# What to Pay a Maid or Nanny in Qatar in 2026: Salary Bands, Raises and Retention

> Qatar has a legal minimum wage that applies to domestic workers, and knowing how it works keeps you compliant and fair. Current salary bands, the QAR 1,000 minimum and its allowances, how end-of-service really works, and why keeping a good worker beats re-hiring.

_Author: Omar Al-Sulaiti · Published: 2026-07-29 · 11 min read · Source: https://www.rufy.qa/blog/maid-nanny-salary-raises-retention-qatar-2026_

Unlike some of its neighbours, Qatar has a legal minimum wage, and it applies to domestic workers too. That makes the pay question a little clearer here, though the allowances trip up a lot of families.

This guide is for employers who already have a domestic worker, or are budgeting for one, and want to pay fairly and keep good help. It sets out the minimum wage and how it works with food and housing, the current market salary bands for maids and nannies, how the end-of-service gratuity is calculated, and the honest math of keeping a good worker rather than paying to replace her. We link the official sources so you can confirm anything for yourself.

## The minimum wage, and the allowances that go with it

Under Law No. 17 of 2020, Qatar set a non-discriminatory minimum wage that applies to every worker, including domestic workers. The framework sits with the [Ministry of Labour (ADLSA)](https://www.adlsa.gov.qa/en). It has three parts:

| Component | Amount (QAR/month) | When it applies |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Basic minimum wage | 1,000 | Always |

| Food allowance | 300 | If you do not provide food |

| Accommodation allowance | 500 | If you do not provide housing |

*Qatar’s minimum wage for domestic workers (Law No. 17 of 2020)*

So a live-in worker whose room and meals you provide is owed a cash salary of at least QAR 1,000. A worker who houses and feeds herself is owed at least QAR 1,800 (1,000 + 300 + 500). The figure has applied since March 2021 and remains unchanged in 2026. A salary quoted below the applicable floor is not a “market rate,” it is simply non-compliant.

## Market salary bands in 2026

Most families pay above the minimum to attract and keep good help. These are typical live-in cash salaries, gathered from licensed agencies, and they line up with our [Qatar salaries-by-nationality guide](https://www.rufy.qa/blog/domestic-worker-salaries-qatar-by-nationality-2026). Live-out arrangements usually run QAR 500 to 700 higher, since the worker covers her own housing.

| Role | Live-in salary (QAR/month) |

| --- | --- |

| Maid / housekeeper | 1,300 – 2,100 |

| Nanny / babysitter | 1,500 – 2,800 |

*Typical live-in salary bands for domestic workers in Qatar (2026, market estimates in QAR/month)*

By nationality, Filipinas typically sit at the top of each band (often QAR 1,500 to 2,200 for a maid, more for an experienced nanny), with Indonesian, Sri Lankan, Indian and Nepali workers in the middle, and some African nationalities lower. Treat single-nationality figures as directional; experience, language and childcare skills move the number more than nationality alone. Benchmark with our free [Salary Index](https://www.rufy.qa/tools/salary-index).

## Raises: custom, not law

Qatari law does not require an annual raise; it requires you to honour the agreed wage for the contract term. In practice, families revisit pay at the two-year contract renewal, rewarding a worker who has settled in and proven herself. There is no reliable published “standard percentage,” so treat a modest bump at renewal as a retention decision rather than a fixed rule, sized to tenure, performance and the current market.

## End-of-service gratuity

Under Law No. 15 of 2017, a domestic worker who completes at least one year of service is entitled to an end-of-service gratuity of at least three weeks’ (21 days’) wages for each year of service, paid when the relationship ends. The calculation is straightforward: monthly basic wage divided by 30, times 21, times the years of service.

At the QAR 1,000 basic floor, that is roughly QAR 700 for each year of service; on a QAR 1,800 salary it is about QAR 1,260 a year. It accrues the whole time she stays, so you can see the running figure with our [gratuity calculator](https://www.rufy.qa/tools/gratuity-calculator).

## Retain or re-hire? The real cost

Before deciding a worker is not worth keeping, price the alternative. Recruiting a replacement through a licensed agency is a significant one-time cost, on top of weeks with no help:

| Item | Typical cost (QAR) |

| --- | --- |

| Agency / recruitment office fee | 6,000 – 11,000 |

| Visa & residency | 1,500 – 3,000 |

| Medical & insurance | 500 – 1,200 |

| Airfare | 800 – 1,800 |

| Total one-time | about 9,000 – 17,000 |

*Typical one-time cost of replacing a domestic worker in Qatar (2026, excludes salary)*

Against QAR 9,000 to 17,000 to start over, a retention raise of a hundred or two a month is small. Our [real cost of hiring a domestic worker in Qatar](https://www.rufy.qa/blog/real-cost-of-hiring-domestic-worker-qatar-2026) breaks the full picture down. In most cases, keeping a proven worker is clearly the cheaper choice.

## Common mistakes to avoid

- Paying QAR 1,000 cash to a worker who houses and feeds herself; she is owed at least QAR 1,800 once the allowances apply.
- Quoting a below-floor salary as a “market rate”; anything under the applicable minimum is non-compliant.
- Inventing a “standard raise percentage”; there is no reliable published one, so size a raise to tenure and the market.
- Forgetting the accruing gratuity when you claim a worker is “too expensive to keep.”
- Underestimating replacement cost; QAR 9,000 to 17,000 plus weeks of downtime is the real comparison.

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## The bottom line

Pay at least the minimum wage with the right allowances, benchmark above it against the market, reward tenure at renewal, and remember the gratuity is building in the worker’s favour. If you are hiring or comparing, [browse verified maids and nannies](https://www.rufy.qa/browse?service=maid) to see live market pay, or check a fair figure in the [Salary Index](https://www.rufy.qa/tools/salary-index).

## FAQ

### What is the minimum wage for a domestic worker in Qatar?

Under Law No. 17 of 2020 the minimum is QAR 1,000 a month in basic wage, plus a QAR 300 food allowance if you do not provide food and a QAR 500 housing allowance if you do not provide accommodation. So a live-in worker with room and board is owed at least QAR 1,000 cash; one who houses and feeds herself is owed at least QAR 1,800. It applies to domestic workers and is unchanged in 2026.

### How is end-of-service gratuity calculated in Qatar?

Under Law No. 15 of 2017, a domestic worker with at least one year of service gets at least three weeks’ (21 days’) wages for each year, paid when the relationship ends. The formula is monthly basic wage ÷ 30 × 21 × years of service, roughly QAR 700 per year at the minimum wage.

### Is it cheaper to keep a domestic worker or replace her in Qatar?

Usually cheaper to keep her. Replacing through a licensed agency typically costs QAR 9,000 to 17,000 one-time (agency fee, visa, medical, airfare), plus weeks with no help. A retention raise of a hundred or two a month is far smaller.

### Does the QAR 1,000 minimum wage include food and housing?

No. QAR 1,000 is the basic cash minimum when you provide food and accommodation in kind. If you do not provide food, add QAR 300; if you do not provide housing, add QAR 500. A worker who covers both is owed at least QAR 1,800 in cash.

### Do I have to give a domestic worker an annual raise in Qatar?

No, the law does not require a raise; it requires you to pay the agreed wage for the contract term. Raises are customary, usually considered at the two-year renewal, and there is no reliable “standard percentage,” so size any raise to tenure, performance and the market.