I think I'm being lowballed here (Tier 2 Dubai)

Question

Hi everyone,

I've just gotten an offer from a Tier 2 firm in Dubai for an Analyst position. I was a bit surprised with the salary as it is much lower than expected (based on Glassdoor numbers). Wanted to check here in case the numbers on Glassdoor are not accurate.

Total salary/month = 18,000 AED

On glassdoor for the same firm, it says it is usually around 22-24K. Is this true or should I go ahead with this?

Answer 1

Here are some of the tings to consider:

“Analyst” as a position title means difference levels in different consults. Is this role very entry level?
MBB entry level positions are higher by 10-30% in entry level positions. So for tier-2 entry level this is not far off.
18k could be pure base-pay. Most middle east firms have housing, transportation, retirement contribution etc. etc. as add-ons. Please check fine-print. Bonus is separate as well.
The number you are seeing on Glassdoor could either be erroneous or all-inclusive.
Most tier-1/2 consults in middle-east have standard salary slabs with not much of a range in each slab. So you shouldn't really think that you are being low-balled. The salary is quite rigidly linked to the position level and the salary bands of different levels rarely cross each other
You should check with HR or your referee if you feel that there is scope for a boost. But If 18k is only the base pay - then I would say you are broadly ok for an entry level position.

Answer 2

Hi there,

The base salary for top consulting companies is normally fixed. It doesn’t make sense for them to offer different salaries for the same seniority as people will talk and obviously get upset if they see a peer got a different offer for the same position/seniority.

What you can normally negotiate is:

Signing/relocation bonus
Seniority

Possibly that’s the reason you may find differences with other salaries online.

If you want to negotiate, you normally need a counteroffer from another company to have some negotiating power.

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Answer 3

Hi - current tier 2 consultant in Dubai here.

Which firm is the offer for?

There is quite a bit of fluctuation between analyst salaries for tier 2s in Dubai, so the salary you have been given seems about right for some firms but definitely low for others.

Answer 4

Hi there,

Can you confirm which Tier 2?

Can you also confirm other comp figures (i.e. annual bonus, sign-on bonus, etc.).

Glassdoor is not the most accurate - you need to google a bit more (normally managementconsulted has good figures)

Answer 5

Hi!

Does the Glassdoor figure refer to the same total compensation amount (i.e. salary, bonus, etc.)?

Anto

Answer 6

I've seen and experienced a similar situation at a more senior position, could you confirm that you receive a fair number of benefits (housing, expenses, retirement contribution etc.) ?

The more senior you get the tighter the gap becomes but you will have to talk to either your referee or HR if you don't have the aforementioned benefits.