Working in Qatar as a Domestic Helper: Salary and Other Important Things to Know

There are many places Filipinos go to work as domestic helpers. Many of these places are countries in the Middle East such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar.

Despite this, some countries are more preferred for several reasons such as the culture, the size of the Filipino community in that country, and the salary for the work you are targeting to have. In this post, we will discuss the salary and other important things to know if you are a first-time domestic helper in Qatar.

Disclaimer: The information published is based on the experiences and knowledge shared by the vlogger/YouTuber. The information provided may change without prior notice and may differ in actual scenarios. Let this article serve as a guide only.

Here is the video guide shared by Mamita Perly on YouTube. If you find her content helpful, you may check out their YouTube channel to catch more interesting content about her work and life as OFW in Qatar.

Salary and Tips for First-Time Domestic Helpers in Qatar 

There are many considerations to make before you decide to work as an OFW. Salary is just one of them, but according to Perly, the most important thing is to check your readiness and commitment to the job

As you know, domestic work is not as easy as others make it to be. It requires long hours and physical laborious work. So why do Filipinos still apply for this kind of job overseas? You guessed it right – it’s because of the salary.

Did you know that a first-time domestic helper in Qatar earns QAR 1,460 (approximately Php 20,000) in a month? Not bad, right? But is it enough to support your family back home?

If you are the breadwinner of your family, and you work as a domestic helper, you wouldn’t even earn close to Php 10,000 in the Philippines. And in Qatar, workers don’t get taxed for their monthly income. So you take home the full QAR 1,460, which is, by the way, the minimum salary for domestic helpers in the country. That and sometimes, employers also pay for their domestic helper’s needs such as soap, toiletries, etc.   

So with all things considered, a domestic helper earns a lot more than the average worker back home. But that’s just talking about the minimum salary. According to Perly, some Qatari employers provide a raise as early as they reach their first year at work. And that’s a very good thing!

But as appealing as that sounds, some challenges are unique to this kind of work, as well. Although a recent law has been passed, outlining the rights and privileges of domestic helpers in Qatar, not all of them are strictly followed or observed. 

According to Perly, if you work in a household with children, one of your primary tasks is to care for them and to make sure they are properly supervised. That’s on top of your other responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning, doing the laundry, and other things your employer might ask you to do. That said, there would be little time for you to rest and sleep after a long day’s work. 

But Perly also explains that it’s part of her job and the only way to get through those challenges is to manage your time properly and to find ways on how you can complete your tasks as soon as possible. That way, you can have some time to rest if your employer finds that everything you need to do has been taken care of already.

And because health is very important for a domestic helper, you should try to accomplish your tasks with minimal stress and effort, where possible so you can better take care of yourself, as well.

As a domestic helper, Perly offers some tips for first-time domestic helpers working in Qatar.

#1. Prepare your body for work and the climate in Qatar.

As mentioned early on, your readiness and commitment for this kind of work are very important before you even apply as a domestic helper in Qatar. There will be so many adjustments, especially for first-time domestic helpers. One of these is the climate in Qatar, which is typically hot and dry throughout the year – starting April until September. That said, do not bring a lot of clothes for cold weather, perhaps a single sweater will do. And as much as possible, do not bring fancy clothes to Qatar because you may not be able to wear them as often as you’d like anyway. Some employers even require their domestic helpers to wear a uniform at work, while other employers require their domestic helpers to wear traditional Muslim garments such as hijab (face veil) and abaya, when going outside.  

Close up of islamic woman wearing hijab portrait

#2. Get ready to adjust your tastebuds.

According to Perly, one of the biggest adjustments she had to make was to adapt to the style and taste of food in Qatar. As you may know, Arabs enjoy their food with different kinds of spices. So this may smell and taste differently than what you’re used to. But again, you will eventually learn to adjust to these things the longer you stay in the country – which is the goal for every domestic helper and OFW for that matter.  

#3. Learn to get along well with others.

Qatari households typically employ more than one domestic helper along with other staff such as a driver, gardener, guards, etc. And these other staff may be of other nationalities so you should learn to get along well with other people, most especially with your employers.

#4. Observe traditions and common practices while in the country.

islam

Since Qatar is a Muslim country, you should know by now that bringing any religious items such as your Bible or rosary (for Catholics) is not allowed. Although you will not be forced to accept their religion, you should at least respect it.

Those are just some of the things you might want to know as a first-time domestic helper in Qatar. And as Perly puts it: 

Every job is difficult, and you just have to find ways to adapt and to make it easy for you.

The sooner you get to do this, the greater your chances will be at succeeding at any kind of work. 

We hope you got a better understanding of the salary and life of a domestic helper in Qatar. Do you have any questions or things to share? Let us know by leaving a comment in the section below!

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