Saudi Arabia Lists Engineering Salaries for Foreign Workers Based on Qualifications

Saudi Arabia Lists Engineering Salaries for Foreign Workers Based on Qualifications

  • Saudi Arabia has published a government-approved payroll structure for foreign engineers, setting out earnings across three qualification levels
  • The salary schedule is governed by Royal Decree No. A/23 and includes a 15% cost-of-living allowance already built into all published figures
  • PhD holders in engineering attract the highest starting salary under the structure, with earnings rising further based on years of recognised experience

Saudi Arabia has released an official salary schedule for foreign engineers, detailing basic pay, experience allowances, and earning ceilings for three levels of academic qualification in accordance with a royal decree.

The framework is authorised under Royal Decree No. A/23, dated 20 March 1432 AH, and covers engineers recruited from abroad holding a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, or a doctorate in engineering.

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Saudi Arabia’s foreign engineer salary scale sets pay by degree and experience, with PhD holders earning up to 17,125 riyals under Royal Decree Image credit: LOU BENOIST, Maskot/Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

A cost-of-living allowance of 15% is already incorporated into every figure published in the schedule.

Saudi Arabia's foreign engineer salary scale

Under the published structure, a foreign engineer holding a bachelor's degree in engineering receives a basic monthly salary of 6,900 Saudi riyals. An experience allowance of 345 riyals is added for each year of recognised experience, up to a maximum of 15 years, placing the highest attainable monthly salary in this category at 12,075 riyals.

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Engineers who hold a master's degree in engineering begin on a higher base of 8,050 riyals per month. Their annual experience allowance stands at 405 riyals and applies over the same 15-year ceiling, bringing the top monthly salary in this bracket to 14,125 riyals.

The most lucrative tier is reserved for PhD holders. Engineers with a doctorate in engineering start on 9,775 riyals per month, with an experience allowance of 490 riyals per year of recognised service. At 15 years of accumulated experience, the maximum monthly salary for this group reaches 17,125 riyals.

How the experience allowance is calculated

The structure awards a fixed monthly increment for every year of relevant professional experience, accumulating until the 15-year threshold is reached. Once an engineer hits that ceiling, no further additions are made to the base salary. The figures published in the schedule therefore represent the absolute upper limit for each qualification grade, and no engineer can exceed them regardless of additional years in service.

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The payroll framework references 30 qualifying categories, indicating that the scale spans a wide range of engineering disciplines, though the specific fields were not itemised in the published data.

The release of the salary schedule provides a formal and transparent basis for compensation negotiations for engineers considering employment in Saudi Arabia, setting government-defined expectations across all three qualification tiers.

Saudi Arabia unveils new financial support package for retirees

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Saudi Arabia had unveiled a new financial support package targeting retirees.

The kingdom's officials confirmed that the initiative aims to bolster the welfare of citizens who have left the workforce.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Philip Boateng Kessie avatar

Philip Boateng Kessie (Head of Human Interest Desk) Philip Boateng Kessie is the Head of the Diaspora Affairs Desk at YEN.com.gh, where he has worked since 2022. He has over eight years of journalism experience and holds a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from the University of Cape Coast. Philip previously served as Head of the Human Interest Desk at YEN.com.gh and has also worked as a reporter for Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) and a content writer for Scooper News. He also holds certificates in Advanced Digital Reporting and Fighting Misinformation. Email: philip.kessie@yen.com.gh