# Domestic Worker Salaries in Saudi Arabia by Nationality (2026 Data Guide) > What domestic workers actually earn in Saudi Arabia in 2026, by nationality and role: live medians from 2,800+ approved Rufy caregivers across maid, nanny, elder-care and driver categories. Why the Filipino premium varies from +20% (drivers) to +40% (elder care). The one published bilateral floor. And how the new e-salary rule changes negotiation. _Author: Safae Fikri · Published: 2026-06-18 · 9 min read · Source: https://www.rufy.care/blog/domestic-worker-salaries-saudi-arabia-by-nationality-2026_ When families search "maid salary in Saudi Arabia" they get a single number, usually wrong, usually agency marketing. The truth is that what you'll pay depends on the nationality you hire, the role, the experience, and the city. This is what the data actually shows for 2026, drawn from the live pool of 2,800+ approved Rufy caregivers across Saudi Arabia. For a live lookup tuned to your exact city and experience preference, pair this guide with the [Saudi Arabia salary index](/tools/salary-index). --- ## The only published bilateral floor in 2026: the Philippines There is exactly one nationality with a regulatory monthly salary minimum that any of Saudi Arabia's host authorities surfaces today: the Filipino household service worker. The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) sets a global floor (Memorandum Circular 03-2025 raised the global Filipino HSW minimum to USD 500, with a GCC carve-out at USD 400). Musaned enforces this at the SAR equivalent, about SAR 1,500; and will not validate a Filipino HSW contract below it. For every other nationality, Kenyan, Ugandan, Ethiopian, Bangladeshi, Indonesian, etc.; neither MHRSD nor Musaned publishes a per-nationality salary floor. The figure is set inside the Musaned standard contract, by negotiation between you and the recruitment office (or the worker, in a direct-hire). What the marketplace actually pays matters more than a fictional "minimum." --- ## What families actually pay, by role All figures below are monthly cash salaries paid to the worker, in SAR. Source: the median (p50) and interquartile range (p25–p75) of desired-salary on currently approved + publicly browseable Rufy caregivers in Saudi Arabia. Updated June 2026. ### Housekeepers (maids) | Nationality | Sample (n) | p25 (SAR) | Median (SAR) | p75 (SAR) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Ethiopian | 13 | 2,500 | 3,000 | 3,000 | | Pakistani | 16 | 2,000 | 2,800 | 3,000 | | Filipino | 395 | 2,000 | 2,500 | 3,000 | | Indonesian | 12 | 2,425 | 2,500 | 2,625 | | Bangladeshi | 8 | 1,900 | 2,500 | 3,000 | | Nigerian | 13 | 2,000 | 2,200 | 2,600 | | Ghanaian | 36 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,500 | | Kenyan | 931 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,500 | | Ugandan | 343 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,500 | *KSA monthly maid salary by nationality, Rufy marketplace medians (2026)* Kenyan caregivers dominate availability (about 53% of the active maid pool), which keeps their entry-level salary at SAR 2,000. Small samples (n < 20) for Ethiopian, Bangladeshi, and Indonesian mean the medians are indicative, not statistical, confirm against your specific candidate's profile. ### Nannies | Nationality | Sample (n) | Median (SAR) | | --- | --- | --- | | Filipino | 381 | 3,000 | | Nigerian | 9 | 3,000 | | Pakistani | 14 | 3,000 | | Ethiopian | 10 | 2,500 | | Ghanaian | 28 | 2,400 | | Kenyan | 701 | 2,300 | | Ugandan | 215 | 2,000 | *KSA monthly nanny salary by nationality, Rufy marketplace medians (2026)* Nanny is where the Filipino premium becomes clearest: a SAR 700/month gap over Kenyan candidates, driven by English fluency and DMW-accredited childcare training. ### Elder-care workers | Nationality | Sample (n) | Median (SAR) | | --- | --- | --- | | Filipino | 290 | 3,500 | | Nigerian | 20 | 3,000 | | Pakistani | 19 | 3,000 | | Ghanaian | 17 | 2,500 | | Kenyan | 475 | 2,500 | | Ugandan | 131 | 2,500 | *KSA monthly elder-care salary by nationality, Rufy marketplace medians (2026)* The Filipino premium is largest here: SAR 1,000/month over the Kenyan median. Filipino nursing-aide training and medication management are formally accredited, which carries a real wage signal for families hiring for an elderly parent. ### Private drivers | Nationality | Sample (n) | Median (SAR) | | --- | --- | --- | | Filipino | 21 | 3,000 | | Pakistani | 24 | 3,000 | | Bangladeshi | 10 | 2,650 | | Kenyan | 48 | 2,500 | | Ugandan | 20 | 2,500 | *KSA monthly private-driver salary by nationality, Rufy marketplace medians (2026)* Driver salaries skew higher than