This authoritative guide is updated every month to include the latest salary range of Software Engineers in Saudi Arabia.
In this guide, we’ll share the most relevant salary resources for Saudi Arabia Tech Industry.
We will also provide data regarding actionable compensation ranges for every career level based on the history of jobs listed on our platform, Gulf Tech Jobs, and also based on data from reputed platforms like Glassdoor, Payscale and Levels FYI.
Average salary for Software Development jobs in Saudi Arabia
Let’s start by looking at the overall average for IT jobs in Saudi Arabia.
This data is easy to find. In fact, if you search in Google, you’ll find countless resources claiming to know the average salary of software engineers in KSA. Let’s look at some examples.
Glassdoor says the average yearly base salary of a Saudi Arabia Tech industry is SAR 120K
Payscale says the average yearly base salary of a Software Engineer in Saudi Arabia is SAR 102K.
So, we will safely assume the average base pay of a Software Engineer in Saudi Arabia to be around SAR 110K.
This is for all experience levels, so we will assume averages for entry-level software engineer to be lower while more experienced software engineers will earn a bit more.
Average Earnings of Software Engineers Company wise
Here, we are providing the salary of KSA’s software industry based on their experience and company.
Keep in mind that not all of these include bonuses and stock incentives.
We won’t provide specifics about every data point, but they should all be for software development roles or similar (e.g. backend, front-end, dev ops, iOS/Android, ML, data science etc).
We’ll provide links, so we highly recommend checking them out for more details.
Levels.fyi
Levels.fyi offers IT salary range data specific to Saudi Arabia within its comprehensive global dataset. The amount of Salary Comparison data in Saudi Arabia is limited, but it is one of the few sites that break down compensation by base income, stock, and bonus. It should help you get a feel for the ranges at top-paying IT Companies in Saudi Arabia.
Search for Saudi Arabia (or Riyadh) to filter the data. Here are some data points for Saudi Arabia:
| Company | Engineering Roles in Saudi Arabia | Salary |
| Terq | Full stack Developer with 4 years of experience | SAR 210K |
| Uxbert Labs | Web Developer with 7 years of experience | SAR 180K |
| McDonald’s | Networking with 10 years of experience | SAR 260K |
| Riyad Bank | Fullstack Developer with 4 years of experience | SAR 318K |
Salary ranges by level for Software Engineers in KSA
There are a lot of factors that affect Packages. We’ll try to cover a few of them and then give what we think is a “good” wage for each experience level.
Already being in Saudi Arabia will give you a leg up because more companies will be willing to talk to you. And of course, the more relevant programming experience you have the better.
A degree in a related field like Computer Science will also help.
Also, foreign companies will usually pay more than domestic companies on the whole (though there are exceptions). And while this isn’t specific to Saudi Arabia, soft skills like being able to sell yourself and knowing how to negotiate your salary will also make a big difference.
Given all of the above caveats, here’s what we think software developers should aim for in terms of salary.
Salary Range: Entry-level software Engineer in Saudi Arabia
The estimated salary for a Junior Software Engineer is SAR 7.5K per month as base pay and will go up to SAR 18K per month in the Riyadh area.
Even 1 year of coding experience will increase your market value a lot, so we wouldn’t recommend taking a job with benefits for less than ~SAR 7K per month.
Salary Range: Mid-career Software Engineers in Saudi Arabia
A person working as a Software Engineer in Saudi Arabia typically earns around SAR 10K per month as base remuneration, with an additional pay starting from SAR 3.5K. Additional pay could include cash bonuses, commissions, tips, and profit sharing.
In the context of negotiation within the industry, it’s important to note that while outlier companies may have the capacity to offer higher compensation, the typical compensation range for most positions at reputable companies tends to fall within this bracket.
Salary Range: Senior Software Engineers in Saudi Arabia
Let’s define “senior” as 6+ years of experience.
The estimated base pay for a Senior Software Engineer is SAR 15K per month in the Riyadh area. The estimated additional pay will go up to SAR 13K per month. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commissions, tips, and profit sharing.
But if you have exceptional tech skills, the sky’s the limit in terms of growth opportunities in Saudi Arabia, and this is especially true for expat software engineers who will reap the benefits of both the local industry and the expanding remote work landscape.
Salaries are trending up
Considering the industry trends in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the Software engineering market, it’s evident that the demand for software engineers has never been higher. Projections suggest that the gap between supply and demand will continue to expand over the next decade. This trajectory naturally implies that information technology salaries in Saudi Arabia are poised to rise, driven by companies’ increasing desperation for engineering talent.
In Saudi Arabia’s technology sector, companies are increasingly hiring developers directly and building in-house development teams, moving away from traditional outsourcing practices. For expat software engineers in Saudi Arabia, this shift also has implications for their roles and career prospects, with a potential impact on the cost of housing as demand for talent in the sector continues to rise.
The need for skilled developers is clear, and the developer community in Saudi Arabia is expanding as a result.
Do all companies pay in these ranges?
We’ll be honest with you…
No. They don’t.
In this guide, our focus is on modern companies in Saudi Arabia, because those are the companies we recommend.
Saudi Arabia’s tech industry is evolving, and there are still legacy companies that don’t value software. So no, some of them don’t pay nearly this well.
Our advice? avoid these companies, and focus on the resources I’ve shared in this guide.
That way, you will target the modern segment of the industry and avoid joining a company with poor work conditions. There are hundreds — if not thousands — of modern companies hiring developers in Saudi Arabia. So ignore the companies giving you low-ball offers, and use the ranges I shared above as your guide.
Do your own research
Have you educated yourself about companies in Saudi Arabia and followed the best practices for finding a job here and still can’t find anything but low-ball offers?
Well, then it might not be a good idea to come to Saudi Arabia just yet. There are thousands of domestic companies here (many of which don’t offer an environment most foreign developers would enjoy).
So if you send enough applications you’ll probably get an offer from one if you drop your standards enough. But I’d advise joining a company under those circumstances.
Here’s a rule of thumb: if a company will not pay at least SAR 115K per year, it should be avoided.
Because as we’ve established, that’s the average salary of a Software Engineer in Saudi Arabia. Go below this value and the chances of a company not respecting their engineers goes up sharply.
So do the chances of using outdated technologies, not gaining transferable skills, having to work lots of overtime and all the other negative things associated with IT in Saudi Arabia.
If you want to come to Saudi Arabia, no matter what and you’re willing to do what’s necessary to improve your situation once you arrive, this might be a valid stepping stone.
But we recommend that most people avoid companies that low-ball them. It’s usually better to stay in your home country and gain some more experience and try again in a year or two.
Bottom line: Saudi Arabia is a valid option
It’s possible to find a high-paying job in Saudi Arabia as a Software Engineer.
It requires diligent research and you have to choose a good company that pays market rates for Software Engineer, but it’s possible.
It may be true that not every software engineering job will be fulfilling or high-paying, but that doesn’t matter.
You only need one.
Thasnim A is founder of Gulf Tech Job. With a strong educational foundation, internships, and consulting experience, She is a tech expert. She contribute to nonprofits, speak at industry events, and review articles. She wants to help software developers find positive work experiences in GCC Region.