR 2,217 |
| Master’s | SR 11,500 | SR 12,522 | +SR -722 |
| Ph.D. | SR 23,748 | SR 15,211 | -SR 8,537 |
| Total Average | SR 7,566 | SR 2,942 | -SR 4,624 |
There are also significant differences in pay scales between Saudi and non-Saudi women by qualification.
On average, Saudi women are paid nearly SR 4,500 more per month than non-Saudi women across all educational levels.
The lowest differences are in all the first six categories, with about SR 3,000 more salary for Saudi women.
The biggest differences are in the categories of Diploma (SR 5,000) and Ph.D. (SR 8,537), where non-Saudi women with equivalent educational levels are paid significantly less.
4. Relocation, Setup And Monthly Living Costs In Saudi Arabia
Expenditure
A: Before You Leave For Saudi Arabia
- Costs of Period of Unemployment
- Closing Down Your Home Expenses
- Selling Assets (Car, personal items)
- Certificate Attestations
- Flights
- Work Visa
- Insurance
- Medical Certification
- Any Vaccinations
B: Just After You Land In Saudi Arabia
- Medical
- Residency Permit (Iqama)
- Housing Rent
- Home Furnishing
- Yearly Iqama Renewals
- Car Purchase
- Annual School Fees
- School Transport
C: Ongoing Expenditure
- Utilities
- Electricity
- Internet
- Petrol and Maintenance
- House-Keeper/ Cleaner/ Driver
- Food
- Clothes
- Trips/Holiday Expenditure
D: Government Fees
- Expat Levy
- Business Levy
- Residency Permit (Iqama) Renewals
- Iqama Renewals
- Exit – Reentry Visas
The following is a comprehensive list of the relocation and monthly expenses for a person or family who comes to Saudi Arabia to live and work.
Kindly consider the cost of each item before you agree and sign the job offer agreement. As much as possible, I will try to provide exact or approximate expenditure amounts for you to use in your calculations.
The employer will usually meet the hiring costs, such as work visas, medical examinations, and annual / biannual flights to and from Saudi Arabia.
They may also ask you to pre-pay yourself for a work visa, medical examinations, and a flight out to Saudi Arabia, a common underhanded tactic.
Don’t ever do that. You are unlikely to get your money back, or you may only get part of it.
If you’re lucky, your new employer will give you free housing upon arrival, cover your children’s school expenses, possibly provide meals, and cover housing utilities.
The total cost of hiring and ongoing expenditure will depend on your work status (single or family), the final contract agreement, and your own personal circumstances.
A: Before You Leave For Saudi Arabia
- Period of Unemployment
- Closing Down Your Home
- Selling Assets (Car, personal items)
- Certificate Attestations
- Work Visa
- Medical Certification
- Any Vaccinations
Unless your future employer arranges it, any additional expenses will also need to be paid to agents to make applications for the following items.
Fees – Approximate Amounts
- Work Visa, SR 6,400
- Health Insurance SR 450
- Certificate Attestations, SR 2,000
- Medical Examination SR 2,000
Remember, an employment offer letter to work in Saudi Arabia is NOT a contract agreement. It only serves as a pre-agreement that outlines your obligations and the terms and conditions.
You will sign the actual work contract after you arrive in Saudi Arabia.
Knowing you are in the kingdom and less likely to refuse, employers often use this opportunity to change the terms and conditions of the final version of the work contract they want you to sign.
They may decide to shift the goal posts by lowering the salary, denying some benefits, adding extra clauses, or omitting certain agreed conditions.
My Employer Denied Me Furnished Housing
For example, my new employers did not change the agreed-upon salary. They were unable to provide my family and I with furnished housing, despite their pre-agreement commitment.
Instead, they gave me an accommodation allowance or two sums of money paid every six months to rent privately.
Unfortunately, at that time, demand for housing in the city was huge, rental prices were high, and there was very little quality housing still available.
Due to higher than normal rental charges, the housing allowance was not enough to cover the yearly rent. I had to pay out of pocket for the remaining amount.
Also, the system in Saudi Arabia is to give landlords a year’s rent in advance. So, each year when the housing rent was due, I had to find an additional six months’ worth of payment until my employer reimbursed me six months later in the year.
My New Employer Tried To Force Me To Sign
After I arrived in Saudi Arabia, I signed my work contract. My employer, however, insisted that I sign a separate document giving them the right to fire me if I didn’t present any letters of verification of prior employment.
It would have been almost impossible to do that now that I was in the kingdom because they hadn’t asked me before I left my country.
Of course, I refused and told them to fire me right away instead.
In the end, they did not insist that I sign the extra paper, and I continued to work for twenty years in the same job without issues.
