South Asian Workforce in the UAE: Key Sectors and Employment Trends

Dubai is more than simply a well-liked skyscraper tourist attraction.

In addition, the city’s economic sector is flourishing. The average monthly wage in Dubai in 2024 is projected to be around AED 15,700 (United Arab Emirates Dirham). That comes to $4,274 a month.

Despite being relatively high, Dubai’s average wage is far lower than that of industrialized nations such as the US ($7,920) and the UK ($7,656). For this reason, companies aiming to grow could find that outsourcing to Dubai is the best course of action. In this piece, we examine the cost of living, the minimum wage, and the average pay in Dubai in more detail. Look for work on websites like Layboard if you want to be paid well.

Minimum Wage in Dubai

The minimum wage in a given area establishes the legally-mandated minimum basic wage that employers must pay to all employees working there.

There is no minimum pay requirement under the UAE Federal Labor Law. This indicates that the Emirate of Dubai does not have a set minimum wage for workers, in contrast to most other cities. Nonetheless, the UAE Ministry of Labor authorized minimum pay for certain types of workers in 2013. These wages are not the same as the minimum wage because they do not always apply to all employees in Dubai.

These regulations provide that the minimal basic income is:

1. Graduates from Universities – AED 12,000
2. Expert Technologists: AED 7,000
3. Expert Laborers – AED 5,000

Employers in the United Arab Emirates are required to make specified financial contributions toward salaries. For UAE workers, the baseline employer salary payments include a 12.50% pension fund contribution.

Comparing Salaries by Occupation

Pay ranges for important sectors including banking, healthcare, energy, and others differ in Dubai. However, incomes varied for various occupations even within these industries. Use different websites to look for jobs for Indians in the UAE, whatever your career goals may be, to improve your chances of success.

Let’s examine the differences in pay amongst prominent careers in Dubai:

1. Analyst for Investment Banking – AED 25,800
2. Chef: 9,250 AED
3. CEO: 28,900 AED
4. Project Coordinator – 20,500 AED
5. Instructor – 12,400 AED
6. Manager of HR – 24,100 AED
7. Manager of Accounting – AED 24,100
8. Engineer: 15,400 AED
9. Manager of Business Development – AED 26,600
10. AED 14,600 for a civil engineer
11. Manager of a Bank Branch – AED 29,100 
12. Business Analyst for the UAE – AED 19,300
13. Graph Designer: 9,040 AED
14. Manager of the Office: AED 14,000
15. Mechanic: 15,400 AED
16. AED 12,600 for a nanny
17. AED 5,140 for a customer service representative
18. Legal Assistant: 7,750 AED
19. Secretary: 6,530 AED
20. Pharmacist: 20,100 AED

Average Salary by Location

The United Arab Emirates is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a federation of six Middle Eastern countries bound together politically and economically. The UAE’s economy is especially competitive since it has the second-highest GDP in the Arab world, behind only Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, Dubai’s economy is more thriving than that of the other UAE emirates. Because of this, wages in Dubai are typically 10% more than those of employees in other UAE regions holding the same occupation.

Let’s examine the differences in average incomes between Dubai (AED 21,500) and other well-known UAE cities:

1. Average Pay (Monthly)
2. Abu Dhabi 15,300 AED
3. AED 15,000 in Sharjah
4. AED 14,500 in Al Ain and AED 14,100 in Ajman
5. Fujairah 13,200 AED

Salary Comparison by Education

It is common knowledge that increased education typically translates into better incomes. Let’s examine the pay disparities that exist in Dubai amongst workers with similar job experience and varying educational backgrounds:

1. Workers with a certificate or diploma make around 17% more money than those who have simply completed high school.
2. Workers with a bachelor’s degree make 24% more money than those with a diploma or certificate.
3. Earnings for a master’s degree are 29% more than for a bachelor’s.
4. The best paid degree is a PhD, which pays more than 23 percent more than a master’s degree for the same position.

Comparing Salaries by Experience

Similar to schooling, having more job experience raises income. Wage research indicates that after ten years, an individual’s basic pay usually doubles.

Below is a summary of how experience affects salary in Dubai:

• 2–5 years—a 32% increase over workers at the entry level
• 5–10 years-this is 36% more than experts with under five years of expertise.
• Professionals with 10 to 15 years’ experience have 21% more experience than those with fewer than ten years.
• 15 to 20 years of experience is 14% more than that of professionals with less than 15 years.
• more than 20 years of experience—9% more than professionals with under 20 years of experience.

What are the most common jobs in Abu Dhabi?

The following are a few of the most popular and in-demand careers in Abu Dhabi:

1. Finance & Banking: The city is a center for those involved in banking, investing, and financial services since it is home to several financial institutions.
2. Construction and Engineering: The construction and engineering industries are seeing tremendous growth due to continuous infrastructure development and urban expansion plans.
3. Information Technology: Due to Abu Dhabi’s investments in innovation and technology, there is a greater need for IT specialists, including data analysts, software developers, and cybersecurity experts.
4. Tourist and Hospitality: Abu Dhabi’s tourist industry is growing, creating jobs in hotels, eateries, tour operators, and associated industries.
5. Aerospace and Aviation: As these fields grow, job opportunities for engineers, pilots, and aviation professionals will present themselves.
6. Legal and Advisory Services: There is a need for attorneys, advisers, and consultants, particularly in fields like business consulting and corporate law.
7. Real estate: There are alternatives for managing, leasing, and in the real estate sector, selling real estate.

It’s essential to keep in mind that the job situation may be impacted by both governmental and economic factors. In order to ascertain their best prospects, foreign workers in Abu Dhabi should investigate companies, go through job advertisements, and think about networking. Even though English is widely used in business and daily life, there are many situations when knowing Arabic might be helpful.

Cost of Living in Dubai

1. Accommodation

The area in Dubai where you decide to live has a big impact on real estate costs. AED 3,687.32 (USD 1,004) is the monthly rent for an apartment outside of the city center, and around AED 5,528.59 (USD 1,505) for a city center apartment with one bedroom.

2. Instruction

There are private and public schools in Dubai. Public school tuition is AED 6,000 (USD 1,634) per year. Furthermore, foreigners’ education costs are higher than those of UAE citizens.

3. Transport

Buses and taxis are widely available throughout Dubai, which has a well-developed public transit network. A cab journey costs AED 2.44 (USD 0.66) per kilometer on average. AED 5 (about USD 1.36) gets you a bus ticket.

4. Medical Care

Residents of Dubai have access to a government-funded health insurance program. Regulations from the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) mandate that foreign nationals carry private health insurance.

5. Tax on Income

Because the UAE government does not impose personal income tax and provides tax-free investment choices to all Dubai citizens, the country is well-known as a tax haven.