Saudi Arabia Publishes Full Salary Scale for Ghanaian Health Workers in Public Sector

• Saudi Arabia has released its official salary structure for foreign health workers under Royal Order No. A/23, covering roles from resident physicians to health assistants
• The payroll includes a 15% Cost of Living Allowance built into all figures, with pay rates varying by qualification level and job title
• A key distinction in the structure means workers who trained in developed countries earn significantly more than those from developing countries in the same role

Saudi Arabia has published its full official salary structure for foreign nationals working in the country's public health sector, detailing pay brackets across a wide range of medical and support roles.

The figures, issued under Royal Order No. A/23 dated 20 March 1432 AH, apply to positions ranging from resident physicians and consultant specialists through to pharmacists and health assistants. All salaries already include a 15% cost of living allowance.

How qualifications and origin affect pay

One of the most notable features of the structure is the significant wage gap between workers who obtained their qualifications in developed countries versus those from developing countries, even when they hold the same role and academic level.

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A resident physician with a basic medical degree from a developing country starts on a basic salary of SAR 4,600, with a maximum of SAR 8,050.

The same role filled by someone trained in a developed country carries a starting salary of SAR 6,900, rising to a maximum of SAR 13,800.

That gap widens further at senior levels: a consultant physician with a PhD from a developing country earns a basic salary of SAR 12,145 and up to SAR 22,120, while an equivalent doctor trained in a developed country starts at SAR 25,625 and can reach SAR 42,200.

Full breakdown of health worker pay in Saudi Arabia

For pharmacists, a bachelor's degree holder from a developing country earns a basic salary of SAR 2,415 with a maximum of SAR 5,040, compared to SAR 4,830 rising to SAR 10,005 for those from developed countries. Consultant pharmacists with PhDs from developed countries can earn up to SAR 13,680, roughly double the SAR 7,590 ceiling for their developing-country counterparts.

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Non-physician specialists, including physiotherapists, nutritionists, optometrists, and social and hygiene specialists, follow a similar pattern. At bachelor's degree level, a specialist from a developing country starts at SAR 2,415, while the equivalent hire from a developed country earns SAR 8,455, a gap of more than SAR 6,000 at entry level alone.

At the lower end of the scale, health assistants holding a secondary school certificate plus a minimum one-year diploma from a developing country start at SAR 1,985, with a maximum of SAR 3,710. Those with the same qualification from a developed country earn between SAR 3,970 and SAR 6,745. For health assistants with a three-year diploma from a developed country, the ceiling rises sharply to SAR 16,785.

Saudi regulations governing the employment of non-Saudi nationals in public health positions determine how each qualification is classified between the developing and developed country categories. Experience requirements must be completed after obtaining the relevant academic qualification in order to qualify for the applicable pay grade.

Source: YEN.com.gh