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GCC Salary Benchmarking Tool
Real compensation ranges for 90+ executive, technical and specialist roles across the UAE, KSA and Qatar — drawn from PCG’s 2026 MENA Compensation Research.
Home / Salary Benchmarking Tool
GCC Salary Benchmarking Tool
Real compensation ranges for 90+ executive, technical and specialist roles across the UAE, KSA and Qatar — drawn from PCG’s 2026 MENA Compensation Research.
Five things shaping GCC compensation in 2026
Drawn from PCG's full 2026 research cycle across 14 sectors and three GCC markets.
Select a sector to see real role ranges
Monthly base salary, AED, UAE market. Every sector's data is real content on this page — nothing is hidden behind the dropdown.
| Role | Level | Min | Mid | Max | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief AI Officer | C-Suite | 190,000 | 282,000 | 385,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Chief Technology Officer | C-Suite | 175,000 | 256,000 | 350,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) | C-Suite | 155,000 | 218,000 | 285,000 | ↑ Rising |
| VP Data & Analytics | VP | 120,000 | 162,000 | 210,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Head of Cybersecurity | Director | 95,000 | 125,000 | 158,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Head of Cloud Architecture | Director | 90,000 | 118,000 | 148,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Engineering Director | Director | 88,000 | 114,000 | 145,000 | → Stable |
| Head of Product | Director | 80,000 | 104,000 | 130,000 | → Stable |
| Data Science Lead | Senior | 45,000 | 59,000 | 75,000 | ↑ Rising |
| DevSecOps Lead | Senior | 40,000 | 53,000 | 68,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Role | Level | Min | Mid | Max | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO / Managing Director | C-Suite | 280,000 | 400,000 | 600,000 | → Stable |
| Chief Investment Officer | C-Suite | 175,000 | 218,000 | 270,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Chief Risk Officer | C-Suite | 155,000 | 205,000 | 265,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Head of Private Banking / Wealth Mgmt | Director | 155,000 | 190,000 | 230,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Head of Islamic Finance | Director | 118,000 | 148,000 | 180,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Head of Corporate Banking | Director | 130,000 | 152,000 | 178,000 | → Stable |
| Head of SME Banking | Director | 100,000 | 117,000 | 138,000 | → Stable |
| Head of Compliance (Banking) | Director | 78,000 | 100,000 | 128,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Senior Relationship Manager | Senior | 55,000 | 70,000 | 88,000 | → Stable |
| Role | Level | Min | Mid | Max | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Chief Financial Officer | C-Suite | 185,000 | 272,000 | 380,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Chief Financial Officer | C-Suite | 155,000 | 230,000 | 320,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Chief Audit Executive | C-Suite | 135,000 | 158,000 | 185,000 | → Stable |
| Finance Director | Director | 110,000 | 138,000 | 168,000 | → Stable |
| Head of Tax (5+ years UAE) | Director | 95,000 | 118,000 | 142,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Head of FP&A | Director | 80,000 | 102,000 | 128,000 | → Stable |
| Internal Audit Director | Director | 75,000 | 91,000 | 110,000 | → Stable |
| Head of Shared Services | Director | 80,000 | 100,000 | 122,000 | → Stable |
| Group Financial Controller | Senior | 65,000 | 80,000 | 98,000 | → Stable |
| Treasury Manager | Senior | 45,000 | 58,000 | 74,000 | → Stable |
| Role | Level | Min | Mid | Max | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHRO / Chief People Officer | C-Suite | 155,000 | 212,000 | 285,000 | ↑ Rising |
| VP Human Resources | VP | 120,000 | 155,000 | 192,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Executive Director, Human Resources | C-Suite | 105,000 | 130,000 | 158,000 | → Stable |
| HR Director | Director | 88,000 | 108,000 | 132,000 | → Stable |
| Head of Talent Acquisition | Director | 68,000 | 84,000 | 104,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Head of Talent Management | Director | 62,000 | 76,000 | 92,000 | → Stable |
| Head of Learning & Development | Director | 58,000 | 72,000 | 88,000 | → Stable |
| Head of Compensation & Benefits | Senior | 48,000 | 60,000 | 75,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Senior HR Business Partner | Senior | 32,000 | 42,000 | 54,000 | → Stable |
| HR Manager | Mid | 22,000 | 30,000 | 40,000 | → Stable |
| Role | Level | Min | Mid | Max | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Legal Officer | C-Suite | 130,000 | 230,000 | 375,000 | ↑ Rising |
| General Counsel | C-Suite | 115,000 | 195,000 | 295,000 | ↑ Rising |
| VARA Compliance Head | Director | 82,000 | 112,000 | 148,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Legal Director | Director | 95,000 | 130,000 | 168,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Head of Compliance | Director | 78,000 | 102,000 | 130,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Head of Governance, Risk & Compliance | Director | 75,000 | 96,000 | 120,000 | → Stable |
