Good day all,
In hopes of helping a few newcomers to Kuwait with the idea of salary expectations, living costs etc. I am preparing this post.
Unfortunately, there really is no nominal value I can give for average salaries. No one can, that information does not exist online because in this part of the world, it is a bit of a taboo to ask someone how much they make (much like it is to ask a woman her age), and as you will read later, there are alot of factors to consider for salary.
e.g. http://www.worldsalaries.org/kuwait.shtml (these are ficticious)
And also, there are many intrinsic factors that go into selecting a job, like the ones discussed here:
http://www.askmen.com/money/career_400/ … -work.html
First off, a brief about companies in Kuwait.
There are 4 types of companies here in Kuwait:
W.L.L - With Limited Liability (no taxes)
K.S.C - Kuwait Shareholding Co. (pay zakat tax and KFAS)
K.S.C (Closed) - Companies listed on Kuwait Stock Exchange (pay zakat tax, National Labor Support Tax and Kuwait Fund for Advancement of Science)
International companies - with Kuwaiti Partners, pay income tax
For more info regarding doing business in Kuwait and setting up a company here, please visit http://en.mof.gov.kw/
There are also foreign companies operating in Kuwait, but they MUST have a Kuwaiti partner, and before anyone says anything, I have worked with the Ministry of Finance and this is a practice in other countries around the world, you cannot start a business without a local partner.
There are differences in benefits given by the government, size of contracts one company can assume, number of employees etc. as you can see, the above would appear to be a scale for companies in Kuwait, start off as WLL, become KSC then KSCC and get traded on the stock exchange.
But it is not.
Al-Ghanim - WLL, Al-Sayer - WLL, Al-Mulla - WLL. Family owned businesses.
Now, for salaries, please visit this website and ACTUALLY read this report, prepared annually, on average costs and salary raises in the ENTIRE Gulf. Ok? Please read it:
http://www.gulftalent.com/home/Employme … rt-26.html
Also, Gulftalent is a recruitment website for those seeking to work in Kuwait.
Now, the whole idea about asking for "salary quotes" for working in Kuwait is redundant. Here is why, nationality plays a key role in determining Salary, the salary of a Kuwaiti working the same job as an expat (of certain origins) will be always be more, that is why you have NLSTax.
Also, the following factors affect salary:
1) Nationality (not all the time but sometimes)
2) Experience
4) Age
4) Gender
5) Size of Company
6) Nationality of Company
7) Competition in the job market
8) Type of job (contract, full-time etc)
9) Duration of contract (some people do not get residency [Western expats] and instead work for 3-months, leave the country, and come back in)
So it is not a nominal figure you are looking for when it comes to salary. There is also rent to consider, and living costs.
I would say the average rent is 250KD, I know people making less than that, or a bit more, and surviving (no savings ofcourse), and some of them have wives etc.
Part-time jobs are not legal in Kuwait per se (you need a residency to work here unless you are a Western expat, and even then you are not allowed to work on a tourist visa [technically])
Some companies offer higher salaries than others, some offer more benfits than others, some offer other allowances (housing, transport, car, fuel, phone etc), some do not.
For all interested in working in Kuwait, do not ask what the average salary is, as that is irrelevant.
Salaries in Kuwait are not set according to some pre-existing standard or average.
ALSO, some companies will factor in the fact that they have to pay to give you an iqama (residency), and it will be deducted from your base salary, they won't tell you about this but, it happens. Thats why people who are already here and are merely transferring to another job will get better packages than those coming from abroad (for the same job ofcourse).
Plus, not all companies have "raises" and "bonuses", despite it being a requirement (in some companies), they just claim they are going through financial difficulties.
I hope this clears up the confusion regarding salaries in Kuwait, its not a matter of "what salary can I get" or "what salary should I ask for", with every recruitment companies have a threshold, if you go above it, they will tell you, if you go beneath it, well, it depends on them (I did sit in an interview where I was asked for my expected salary, I threw a figure, and the counter offer was higher).
So, best of luck to all, enjoy the read and sorry for rambling.
If you are going to be working in Kuwait, make yourself familiar with the Kuwait Labor Law:
http://www.kuwaitiah.net/visa5.html
There are 3 types of over-time calculated for workers as per the labor law:
1) NOT- Normal OT, extra hours during weekdays. 1.25X basic salary
2) FOT - Friday OT, 1.5X basic salary if working on friday
3) HOT - Holiday OT, 2X basic salary if working on public holiday
Some companies give a lump-sum for over-time, some do not give over-time all together, some have a standard rate. They will include this in the contract you sign, and that supercedes the labor law.
Companies also require a 3-month notice period (per labor law), but this can be agreed upon with manager, even if contract states 3 months.
Nothing is set in stone.
*www.bayt.com offers a salary inquiry for jobs in Kuwait, you will need to sign up and enter your current package wherever you are in the world, you can also view salary inquiries in the Gulf region, and as always, those that pay for the extra service get extra info. It also helps when looking for a new job in the Gulf Region as it is a recruitment website.
Salary trends in Kuwait - What you need to know
Yea legacy, i can see u have a vast experience of Kuwait lifestyle or maybe u are Kuwaiti....I am an Enviromental,Hse safety professional wt abt 6yrs working experience....C an u b of a help to helping me secure a work permit 4 kuwait?I will pay 4 services u render to me
no, i am neither kuwaiti nor can i help you acquire a work permit, that is illegal.
my advice to you would be apply online via recruitment sites and local companies, and if u meet their criteria, they will bring you to kuwait.
wow, liked this post very much
Thnx mon ami
just doing my part to make everyones stay in Kuwait more comfortable and clarified 
very helpfull post legacy!!
thanks
Speechless contribution legacy 
:
very Very helpful post legacy!!
thanks
I Appreciate your Great Efforts to help people to stay in Kuwait more comfortable and clarified
really thanks ya man (",)
Well done legacy! Moderators, stick this one pls!
i second that sticky motion
thank you all 
Nice and strong one:) rich information dude;)
once again, thanks all
there is plenty more where that came from, i like to see the trends on the forum in regards to questions, then i'll put all answers into one post and make it
if anyone has any questions @ all, post it to the forum or msg me and i'll get back to u ASAP
Great Post......