housekeeping, median SAR 2,500–3,000 vs maid SAR 2,000–2,500; reflecting longer hours and the licence requirement. Pakistani drivers have established themselves as a distinct category in Saudi households at the same median as Filipino drivers. --- ## Five patterns the data reveals - Filipino premium is real but smaller than agency marketing claims. For maids it's about SAR 500/month over Kenyan median (25% premium). For elder care it grows to SAR 1,000/month (40% premium), because the underlying Filipino training matters more for that role. - Kenyan caregivers dominate supply. They're 53% of the approved maid pool and 51% of nannies. That keeps Kenyan entry-level salaries at SAR 2,000–2,300 and also makes matching faster, there are simply more candidates available. - Pakistani drivers carve out their own niche. n=24 with median SAR 3,000, an established category in Saudi households, equal to the Filipino driver median. - Ethiopian and Indonesian samples are scarce. The workers are present but in small numbers (n=13 and n=12 for maids), and the medians sit at the upper end, typical of niche supply with selective demand. Confirm with a live lookup before budgeting on these figures alone. - Driver salaries skew SAR 500–1,000 higher than housekeeping at the median, reflecting both the licence requirement and longer working hours typical of driver contracts. --- ## What pushes a worker to the top of the range Within any nationality + role combination, four factors move a candidate up or down from the median: - Experience: 3+ years adds roughly SAR 200–500 per month. Use the Salary Index's experience filter to see the actual gap for your target role. - Language: English (for nannies tutoring schoolchildren) and Arabic (for elder care) command a premium of SAR 200–400 per month. - City: Riyadh and Jeddah typically sit at the higher end of the range, especially for premium roles. The Eastern Province sits closer to the market median. - Live-in vs daily: live-in with one rest day per week is the standard structure. Daily attendance (worker keeps own accommodation) commands SAR 500–1,000+ above the live-in median to compensate for housing. --- ## The "Filipino premium", what the data actually shows The premium varies sharply by role, which most online price guides flatten into a single number: | Role | Filipino median | Kenyan median | Premium | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Maid | 2,500 | 2,000 | +500 (+25%) | | Nanny | 3,000 | 2,300 | +700 (+30%) | | Elder care | 3,500 | 2,500 | +1,000 (+40%) | | Driver | 3,000 | 2,500 | +500 (+20%) | *Filipino vs Kenyan median salary delta, by role (SAR/month, KSA 2026)* The pattern: the premium grows where Filipino training (English, nursing-aide, medication awareness) carries a real signal. For a basic housekeeping role, the gap is small. For elder care where conversational English and clinical confidence matter, it's substantial. Budget accordingly to the role you're hiring for, not the nationality alone. --- ## How the new 2026 e-salary rule changes salary negotiation From January 1, 2026, every domestic-worker salary in Saudi Arabia must move through Musaned-linked digital wallets, participating banks, or a Mada card issued to the worker. See [our full cost-of-hiring breakdown](/blog/real-cost-of-hiring-domestic-worker-saudi-arabia-2026) for the cash-flow detail. For salary specifically, three things change: - Every payment is logged. "We'll back-pay you next month" is now a documented arrangement, not an informal one. - Below-floor agreements (for Filipinos: under SAR 1,500) will surface as compliance flags. Don't negotiate there. - Bonuses (Eid, Hajj, year-end) should move through the same channels for the same paper-trail reason. --- ## Use the Salary Index for your exact case These medians are aggregates. For your city, your experience preference, and your specific nationality, including the live 25th–75th percentile range around the median; open the [Saudi Arabia salary index](/tools/salary-index). For the full year-one cost breakdown that includes salary plus recruitment, visa, gratuity and ticket reserves, see [the real cost of hiring a domestic worker in Saudi Arabia](/blog/real-cost-of-hiring-domestic-worker-saudi-arabia-2026). And if you haven't started the hire yet, the [Musaned hiring guide](/blog/how-to-hire-a-domestic-worker-in-saudi-arabia-musaned) walks through every step. Want to see what candidates of your target nationality are actually asking for? [**Browse caregivers in Saudi Arabia by nationality**](/browse?nationality=PH) on Rufy, Filipino, Kenyan, Ethiopian, Ugandan and more, with their stated salary preferences live in their