UAE Free Zone — Minimum Wage and Salary Requirements Reference 2026
UAE does not have a national statutory minimum wage for private sector workers as of 2026. Here is the complete 2026 reference on UAE salary requirements and regulations.
In this guide:
UAE Minimum Wage Status (2026)
- No national minimum wage: UAE does not have a private sector statutory minimum wage for all workers
- Domestic workers: Cabinet Resolution No. 20/2019 sets minimum wage for domestic workers; AED 1,500/month
- Wage adequacy: Ministry of Human Resources (MOHRE) has wage-related powers; has intervened in specific sectors
Practical Salary Ranges by Role (UAE, 2026)
- Administrative assistant: AED 3,000-6,000/month
- Customer service: AED 3,000-5,500/month
- Sales executive: AED 4,000-8,000/month + commission
- Software developer (junior): AED 6,000-10,000/month
- Software developer (senior): AED 12,000-22,000/month
- Finance manager: AED 15,000-30,000/month
- HR manager: AED 10,000-20,000/month
Salary Bands for UAE Free Zone Companies
- Tax-free: All salaries paid in UAE are income-tax free for the employee
- Total package: UAE salary offers typically include salary + housing allowance + transport allowance; or all-in package
- Allowances: Housing allowance (25-35% of salary); transport allowance (AED 1,000-2,000/month)
MOHRE — Salary Bands for Visa Allocation
- Visa category 1: AED 10,000+/month (highest skill)
- Visa category 2: AED 7,000-9,999/month
- Visa category 3: AED 4,000-6,999/month
- Visa category 4: AED 2,000-3,999/month (unskilled)