Saudi Arabia Publishes Full Salary Scale for Foreign Health Assistants, Lists Countries Earning More

• Saudi Arabia's government published official salary figures for non-Saudi health assistants, with pay varying by qualification level and country of training
• Workers who trained in developed countries such as the US, Canada, and the UK earn significantly higher wages than those from developing nations
• The salary table covers several health assistant categories, including nurses, senior nurses, and critical care workers, with experience bonuses also on offer

Saudi Arabia has released the official salary structure for foreign health assistants working in its public health sector, with pay rates determined by both job category and the country where the applicant received their training.

The figures are drawn from the Saudi government's regulations on the employment of non-Saudi nationals in public positions, which set out the payroll conditions applicable to health workers from abroad.

The rules apply to positions filled on a contract basis and cover basic salary, experience bonuses, and the maximum pay a worker can reach in each role.

Saudi Arabia salaries: How qualification country affects pay

The regulations divide salary scales into two tiers based on where an applicant trained.

Workers who qualified in what the document classifies as developed countries — including the United States, Canada, European nations, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, Cuba, and Malaysia — earn on a higher pay scale.

Those who trained in other countries fall under the developing countries tier and receive lower base salaries.

For senior nurses and critical care workers who trained in developing countries, the regulations allow for a 60% salary increase on the applicable base rate.

Saudi Arabia: Health assistant salary breakdown

The following figures apply to health assistant positions under the published payroll table, with naira equivalents calculated at the rate of 1 Saudi Riyal to ₦358.80:

Developing Countries Tier:

- Nurse/Health Technician: Basic salary of SAR 1,650 (₦591,720), with experience bonuses taking the maximum to SAR 2,805 (₦1,006,434)

- Senior Nurse/Critical Care Worker: Basic salary of SAR 2,640 (₦946,992), rising to a maximum of SAR 4,488 (₦1,609,934) — with the 60% uplift applied

Developed Countries Tier:

- Nurse/Health Technician: Basic salary of SAR 2,640 (₦946,992), with a maximum of SAR 4,488 (₦1,609,934)

- Senior Nurse/Critical Care Worker: Basic salary of SAR 3,300 (₦1,183,440), reaching a maximum of SAR 5,610 (₦2,012,868)

Workers placed in the developed countries category are restricted to roles in hospitals, including hypnosis and follow-up treatment departments, as specified in the regulations.

Saudi Arabia salaries: Experience rules for contract workers

A separate note attached to the regulations, issued under Letter No. 29778 dated July 10, 1426 AH (2005), clarifies how experience is counted when contracts are drawn up.

Foreign health workers can claim credit for qualifying experience gained abroad, but this cannot push their pay beyond the stated maximum for their category.

Experience can also be recognised at the point of contract renewal if it was recorded in Contract Request Form 147 or on the contract card.

The rules confirm that no back payments will be made for experience that was not captured when a contract was first signed, and experience gained while already working inside Saudi Arabia is excluded from this calculation since it is already reflected in periodic salary bonuses.

Legit.ng reported that Saudi Arabia shared how much foreign pharmacists can earn in the country based on their qualifications.

In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Saudi Arabia published the full salary structure for foreign English teachers working in the country.

Saudi's salary structure for foreign health workers

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Saudi Arabia had released its full salary scale for foreign health workers.

The payroll, issued under Royal Order No. A/23 dated 20 March 1432 AH, includes a 15% Cost of Living Allowance built into all figures.

A key feature of the structure is that workers who are trained in developed countries earn considerably more than those from developing countries at the same job level.