CEOs and managing directors of multinational companies earn the fattest salaries in Qatar and the highest wages in the entire GCC, according to the Gulf Business 2013 Salary Survey.

Chief executives of global companies earn an average monthly wage of $33,261 in Qatar, compared to $33,021 in Saudi Arabia and $31,080 in the UAE. All the amounts are averages taken from Asian, Western and Arab expat salaries.

Local company CEOs in the country also earn hefty pay packages, featuring second on the list with an average wage of $24,941 per month. Banking treasury managers, retail/personal managers and IT managers make up the top five on the list with average monthly salaries of $15,329, $13,157 and $12,428 respectively.

Top 10 Salaries In Qatar

1. CEO/MD, multinational – $33,261
2. CEO/MD, local company – $24,941
3. Banking, treasury manager – $15,329
4. Banking, retail/personal banking manager – $13,157
5. Information technology, manager – $12,428
6. Construction, project manager – $11,705
7. Banking, branch manager – $11,697
8. Media, advertising creative manager – $11,026
9. Real estate, manager – $10,167
10. Human resources, manager – $9,782

Within the scope of moderate salary increases in the GCC, Qatar has been leading as the second most buoyant employment market, due to the general business environment, continued government spending and ongoing infrastructure development, say experts.

“The strict laws which do not allow employees to change jobs mean that there is a constant vacancy flow. This in turn means that Qatar has to pay a premium to attract suitable experienced candidates, especially from the UAE,” says Ian Giulianotti, associate director – HRM Consulting at Nadia.

With plenty of construction underway, especially in light of the World Cup 2022, growth in the economy and job opportunity will be a mainstay. This is reflected with the sector-specific pay hikes for Western and Asian expats in real estate and banking. The government sector in particular will see active recruitment following recent historic trends, as Qatar − similar to Saudi Arabia – has introduced sweeping increases for government workers.

This is obvious when one looks at the average salary levels. Qatar is the only GCC nation where an Arab CEO expatriate makes more than a Western CEO, and though this difference is a miniscule two per cent, with ongoing trends, this disparity is widely expected to widen (Are You Paid According To Your Skin Colour?).

However, if a Western expat is looking to make the big bucks, he should head to Qatar as a banker as that is the highest paying industry for this group across the GCC.

The 2013 Salary Survey was compiled based on inputs from four regional recruitment companies including Nadia, Bayt.com, BAC Middle East and Mackenzie Jones Middle East.

For the full survey, pick up the March edition of Gulf Business, available now.

Read more: REVEALED: Top 10 Salaries In Saudi Arabia

Top 10 Salaries In The UAE

Qatar, Saudi CEOs On Highest GCC Salaries

GCC Asian Expats Earn 26% Less Than Western Peers