| MLRO (Money Laundering Reporting Officer) | Senior | 58,000 | 74,000 | 94,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Senior Legal Counsel | Senior | 45,000 | 60,000 | 78,000 | → Stable |
| Role | Level | Min | Mid | Max | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executive Officer | C-Suite | 220,000 | 380,000 | 600,000 | → Stable |
| Chief Development Officer | C-Suite | 225,000 | 305,000 | 395,000 | → Stable |
| Managing Director | C-Suite | 195,000 | 280,000 | 385,000 | → Stable |
| Chief Investment Officer | C-Suite | 175,000 | 242,000 | 315,000 | → Stable |
| Chief Operating Officer | C-Suite | 165,000 | 222,000 | 290,000 | → Stable |
| Chief Shared Services Officer | C-Suite | 148,000 | 192,000 | 242,000 | → Stable |
| Country Manager / Country Head | Director | 115,000 | 154,000 | 198,000 | ↑ Rising |
| General Manager | Director | 95,000 | 130,000 | 168,000 | → Stable |
| VP Operations | VP | 88,000 | 115,000 | 148,000 | → Stable |
| Chief of Staff | Director | 78,000 | 104,000 | 135,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Role | Level | Min | Mid | Max | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Sustainability Officer | C-Suite | 150,000 | 210,000 | 285,000 | ↑ Rising |
| VP ESG / Head of ESG | VP | 80,000 | 112,000 | 150,000 | ↑ Rising |
| ESG Director | Director | 65,000 | 87,000 | 112,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Head of Sustainability | Director | 58,000 | 76,000 | 98,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Role | Level | Min | Max | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development Director | Director | 105,000 | 168,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Executive Director, FM | C-Suite | 98,000 | 145,000 | → Stable |
| Head of Real Estate | Director | 95,000 | 138,000 | → Stable |
| VP Engineering | VP | 85,000 | 130,000 | → Stable |
| Project Director | Director | 72,000 | 115,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Construction Director | Director | 78,000 | 120,000 | → Stable |
| Head of Engineering | Director | 62,000 | 92,000 | → Stable |
| Role | Level | Min | Max | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Commercial Officer | C-Suite | 130,000 | 215,000 | → Stable |
| Chief Revenue Officer | C-Suite | 115,000 | 190,000 | ↑ Rising |
| VP Sales | VP | 95,000 | 158,000 | → Stable |
| Head of Business Development | Director | 85,000 | 132,000 | → Stable |
| Sales Director | Director | 78,000 | 128,000 | → Stable |
| Country Head / GM Sales | Director | 90,000 | 148,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Role | Level | Min | Max | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VP Downstream Operations | VP | 98,000 | 138,000 | → Stable |
| Technical Director | Director | 85,000 | 130,000 | → Stable |
| Head of Clean Energy | Director | 75,000 | 118,000 | ↑ Rising |
| Head of Operations | Director | 70,000 | 110,000 | → Stable |
| Role | Level | Min | Max | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Director | Director | 108,000 | 152,000 | → Stable |
| VP Operations | VP | 88,000 | 122,000 | → Stable |
| Procurement Director | Director | 82,000 | 115,000 | → Stable |
| Supply Chain Director | Director | 72,000 | 104,000 | → Stable |
Sector demand at a glance
Tile size reflects roles benchmarked per sector; color shows demand level. Click any sector to jump into the tool with it pre-selected.
How these numbers are built
Why this data holds up, in three steps.
Industry benchmark data
Published GCC market compensation guides are read and every role data point is systematically extracted and normalised under a single PCG role taxonomy, so equivalent titles across different sources are compared on the same basis.
Cross-referenced against real placements
Every benchmark is checked against PCG's own placement activity — offers extended, offers rejected, counter-offers tendered, and packages accepted across the UAE, KSA and Qatar. Where industry data and lived market experience diverge, the figure is adjusted to reflect what candidates are genuinely accepting.
Reviewed for outliers
Any figure that sits far outside the pattern for its role, level and market is flagged and re-checked before publication, so a single unusual data point can't distort the range shown here.
The figures on this page represent PCG's professional assessment of current market compensation, based on PCG's direct market research and placement activity across the UAE, KSA, and Qatar, Q2 2025 through Q1 2026. Figures are provided for guidance only and may vary by organisation, candidate profile, and market conditions. PCG accepts no liability for decisions made on the basis of this information. People Connect Global LLC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Get the Complete 2026 Report
This page covers every sector’s headline numbers. The full PCG MENA Salary Intelligence Report adds the complete analysis behind them.
- • Full sector-by-sector market commentary
- • UAE vs KSA vs Qatar cross-market comparison
- • Total compensation & benefits benchmarking
- • Hiring Manager Advisory — building winning offers
- • Candidate Advisory — know your market value
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