B. Just After You Land In Saudi Arabia
- Second Medical
- New Residency Permit (Iqama)
- Housing Rent
- Home Furnishing
- Car Purchase
Immediately after landing, you’ll need to complete a slew of paperwork with your new employer, do another medical examination, and obtain a new residency permit (Iqama).
A rep called a government relations official or Mandoob will guide you through the process and do much of the running round to and back from the local Immigration Office (Jawazaat).
Your company should pay for all of these services and documents.
However, my company kindly let me pay the the initial SR 500 residency permit fee and continue to let me pay for subsequent renewals-also costing SR 500 that includes my family and I.
Housing Rents
Your company will likely house you for free on an expat compound or provide alternate housing. The standard of accommodation will depend on the amount of money your company is willing to fork out for housing.
Single people usually get shared accommodation and families a housed separately in family unit, houses or flats.
In the private sector, rents for single people are about SR 500 – SR 700 per month for a room in a shared house or flat.
Rents for family units cost a minimum of SR 1,000 monthly and can reach upwards of SR 6,000 for premium furnished accommodation.
However, a basic three bedroomed flat in any Saudi town or city will cost about SR 2, 000 per month unfurnished.
Buying Household Furniture
If our company does not provide furniture for your unit, you will need to buy it yourself. Today, you can easily spend SR 40,000 on sofas, beds, cupboards, AC units, fridge, cooker and other household items.
The way to reduce the cost of setting up your new home is to buy second hand items.
There are plenty, I repeat plenty of ways you can buy any kind of second hand furniture for your home.
Every day, many expats are leaving Saudi Arabia and second hand household goods are plentiful and cheaper than they have ever been.
Many foreigners use expatriates.com to sell and buy everything they need. You will also find Friday outdoor flea markets (Sooq Al Kharaj) in most towns and cities where you can buy sofas, chairs, beds, cupboards, sets of drawers, curtains, kitchenware, blankets even items you never thought you needed.
Prices for second hand items are 50%-70% cheaper than new.
Buying A Car
Companies must provide employees a transport allowance or a vehicle to get to and from work. However, if you need to buy a car the popular and widely brands are American, Japanese and Korean models.
Today, Chinese car manufactured cars are on the increase. Also, spare parts are easy to get and and cheap to obtain.
Sadly, Indian and European cars are not well known, and spare parts for them are expensive and difficult to obtain.
Thankfully, second hand cars can be sourced online or at the weekly car market in your local town or city. For a commission, dealers usually Yemeni nationals sell them on behalf of sellers.
When you arrive at the weekly car market which are often located next to the new car showrooms, the dealers will approach you with offers to sell your car.
These days, car prices are very low. To know the prices, check online at websites such as expatriates.com to compare brands, models and prices.
C. Ongoing Monthly Spends
- Utilities
- Internet
- Petrol and Maintenance
- House-Keeper/ Cleaner/ Driver
- Electricity
- Food
- Clothes
- Trips/Holiday Expenditure
It used to be cheap, but these days running a home in Saudi Arabia is just as costly as anywhere else in the world.
Electricity bills have tripled in recent years, fuel prices have increased by 500% and supermarket bills are more than three time the amounts I used to pay in 2005.
However, there are a plenty of offers, discounts and 3 for 2 deals. VAT on every purchase has been 15% since it was introduced in 2018.
Supermarket bills are about SR 500 plus a week for a small family and less for a single person.
Petrol is currently SR 2.33 a litre for 95 grade. A full tank for a large car will cost SR 130 at the petrol pump.
D. Pay Government Fees
- Expat Levy
- Business Levy
- Residency Permit (Iqama) Renewals
- Iqama Renewals
- Exit – Reentry Visas
Every foreign employee working in the private sector must pay the expat levy charge of SR 400 per month for every dependent family member via online banking.
Annual Costs of Expat Levy
- 1 person costs SR 4,800
- 2 people cost SR 9,600
- 3 people cost SR 14,400
- 4 people cost SR 19,200
- 5 people cost SR 24,00
- 6 people cost SR 28,800
The government also charges companies a Business levy for each expat worker hired. It is a similar punitive amount.
To renew a Residency Permit (Iqama) is SR 650. Exit – Reentry fees are SR 200 per person for three months and SR 100 for each month extra.
References and Useful Links
Salaries In Saudi Arabia – Al Bayt.com
Average Salaries In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Pay Scale
Pay Estimates For Companies In Riyadh – Glassdoor
What Is The Average Monthly Salary In Saudi Arabia? – GASTAT
GASTAT: Saudi Workers Monthly Average Wages– KSA Gov stats
The Differences Between Saudi and Non-Saudi Wages – Solvait
Labor Force GATSAT Statistics-statsgov.sa
KSA Salary Guide 2022-Professional Recruitment