Thanks Legacy
2nd request to the admins for sticking this one... 
Topic sticked
hehe, thnx Yud
nice info...thanks...
Thanks really for your efforts.
But I'm against you in one point, it really makes sense to ask for average salaries in kuwait.
for instance it's normal to ask "I'm a junior graphic designer" how much I should expect as a salary. or for instance "I got XXX KD offer for graphic designer job, is this reasonable?" etc.
I would recommend a website for average salaries according to job titles, I found it reasonable,
http://www.bayt.com
For free you can know the average salaries by job titles in kuwait and other Arab countries, of course they ask for subscription to show more details
but you will need to register with the website and give information about your current employment package
kudos From_Lebanon, i did not know bayt offered that facility.
still, my point stands in the fact that different companies will offer different salaries for the same position. i have experienced this first hand. and they do not play in the same continuum.
easiest example; read thru the newspapers for companies that are advertising for open positions, do they ever post a salary? no. its up to the individual who applies, its tailor-fit to their experience, accreditations etc. unless its something menial.
Of course your point stands, we have a variation but we have average.
Yes the salary offered depends on the person himself but there is a boundary for how much the companies are welling to pay. So you need to know ahead of time if your salary expectations are acceptable or too low or too high.
Very few job posts state the salary, but yes you are right this is rare.
Thanks again for your post
Yes, inquiry about (salary-) expectations is crucial for most of expats aspiring Q8. If you are looking to make a move to Q8 (or any other country!), you have to make a little bit more efforts to know more about the place, than just the average salary. What is often noticed though is that one would just post a simple plain question about the average salary, and not take into account the complete costs/benefits associated to a role/position.
legacy, you may want to add the bayt.com reference in your first post right at the top for our fellow readers to take note of immediately. If it pleases, then they might continue reading the post further 
done
Hello Legacy - you may also want to ask friends who work in personnel/HR. They have access to survey data from salary and benefits for all jobs across various regions/countries (low/median/high). And as long as it is for own usage, they should not have any problem sharing.
Can someone tell me where it is I can post my CV for jobs looking for people who use to work logistics for the US. I am looking for sites that are big with job vacancies.
Thanx Friends
Jobznq8
Hi Jobznq8!
You can post an advert in the jobs section of Kuwait classifieds!
Regards
Armand
Good one dude... really helpful
Great!! really appreciated
Thinking about taking a job in Kuwait but was wondering if it was safe to bring my family (wife & 2 kids(babies) also what is an average cost for a two bedroom apartment with pool and gym
good reading for people looking for jobs in the middle east (here)
excerpts:
A majority of employers (67.2 per cent) polled by job site Bayt.com admitted that they would consider hiring a candidate who has relevant skills but no direct experience in the company's field.
According to the Bayt.com poll, 28.8 per cent of employers in the Middle East look for 'hunger, drive and ambition' as the most important factors when recruiting. Salary considerations come in second (22.7 per cent).
nice to hear all that.
Dear Brother,
Can you tell me what is the Executive Chef in a 5 star hotel salary and package . Please can you assist me on this. thanks
the salary will be whatever it is they offered you or whatever you were able to negotiate. the purpose of this post dear brother is to explain the fact that I do not have a sheet of all job offers in Kuwait with their respective salaries. the salary offered depends on:
a) your experience
b) your qualifications
c) the company itself
as you can see, there are too many ambiguities for one to merely give you a round figure. your best option is to divulge what salary you are offered and inquire as to whether or not you would be able to accumulate a decent saving from it.
Once again: I CANNOT GUESS WHAT POSITION DRAWS WHICH SALARY.
Hi, for Asst. Manager in a Restaurant, 500-600 kwd is worth salary for the position?
kgbc,
its sufficient for you. go ahead. n s, this depends on you, how much u wanna save if staying, transportation, etc. from the sponsor then, this salary is best suited for u to live in Kuwait.
Hello friends,
I am Arun I like to work in Kuwait in some computer related jobs can u guys give some idea about it please? My choice is correct or not? I love friends advices .........
computer related - is a vast term.. could you narrow down for meaningful replies??
Hi All,
I have received a offer from Kuwait for 800KD per month.
Below is the details,
Gross Salary: KD 800/-
Basic Salary: KD 745/-
Transport Allowance: KD 25/-
Mobile: KD 30/-
Annual Leave: 30 Days
Probation period: 100 Days
Work Compensation: As per Kuwaiti Labor Law
Please let me know if this is good salary for Kuwait as I am planning to take my wife & 4+ year old kid. Apart from this I don't think company will provide any accommodation/transportation etc.
All please suggest me ASAP as from my current employer I have to go Africa very soon (duration is 8 month for a project).
Thanks...
AAAKOL
India
Please reply of my previous query.
AAAKOL
salary looks good.. if you are planning a very normal life... with this you can save around 400 KD minimum and further saving depends on your nature of spending... so, do not look for specific numbers but overall, it will do. Like, taking a normal single bed room flat - not a posh area, living normal and not on everyday out and eating out etc...
Hope that gives you idea..
Thanks livekrish,
I am planning to take my family with me (wife + 1 kid 4+ year)
So based that pl let me know if this is good. means flat & kid education. Also pl let me know if you have any idea about the company status (KCS - Kuwait Computer Services).
Thanks,
AAAKOL
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