profiles. --- ## Browse Saudi Arabia caregivers The medians above are aggregates. These per-city and per-nationality pages show you the actual candidates currently asking those salaries, filter by role and city, or jump straight to a nationality + role combination. ### By city - **Riyadh: **[maids](/hire/maids-in-riyadh) · [nannies](/hire/nannies-in-riyadh) · [elder-care workers](/hire/elderly-care-in-riyadh) · [drivers](/hire/drivers-in-riyadh) - **Jeddah: **[maids](/hire/maids-in-jeddah) · [nannies](/hire/nannies-in-jeddah) · [elder-care workers](/hire/elderly-care-in-jeddah) · [drivers](/hire/drivers-in-jeddah) - **Dammam: **[maids](/hire/maids-in-dammam) · [nannies](/hire/nannies-in-dammam) · [elder-care workers](/hire/elderly-care-in-dammam) · [drivers](/hire/drivers-in-dammam) - **Makkah: **[maids](/hire/maids-in-makkah) · [nannies](/hire/nannies-in-makkah) · [elder-care workers](/hire/elderly-care-in-makkah) · [drivers](/hire/drivers-in-makkah) - **Madinah: **[maids](/hire/maids-in-madinah) · [nannies](/hire/nannies-in-madinah) · [elder-care workers](/hire/elderly-care-in-madinah) · [drivers](/hire/drivers-in-madinah) - **Khobar: **[maids](/hire/maids-in-khobar) · [nannies](/hire/nannies-in-khobar) · [elder-care workers](/hire/elderly-care-in-khobar) · [drivers](/hire/drivers-in-khobar) ### By nationality - **Filipino nannies: **[Riyadh](/hire/filipino-nannies-in-riyadh) · [Jeddah](/hire/filipino-nannies-in-jeddah) - **Kenyan nannies: **[Riyadh](/hire/kenyan-nannies-in-riyadh) - **Ugandan nannies: **[Riyadh](/hire/ugandan-nannies-in-riyadh) - **Ethiopian maids: **[Riyadh](/hire/ethiopian-maids-in-riyadh) · [Jeddah](/hire/ethiopian-maids-in-jeddah) - **Indian drivers: **[Riyadh](/hire/indian-drivers-in-riyadh) · [Jeddah](/hire/indian-drivers-in-jeddah) ### All caregivers in Saudi Arabia - **By service: **[maids](/browse?service=maid) · [nannies](/browse?service=nanny) · [elder-care workers](/browse?service=elderCare) · [drivers](/browse?service=driver) - **By nationality: **[Filipino](/browse?nationality=PH) · [Kenyan](/browse?nationality=KE) · [Ugandan](/browse?nationality=UG) · [Ethiopian](/browse?nationality=ET) Before you settle on a number, look up the worker's typical monthly salary on the [Rufy Salary Index](/tools/salary-index), service, nationality, city and years of experience, with the bilateral minimum, our marketplace median and the healthy range in one screen. It's the fastest way to sanity-check whether the figure you have in mind is competitive or below market for your route. Not sure where to start? [Talk to Rufy AI](/ai) — three quick questions and you'll see real, approved caregivers that match your household, plus the right tool (salary index, contract generator, recruitment offices) for your case. Free, no signup needed to try. ## FAQ ### What's the lowest salary I can legally pay a domestic worker in Saudi Arabia? For Filipinos, the Musaned-validated DMW bilateral floor is SAR 1,500/month. For every other nationality there is no published per-nationality floor, the figure is set inside your Musaned contract. The real-world marketplace range starts around SAR 1,800–2,000 for African nationalities; significantly below that will rarely attract candidates. ### Why is the Filipino premium bigger for elder care than for housekeeping? Because elder care relies on training that the Filipino DMW system formally accredits, nursing-aide, English fluency, medication awareness. Housekeeping skills are more portable across nationalities, so the price gap is small. For elder care where conversational English and clinical confidence matter, the gap is substantial. ### Do these salaries include food and accommodation? These figures are cash salary only, what hits the worker's account each month. Food and accommodation are the employer's responsibility under Saudi domestic-worker regulations; deducting them from the cash wage requires explicit consent documented in the Musaned contract. ### How current is this data? Marketplace medians come from approved + publicly browseable Rufy caregivers in Saudi Arabia as of June 2026, and refresh live on the Salary Index tool. The Filipino bilateral floor reference is DMW Memorandum Circular 03-2025, with the GCC carve-out at the local-currency equivalent of USD 400. ### Are salaries different between Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam? Generally the differences are small. Riyadh tends to sit slightly above (10–15%) for premium roles like elder care and English-tutoring nannies. Jeddah and the Eastern Province sit closer to the market median. Use the Salary Index city filter to compare specific cities for your exact role and nationality.