Specialist Doctor Salaries in Dubai 2026 by Specialty: Specialist and Consultant

Salary ranges by specialty

Market estimate in AED per month for a full-time doctor in a private clinic or hospital in Dubai. Ranges are orientation, not a rate card: a consultant with an own patient base, surgical volume, languages and the type of facility move the number. The figures match our role pages for each specialty.

Specialty	Specialist licence	Consultant licence
General practitioner (GP)	15,000 - 28,000	30,000+ senior GP with own patients
Allergist-immunologist	28,000 - 42,000	42,000 - 60,000
Pediatrician	30,000 - 45,000	45,000 - 65,000+
Endocrinologist	30,000 - 45,000	45,000 - 65,000
Neurologist	30,000 - 45,000	45,000 - 65,000
ENT doctor (otolaryngologist)	30,000 - 45,000	45,000 - 70,000+
Gastroenterologist	30,000 - 48,000	48,000 - 70,000
Psychiatrist	35,000 - 50,000	50,000 - 75,000+
Dermatologist	35,000 - 50,000	55,000 - 80,000+
Gynecologist	35,000 - 55,000	55,000 - 80,000+
Urologist	35,000 - 55,000	55,000 - 80,000+
General surgeon	35,000 - 55,000	55,000 - 80,000
Cardiologist	35,000 - 55,000	55,000 - 85,000+
Ophthalmologist	35,000 - 55,000	55,000 - 85,000+
Orthopedic surgeon	40,000 - 60,000	60,000 - 95,000+
Radiologist	45,000 - 65,000	65,000 - 95,000+
Anesthesiologist	45,000 - 65,000	65,000 - 100,000+
Plastic surgeon	60,000 - 90,000	90,000 - 150,000+

GP, specialist, consultant: why the licence tier sets the number

The DHA issues a doctor's licence in tiers, and the tier decides both what the doctor may do in your clinic and what the market pays. Two doctors in the same specialty can sit 20,000 AED apart for this reason alone.

General practitioner: a medical degree and a few years of experience; sees undifferentiated patients, refers complex cases on; the entry level of a clinic's medical team
Specialist: a recognised postgraduate qualification in the specialty plus the years of experience the DHA requires; works independently within the specialty and is the core of most private clinics
Consultant: a specialist with a longer track record and, usually, a senior qualification; leads a department, takes complex cases and second opinions, trains the team and often brings referrals and a patient base
The tier is confirmed during licensing: the DHA checks the qualification and experience against its current requirements, so ask for the candidate's expected tier before you agree the salary
A doctor already licensed in Dubai at the right tier starts faster through a licence transfer; a doctor from abroad goes through DataFlow verification and, if required, an assessment, and the start date moves by weeks

Fixed salary, revenue share or sessions: how clinics pay doctors

A specialist's package in Dubai is rarely a flat salary only. The model you choose changes your fixed cost and the kind of doctor you attract.

Fixed salary: predictable for the doctor, suits a new department that is still building its patient flow; the clinic carries the risk of an empty diary
Fixed base plus revenue share: the doctor receives a share of what the clinic collects for their consultations and procedures above an agreed threshold; the most common model for specialists with an own patient base
Fixed minimum or revenue share, whichever is higher: protects the doctor in slow months and rewards a full diary; define what counts as collections and how insurance rejections and refunds are treated
Sessions or per case: visiting specialists such as a neurologist, an allergist or a surgeon are often paid per clinic day or per procedure before a full-time role is justified
Write the rule in the contract: the threshold, the percentage, the payment date and how materials, implants and lab costs are treated; do not leave it to a verbal agreement

What moves the number within a specialty

Inside one specialty the range is wide. These factors usually decide where a particular doctor sits.

Procedures and volume: an interventional cardiologist, an endoscopy-heavy gastroenterologist or a surgeon with a full list earns more than a purely consulting colleague
Own patient base and referrals: a doctor who brings patients, referring GPs or a strong public profile is paid more, usually through the revenue share
Type of facility: a hospital or a large multi-speciality group pays differently from a boutique clinic; day-surgery and premium clinics often pay more for the same tier
Country of training and board certification: Western or recognised boards and fellowships sit at the upper end; the licensing route also depends on them
Languages: Arabic for local and GCC patients, Russian for the Russian-speaking community, Hindi or Urdu for other groups often matter as much as a year of extra experience
Insurance mix: a doctor who knows how to work with insurance approvals and documentation saves the clinic rejected claims

The cost on top of salary

Salary is not the full cost of a specialist. Add these items when you compare candidates and plan a new department.

Visa and Emirates ID: paid by the employer; the amount depends on the company type and the free zone
DHA licensing: DataFlow verification, the assessment if required and activation of the licence under your facility; amounts depend on the case and the tier
Malpractice insurance for every licensed doctor and health insurance for every employee; the premium depends on the specialty, the plan and the person's age
Gratuity provision: about 5.83% of basic salary per month in the first five years of service, see our gratuity guide
Annual leave of 30 calendar days after the first year, plus the time a diary takes to fill when a fixed minimum is paid without matching collections
Equipment and consumables for the specialty: an endoscopy suite, a cardiac ultrasound or an allergy testing panel is a separate budget line, not part of the salary

How we help

TLNT is a hiring consultancy. For clinics in Dubai we help an employer define the specialty and the licence tier that the patient flow really needs, set the package as a market estimate and choose between a fixed salary and a revenue share, check the DHA licence route of every candidate, assess clinical and communication skills and prepare a clear offer. You make the hiring decision and agree the terms with the doctor yourself; the doctor is employed directly by your clinic, which sponsors the visa and the licence with our step-by-step checklist.

Our fee is fixed for each role and agreed before the search starts. A 10% prepayment of the fee starts the search, the rest is due once the person has started work. If it does not work out, we find a replacement free of charge; the period is set in the contract. Consulting and CRM projects are priced after a free review.

FAQ

Which doctors earn the most in Dubai?

Market estimate: surgical and procedure-heavy specialties sit at the top. A consultant plastic surgeon earns about 90,000 - 150,000+ AED per month, a consultant anesthesiologist 65,000 - 100,000+, consultant radiologists and orthopedic surgeons 60,000 - 95,000+, consultant cardiologists and ophthalmologists 55,000 - 85,000+. Consulting specialties such as allergy, endocrinology and neurology earn about 28,000 - 45,000 AED at specialist level and 42,000 - 65,000 AED at consultant level.

How much does a specialist doctor earn per month in Dubai?

Market estimate: a specialist licence in most medical specialties pays about 30,000 - 55,000 AED per month in a private clinic in Dubai, and a consultant licence about 45,000 - 85,000 AED. A general practitioner earns about 15,000 - 28,000 AED. The exact figure depends on the specialty, the procedures the doctor performs, the patient base they bring and the facility type; many packages combine a fixed base with a revenue share.

Does a small clinic need a consultant or is a specialist enough?

For most private clinics a specialist licence is enough: the doctor works independently within the specialty and costs 15,000 - 30,000 AED a month less than a consultant. A consultant pays off when you need complex cases, second opinions, a department lead or a name that brings referrals. Many clinics start with a specialist on a fixed base plus revenue share and add a visiting consultant for sessions before moving to a full-time consultant.

Specialist doctor salaries in Dubai by specialty and licence tier, 2026