How much can I earn as a teacher in Dubai and the UAE?
Teacher salaries in the UAE vary greatly depending on these key factors:
- Qualifications
- Teaching experience
- Curriculum experience
- The school you choose
- Additional Positions of Responsibility (POR)
- Housing Allowance
1. Qualifications
Firstly, when it comes to your qualifications, most international schools in the UAE cannot employ someone as a teacher unless they have one or more of the following qualifications:
- PhD or Masters in Education – Some schools offer an additional monthly bonus if you have a PhD or Masters
- Bachelors in Education
- Bachelor’s Degree in subject area and PGCE
- All the above qualifications must have QTS or the equivalent from their home country
- Some British schools will accept NQT’s for their ECT years
2. Teaching Experience
If you are a NQT, then you will start at the lower range of the school’s salary range. Many schools will work off a fixed scale and will calculate your salary according to your years of experience on the scale. Some schools will have a maximum point on the scale, for example 8 years + of experience might put you top of the scale, other schools may have a higher scale range of 10 or more years.
3. Curriculum experience
If you are going into a new school where the curriculum is different to your previous experience, then the school may take this into account when deciding salary amount. For example, if you have 5 years of National Curriculum experience and enter into an IB school, the school may drop you down a point or two on their salary scale as your experience differs from their curriculum.
4. The school
The school you decide to work at is one of the biggest factors when determining salary. If your school is a premium school or a high fee-paying school then chances are your salary will be on the higher end of the scale. If the fees are low, it may not be the best paying salary out there.
5. Additional Positions of Responsibility (POR)
Having an extra position of responsibility within your school will usually add on anywhere from AED 500 – 1500+ monthly depending on your role within the school. Grade/Year Leaders, Department Heads/Coordinators and project leaders will all receive an additional amount monthly.
6. Housing Allowance
Housing allowances vary greatly from school to school. Most schools have a fixed yearly amount that they give to teachers. Sometimes your housing allowance will be greater than the amount you pay for your accommodation, leaving you with extra cash monthly/annually depending on how your school pays out. For example, if your school pays AED 60,000 annually for housing and you pay AED 45,000 for your accommodation, then you will pocket the remaining AED 15,000. (Remember schools will either pay a housing allowance or provide accommodation)
So, here’s what you want to know – How much do teachers get paid in Dubai and the UAE?
Salaries will range from AED 8,000 – 16,000 per month with an additional housing allowance or provided accommodation. Housing allowance can be anywhere from AED 40,000 annually to AED 85,000 (single teachers) and can go beyond this if you are married and have children. Some schools will pay a monthly salary that includes your salary and housing all in one, it just depends on the school. If you hear of someone who gets a salary of AED 10,000 plus a housing allowance while you get a total salary of AED 15,000 – This may be working out at a similar amount.
Additionally, schools will also provide you with the following benefits:
- Annual return flight (you and your family/children)
- Medical Insurance (you and your family/children – usually)
- Schooling for your children (sometimes free, sometimes reduced fee)
- Visa
- Joining flight (you and your family/children)
- Settling in/relocation allowance (sometimes depending on the school)
- Reduced electrical bills (sometimes depending on the school)
- End of contract Gratuity – Based off your basic salary – Gratuity Calculator