Average Counsel Salary in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Counsel salary for 2024 in Riyadh and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Saudi riyal. To keep things simple, we are using the SAR currency code instead of the currency symbol ر.س.

How Much Does a Counsel Make in Riyadh?

A Counsel working in Riyadh will typically earn around 282,500 SAR per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 152,300 SAR to the highest average salary of 431,100 SAR.

Average Annual Salary
282,500 SAR
Average Monthly Salary
23,541 SAR

Lowest Annual Salary
152,300 SAR
Lowest Monthly Salary
12,691 SAR

Highest Annual Salary
431,100 SAR
Highest Monthly Salary
35,925 SAR

These are average salaries for a Counsel in Riyadh and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Counsel to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Counsel salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Counsel Salaries in Riyadh

So we've looked at the average salaries a Counsel will earn in Riyadh. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Counsel can earn between 152,300 SAR and 431,100 SAR on average in Riyadh. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Counsel in Riyadh is 263,200 SAR. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 263,200 SAR, and 50% of the population earn more than 263,200 SAR.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Counsel salary in Riyadh, 25% of the population are earning less than 187,300 SAR while 75% of the population earn more than 187,300 SAR.

75% of the population earn less than 318,800 SAR, and 25% of the population earn more than 318,800 SAR.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Counsel Salary by Experience Level in Riyadh

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average counsel salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Counsel in Riyadh that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 180,300 SAR.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Counsel salary would increase to 225,300 SAR.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Counsel, the average salary would be 299,500 SAR.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 348,300 SAR.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Counsel with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 385,300 SAR.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Counsel with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 412,000 SAR.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
180,300 SAR
2-5 Years +26%
225,300 SAR
5-10 Years +32%
299,500 SAR
10-15 Years +18%
348,300 SAR
15-20 Years +11%
385,300 SAR
20+ Years +6%
412,000 SAR

Counsel Salary by Education Level in Riyadh

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Counsel in Riyadh based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Counsel in Riyadh with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 231,000 SAR.

  • Master's Degree. A Counsel in Riyadh with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 351,200 SAR.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Bachelor's Degree
231,000 SAR
Master's Degree +53%
351,200 SAR

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in Saudi Arabia is around 83,500 to 251,000 SAR and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Counsel Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Riyadh, a male counsel will earn an average of 288,700 SAR, while a female counsel will earn around 267,100 SAR.

This means that a male counsel earns approximately 8% more than a female counsel for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Riyadh

Male
288,700 SAR
Female -8%
267,100 SAR

Counsel Average Pay Raise in Riyadh

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Counsel in Riyadh is around 11% every 17 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Saudi Arabia is around 8% every 17 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 11 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that a Counsel in Riyadh can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Riyadh for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Saudi Arabia.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
2%
Energy
4%
Information Technology
6%
Healthcare
8%
Travel
1%
Construction
3%
Education
5%

Counsel Bonus and Incentive Rates in Riyadh

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Counsel is a low bonus based job, with 32% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

68% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus
32%
No Bonus
68%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in Saudi Arabia earn approximately 8% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
207,800 SAR
Private Sector -8%
192,600 SAR

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Counsel

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Counsel in Riyadh.

Job Title Category Salary
Administrative Law Judge Legal 518,900 SAR
Arbitrator Legal 239,000 SAR
Associate Attorney Legal 239,000 SAR
Attorney Legal 384,500 SAR
Bailiff Legal 110,340 SAR
Barrister Legal 94,380 SAR
Candidate Attorney Legal 222,300 SAR
Conciliator Legal 175,900 SAR
Contracts Associate Legal 119,700 SAR
Contracts Manager Legal 217,900 SAR
Contracts Negotiator Legal 180,500 SAR
Contracts Specialist Legal 117,860 SAR
Conveyancing Secretary Legal 102,960 SAR
Corporate Counsel Legal 279,400 SAR
Court Clerk Legal 89,120 SAR
Court Judicial Assistant Legal 148,300 SAR
Court Liaison Specialist Legal 167,100 SAR
Court Reporter Legal 148,300 SAR
Court Representative Legal 113,700 SAR
Crown Prosecution Service Lawyer Legal 519,300 SAR
General Counsel Legal 475,700 SAR
Immigration Executive Legal 259,100 SAR
In House Counsel Legal 263,900 SAR
Intellectual Property Specialist Legal 181,600 SAR
Judge Advocate Legal 414,000 SAR
Law Clerk Legal 86,760 SAR
Lawyer Legal 367,900 SAR
Legal Administrative Assistant Legal 99,220 SAR
Legal Advisor Legal 225,700 SAR
Legal Assistant Legal 101,120 SAR
Legal Associate Legal 172,400 SAR
Legal Consultant Legal 221,500 SAR
Legal Consultant Legal 222,300 SAR
Legal Counsel Legal 268,900 SAR
Legal Editor Legal 176,800 SAR
Legal Executive Legal 332,500 SAR
Legal Executive Secretary Legal 99,220 SAR
Legal IP Officer Legal 93,100 SAR
Legal Officer Legal 110,120 SAR
Legal Secretary Legal 103,140 SAR
Legal Services Director Legal 437,300 SAR
Legal Services Manager Legal 424,900 SAR
Legal Support Worker Legal 70,940 SAR
Legislative Liaison Legal 172,200 SAR
Litigation Attorney Legal 460,500 SAR
Litigation Paralegal Legal 218,900 SAR
Magistrate Judge Legal 580,600 SAR
Paralegal Legal 146,200 SAR
Patent Attorney Legal 290,800 SAR
Staff Attorney Legal 290,800 SAR

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Saudi Arabia, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Abha 273,000 SAR
Dammam 273,000 SAR
Jeddah 296,000 SAR
Khubar 257,700 SAR
Mecca 279,400 SAR
Medina 292,000 SAR
Tabuk 247,800 SAR
Taif 247,800 SAR

Link To or Reference This Page

We spend a lot of time collecting, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site to be as useful to you as possible.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference World Salaries as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Average Counsel Salary in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for 2024". World Salaries. Accessed on November 1, 2024. https://worldsalaries.com/average-counsel-salary-in-riyadh/saudi-arabia/.

  • "Average Counsel Salary in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for 2024". World Salaries, https://worldsalaries.com/average-counsel-salary-in-riyadh/saudi-arabia/. Accessed 1 November, 2024

  • Average Counsel Salary in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for 2024. World Salaries. Retrieved from https://worldsalaries.com/average-counsel-salary-in-riyadh/saudi-arabia/.