Average Top Research and Development Executive Salary in Iraq for 2026
A top research and development executive in Iraq earns about 45,599,600 IQD a year. That's 85% above the national average of 24,599,500 IQD.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Iraq sit around 20,999,200 IQD a year, while the very top stretches to 72,481,900 IQD. Everything on this page is in Iraqi dinar (IQD, symbol ع.د), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Iraq, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does a top research and development executive make in Iraq?
A typical top research and development executive working in Iraq brings home around 3,799,966 IQD a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 20,999,200 IQD, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 72,481,900 IQD for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior top research and development executive working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.
How top research and development executive pay ranges in Iraq
A good way to think about salary in Iraq is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all top research and development executives in Iraq earn less than 49,198,300 IQD a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 31,559,900 IQD (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 65,641,400 IQD (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of top research and development executives sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 20,999,200 IQD. The highest stretch to 72,481,900 IQD, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
Top research and development executive pay by experience in Iraq
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a top research and development executive in Iraq, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical top research and development executive salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years23,759,100 IQD
- 2-5 Years+34% from previous31,800,300 IQD
- 5-10 Years+48% from previous46,921,300 IQD
- 10-15 Years+22% from previous57,239,200 IQD
- 15-20 Years+9% from previous62,400,200 IQD
- 20+ Years+8% from previous67,558,400 IQD
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 48%. That is the point at which a top research and development executive typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
Top research and development executive pay by education in Iraq
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving top research and development executive pay in Iraq. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average top research and development executive salary in Iraq broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Bachelor's Degree27,118,300 IQD
- Master's Degree+57% from previous42,601,100 IQD
- PhD+68% from previous71,400,600 IQD
Top research and development executive gender pay gap in Iraq
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Iraq is no exception. Male top research and development executives in Iraq earn an average of 50,519,600 IQD a year, while female top research and development executives earn around 40,679,700 IQD. That works out to a 24% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
Top Research and Development Executive gender pay gap
19%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Iraq.
Pay raises for a top research and development executive in Iraq
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in Iraq sees a raise of about 13% every 20 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in Iraq, the national average raise is around 7% every 20 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Iraq:
- Banking
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel2%
- Construction
- Education1%
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Top research and development executive bonus rates in Iraq
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
82% of top research and development executives in Iraq reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a top research and development executive a high-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 5% to 9% of base salary. The remaining 18% of top research and development executives reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Iraq
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
Top research and development executive: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Iraq is about 15% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
13%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Iraq on average.
Top research and development executive salary by city in Iraq
Top research and development executive pay is not even across Iraq. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Baghdad
- Al-Basrah
- An-Najaf
- Irbil
- Al-Mawsil
- Kirkuk
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baghdad | City | 52,800,100 IQD | 56,998,400 IQD | 24,239,000-83,880,500 IQD |
| Al-Basrah | City | 49,678,100 IQD | 53,639,100 IQD | 22,799,000-78,960,300 IQD |
| An-Najaf | City | 47,280,300 IQD | 50,998,800 IQD | 21,719,900-75,121,900 IQD |
| Irbil | City | 44,519,300 IQD | 47,999,400 IQD | 20,400,600-70,679,800 IQD |
| Al-Mawsil | City | 42,719,800 IQD | 46,080,100 IQD | 19,678,200-67,798,800 IQD |
| Kirkuk | City | 41,638,700 IQD | 44,878,500 IQD | 19,078,500-66,119,000 IQD |
Top Research and Development Executive in Iraq: FAQs
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How much does a top research and development executive make per month in Iraq?
A top research and development executive in Iraq earns about 3,799,966 IQD a month before tax, based on an annual average of 45,599,600 IQD.
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What's the salary range for a top research and development executive in Iraq?
Entry-level top research and development executives in Iraq start near 20,999,200 IQD. Top-end pay reaches around 72,481,900 IQD. The middle 50% of earners sit between 31,559,900 and 65,641,400 IQD.
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Is the median top research and development executive salary in Iraq higher or lower than the average?
The median is 49,198,300 IQD, higher than the average of 45,599,600 IQD. Half of top research and development executives in Iraq earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for top research and development executives in Iraq?
Men working as a top research and development executive in Iraq earn around 24% more than women on average (50,519,600 vs 40,679,700 IQD a year).
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Do top research and development executives in Iraq get bonuses?
About 82% of top research and development executives in Iraq reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 5% to 9% of base salary.
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Do top research and development executives earn more in the public or private sector in Iraq?
In Iraq, the public sector pays a top research and development executive about 15% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do top research and development executives in Iraq get a pay raise?
A top research and development executive in Iraq sees a raise of around 13% every 20 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.