How Much Do Nannies/Domestic Helpers Earn in the UAE?

How much do nannies/domestic helpers earn in the United Arab Emirates? Here’s a survey conducted by a Dubai start-up firm that shares important details especially to those who have plans of working as a helper abroad.

Also Read: Monthly Cost of Living in Dubai for Entry-Level Expats

Recently, we featured the winners of the UAE’s Best Nanny Awards 2017. Amazingly, the top three winners are all from the Philippines, while two Filipina nannies received special mention awards. The contest was brought to us by Rise, a start-up firm based in Dubai.

How much do nannies earn in the UAE?

UAE Nanny Survey: Average Salaries and Benefits of Nannies in the UAE

Aside from holding the annual contest, Rise also provides learning courses for nannies and conducts studies relevant to the industry. In this article, we share the highlights of their latest survey about the requirements, salaries, and common benefits of nannies in the UAE.

“This report is the first in the UAE, and was developed using advanced data and sentiment analysis on more than 20,000+ nanny hire ads on UAE’s largest nanny hiring Facebook group — Mary Poppins and augmented that data with conversations with more than 1,000 nannies and employers,” stated Padmini Gupta, CEO of Rise, on their website.

“We hope this data helps mothers and nannies in the UAE make better hiring decisions and more importantly creates a happier, healthier, and safer environment for our children,” she added.

Image Credit: Rise FB Page

Highlights of the UAE Nanny Survey by Rise
Here are some of the most important and relevant findings of Rise’s survey:

  • Key Statistics. There are around 750,000 nannies in the UAE. One in four women in the country is a nanny, while 95% of children in the UAE are under nanny care.
  • Common Requirements. The percentage of employers looking for these specific skills are as follows: references (60%), cooking (40%), pet handling (40%), first aid (20%), and driving (10%).
  • Common Benefits. The percentage of employers providing these benefits are: toiletries (50%), Wi-Fi (30%), bonus (5%), food allowance (<5%), travel (<5%).
  • Average Salary. The average salary earned by nannies in the UAE is AED 1,830.
NANNY-SALARY
Photo credit: Supplied
  • Salary Versus Experience. On the average, nannies with three years of experience earn AED 1,492. Meanwhile, nannies with more than five years of experience earn AED 1,922.
  • Salary by Geography. Nannies who are working in Old Dubai earn around AED 1,700. On the other hand, nannies who are based in Downtown Dubai and Palm Jumeirah earn AED 2,140 and AED 2,350 — respectively.
  • Salary Increase. A nanny may increase her salary based on the following factors: live out vs. live in (+ AED 400), first aid or nurse training (+ AED 250), taking care of pets (+ AED 185), ability to cook (+ AED 125), and experience with newborns or toddlers (+ AED 125).

As you can see, a nanny’s salary depends largely on her skills and years of experience. If you are currently working as a nanny or if you are planning to apply as a domestic worker in the UAE – we hope that the figures stated above can help you with your decision.

Image Credit: Rise FB Page

Likewise, the salary also depends on what a prospective employer is looking for in a nanny – newborn care, pet handling, and cooking ability, for example. If you are planning to hire a nanny, check out our guide on how to sponsor a maid or nanny in Dubai.