In many ways, teaching in Dubai is similar to other expat destinations. In addition, there are some benefits that make teachers in Dubai feel valued above the rest. Locals who come across school playgrounds or parks will often comment on how impressed they are with the facilities and extracurricular activities available to students.
A teacher’s salary in Dubai is one of the highest among the Middle East countries. At least, that’s what people say. But how much do you actually earn as a school teacher in UAE? How much does it vary across schools and from one city to another? We’ll show you how to calculate your monthly salary as well as some other factors to consider before accepting a job offer for teaching at the best colleges & schools in Dubai
A teacher in Dubai needs to be a citizen of the country and follows strict regulations on visa and work permits. A ordinary teacher should get at least Dhs 2000 per month, thousands teachers with experience or add-ons will get more than that. The average salary is around Dhs 2,000 per month, but with different working hours, additional teaching classes and other factors considered this can go up to Dhs 3,500 per month.
The average salary for a teacher in Dubai is $13,051.00 per year. This figure varies based on the teacher’s school level, experience, age and many other variables. Entry-level teachers will typically start out earning approximately $10,000 to $12,000 per year while more experienced teachers can expect to make over $30,000 per year. Find out more on primary teacher salary in dubai, high school teacher salary in dubai.
Salary For Teacher In Dubai
There are a number of factors that determine the salary of teachers in Dubai, including their position, experience and age. The average salary for a primary school teacher in the UAE is around AED 15,000 per month. This figure varies according to how many hours you work and your qualifications.
For example, an Indian primary school teacher who has completed a bachelor’s degree can expect to earn around AED 15,000 per month. However, if they have a master’s degree or PhD then this could increase by as much as AED 2,000 per month.
The pay scale for secondary school teachers starts at around AED 18,000 per month for those with just a bachelor’s degree but rises to around AED 20,000 for those who hold master’s degrees or doctorates.
How high or low is salary of teachers in UAE
Teaching is often considered a low-paying job in the UAE but the salary bands may not seem too bad if the candidate is in the right place. Even though there are huge discrepancies in the pay scales of teachers across different curriculum, those teaching in international schools may actually fare better than their home country, according to experts in the industry.
The very basic salary in an international school in the country starts at Dh8,000 per month and goes up to Dh35,000, as per Clive Pierrepont, Director of Communications at Taaleem schools.
According to figures provided by the Taleem expert, an assistant teachers gets up to Dh8,000 whereas teachers can take home anything between Dh10,000 to 20,000 per month. The head of primary/secondary get paid Dh22,000 to Dh25,000 (mid-twenties) and the principal get paid Dh35,000 upwards.
“The average salary of teachers in the UAE is of Dh9,750 with average salaries ranging between Dh3,500 and Dh16,000,” Suhail Masri, VP of Sales at Bayt.com, told this website. Teachers in the Indian/Pakistani curriculum tend to be paid salaries on the lower end of the spectrum.
However, for those in international schools, the pay package also include many perks and benefits.
“Besides the basic take home salary, the package also includes benefits such as housing, flights, medical, gratuity and a percentage of school fees for their children. Teaching staff probably earn about 80 per cent of what they would get in their home countries – like the US, UK and Australia but people who come here know what their disposable income is at the end of the day. But again, the benefits of a tax-free environment in the UAE cannot be discounted and if all the benefits like free housing are taken into consideration, the overall package would be comparable with the global average,” Pierrepont told Emirates 24|7.
“[However], a challenge that expat teachers have to face here is that they will have to make their own arrangements for their retirement as they may be excluded from their social security/pension plans they will have contributed to in their home country,” he added.
“The salary spectrum of teachers in UAE varies largely across private and public schools. Some public schools pay as much or more for some teachers as some private schools. Salaries will depend on experience and expertise as well as qualifications, credentials, years in career track and other variables. There are many exceptionally good schools in Dubai and these are able to attract excellent teachers by the virtue of their competitive pay and benefits practices and work conditions,” said Masri, while discussing the difference in salary structure of those in this profession.
Commenting specifically on Taaleem, Pierrepont added: “We have one salary scale for people performing the same role. The only difference is in the benefits given to people recruited locally or from overseas. In some organisations there can be several salary scales – so people from different ethnic backgrounds get paid differently but can actually be doing the same job. We as an equal opportunity employer, have never approved of this sort of discrimination. Also other organizations may pay part of their salaries as ‘allowances’, this greatly affects the employees gratuity at the end of their contract and teachers should avoid schools that employ this sharp practice to cut costs.”
Minimum qualifications needed to become a teacher in the UAE
“Minimum qualifications vary from one academic institution to another and across teaching positions but typically include a minimum well-known and reputable attested teaching certification and bachelor’s degree in the selected subject matter,” added Masri of Bayt.com
“All employers including those in educational institutions look for certain qualifications, skills and experience,” he said.
According to Bayt.com’s job index survey – January 2012, 6 per cent of UAE employers look for teaching qualifications when searching for suitable candidates. As for the skills, 52 per cent of UAE employers look for candidates with good communication skills in both English and Arabic, 47 per cent look for cooperative, helpful and flexible team players and 42 per cent look for candidates with good leadership skills.
Teachers’ salary per month:
Assistant teacher – Dh8,000
Teacher – Dh10,000 to 20,000
Head of primary/secondary – Dh22,000 to Dh25,000
Principal – Dh35,000
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
- Salary RangeTeaching / Education salaries in Dubai range from 10,500 AED per month (minimum average salary) to 42,400 AED per month (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).
- Median SalaryThe median salary is 23,800 AED per month, which means that half (50%) of people working in Teaching / Education are earning less than 23,800 AED while the other half are earning more than 23,800 AED. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
- PercentilesClosely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of people working in Teaching / Education are earning less than 15,400 AED while 75% of them are earning more than 15,400 AED. Also from the diagram, 75% of people working in Teaching / Education are earning less than 34,400 AED while 25% are earning more than 34,400 AED.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios.
primary teacher salary in dubai
The average salary for a elementary school teacher is AED 6,196 per month in Dubai.
high school teacher salary in dubai
The average salary for a High School Teacher in United Arab Emirates is AED 77878.
