DOHA: Nearly 62 percent of professionals in Qatar feel they receive lower salary than industry peers, with only five percent stating a high level of satisfaction with their current remuneration, according to the latest Bayt.com and YouGov Salary Survey.
The 2013 Bayt.com MENA Salary Survey, conducted by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s leading jobsite, and YouGov, a research and consulting organisation, has revealed that only 22 percent of the respondents expect a raise of more than 15 percent in 2013, and eight in 10 believe that the cost of living will continue to increase.
A fifth of the survey’s Qatar respondents (21 percent) have been in their current career path for up to three years. A third (33 percent) have spent up to a year with their current employer, while 28 percent have been with them for four to seven years. Four in 10 (38 percent) have one to five people reporting to them, and 40 percent oversee six or more employees. The majority of survey respondents are either midway (37 percent) or fairly senior (32 percent) in their position.
Most Qatar respondents have held either one (24 percent) or two (39 percent) jobs in the past five years.
The majority claim that they spend on average between one and three years in a job, though 24 percent held a position for at least six years.
The preferred pay structure in Qatar is 100 percent fixed-pay, according to 64 percent, with the more preferable incentives being those that are performance-based (59 percent), or professional training and development courses (40 percent). Holiday allowances or foreign trips (22 percent), and commission for business or revenue generated (19 percent) are also popular.
In terms of their current salary, a quarter of Qatar’s respondents (24 percent) receive their basic salary only, while 65 percent receive their basic salary plus benefits. A third (36 percent) stated that 51 percent to 75 percent of their salary package is their basic monthly salary.
Additional benefits received from Qatari companies include personal annual air ticket (50 percent), housing allowance (40 percent) and personal medical insurance (39 percent).
The majority (57 percent) of Qatar professionals stated medium satisfaction with their current salary, with only five percent claiming high satisfaction.
In 2013, Qatar respondents are torn with regard to receiving a raise; 30 percent expect to receive up to 15 percent and 22 percent expect to receive more than 15 percent, while 23 percent do not expect anything.
Regarding cost of living and savings, six in 10 (59 percent) respondents stated that their cost of living increased by more than 15 percent in 2012. They believe this is mostly due to rising food and beverage costs (78 percent), increased rents (72 percent), and education (39 percent). Eight out of 10 (78 percent) believe that the cost of living will continue to rise in 2013.
A third (35 percent) of Qatar respondents save up to 15 percent of their monthly personal income, and four in 10 (41 percent) repatriate a meagre15 percent or more of their monthly income.
“The results of the 2013 Bayt.com MENA Salary Survey suggest that salaries are not keeping pace with the rising cost of living in Qatar. This is a general trend across the Middle East that companies must begin to address; in doing so, they will be able to contribute to building employee loyalty and satisfaction, and will have the opportunity to reduce the number of employees looking to change jobs within the next year,” said, Suhail Masri, VP of Sales, Bayt.com.
The Peninsula
