Dubai salaries sit ~30% below the United Arab Emirates average
Dubai, AE lists 75 careers with observed metro percentiles in AED. Pay index 0.70 (30% below national); COL 100 vs a US baseline of 100.
Surgeon leads this Dubai table at AED 740,000 a year, with Radiologist at AED 732,000 and Psychiatrist at AED 683,000. The midpoint of the listed set is Psychologist at AED 257,000 — a better “typical covered career here” than row #1 alone. Top-of-list mix: 5 healthcare, 3 technology, and 1 legal.
Population in the dataset is about 3,790,000. Larger labour markets usually support wider industry mix; smaller ones can look “high paying” on one clinical or tech title and thin everywhere else. Employment is typically employer-sponsored; tax treatment differs from most countries on this site.
United Arab Emirates shows about 1.3% CPI in 2025. Open a role’s Dubai salary page for p10–p90, take-home, and rent models — this hub is the directory. Missing careers may still have a national United Arab Emirates page even when this metro lacks observed percentiles.
Reading pay and COL together in Dubai
Use pay index (0.70) for wage level vs United Arab Emirates, and COL (100) for prices. High on both is not the same as high real leftover.
Figures are observed metro medians where listed, in AED, gross. They are market estimates — not a promise from any one employer.
What tops the Dubai cash list
Surgeon: Surgeons perform operations to treat injuries, diseases, and deformities. Observed median here: AED 740,000. That lead reflects how this metro prices the occupation, not a recommendation to retrain tomorrow.