Nurse Salary in Qatar by Specialty: 14 Roles You Should Know (2026)
Use the ranges here as negotiation anchors, not exact promises: they are drawn from current market signals and employer packages and shaped to reflect real offers nurses actually receive in Doha and across Qatar.
Quick reading guide
- Base salary = what employers typically advertise monthly.
- Total compensation = base + common allowances (housing, transport, flight prorated, insurance value).
- Use the ranges below as negotiation anchors, not guarantees. Employer, contract, shift pattern and benefits change real take-home value.
Top 14 Nursing Specialties in Qatar — salary profiles
1. Cardiac ICU / Critical Care Nurse
Base: QAR 9,000–14,000 / month
Total comp: QAR 11,000–18,000+ / month
Why higher pay: highest acuity, advanced monitoring, ventilator/ECMO exposure, low nurse:patient ratios.
Must-have credentials: BSN; CCRN or equivalent; ACLS; extensive ICU experience.
Typical employers: Major tertiary hospitals and cardiac centres.
Negotiation levers: ECMO/ventilator experience, leadership of code teams, recent high-acuity caseload.
2. Neonatal ICU (NICU) Nurse
Base: QAR 8,000–13,000 / month
Total comp: QAR 10,000–16,000 / month
Why higher pay: fragile patients, specialized ventilator and developmental care skills.
Must-have credentials: BSN; NRP; neonatal specialty training; NICU experience.
Typical employers: Women’s and children’s hospitals, neonatal units of tertiary hospitals.
Negotiation levers: Preemie ventilation experience, resuscitation leadership, neonatal transport experience.
3. Operating Theatre / Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Base: QAR 6,000–11,000 / month
Total comp: QAR 8,000–14,000 / month
Why higher pay: procedural expertise, sterile technique, on-call perioperative demands.
Must-have credentials: BSN or strong OT track record; CNOR or perioperative certificate.
Typical employers: Large surgical hospitals and private surgical centres.
Negotiation levers: Subspecialty theatre experience (cardiac/neuro), scrub/circulator seniority.
4. Anesthesia / PACU Nurse
Base: QAR 7,000–12,000 / month
Total comp: QAR 9,000–15,000 / month
Why higher pay: airway management, immediate post-op stabilization, high turnover demands.
Must-have credentials: BSN; PACU/anaesthesia nursing training; ACLS.
Typical employers: High-volume surgical hospitals.
Negotiation levers: Airway/sedation skills, critical care crossover.
5. Emergency & Trauma Nurse
Base: QAR 7,000–11,000 / month
Total comp: QAR 9,000–14,000 / month
Why higher pay: rapid decision-making, high stress, trauma response capability.
Must-have credentials: BSN; ATLS/ACLS/trauma training; ER experience.
Typical employers: Public and private emergency departments.
Negotiation levers: Triage leadership, resuscitation team roles, mass-casualty readiness.
6. Dialysis Nurse
Base: QAR 6,000–10,000 / month
Total comp: QAR 7,500–12,000 / month
Why higher pay: technical dialysis skills, vascular access care, infection control load.
Must-have credentials: Dialysis certification and experience; catheter care competency.
Typical employers: Hospital dialysis units and standalone centres.
Negotiation levers: Experience with high-flow dialysis and training junior staff.
7. Oncology / Infusion Nurse
Base: QAR 6,500–11,000 / month
Total comp: QAR 8,500–13,000 / month
Why higher pay: chemo/biologics handling, infusion safety, patient education burden.
Must-have credentials: BSN; chemo/infusion certification; IV competency.
Typical employers: Cancer centres, oncology units, infusion clinics.
Negotiation levers: Cytotoxic handling experience, pump proficiency, infusion clinic leadership.
8. Cath Lab / Cardiology Nurse
Base: QAR 7,500–12,000 / month
Total comp: QAR 9,000–15,000 / month
Why higher pay: procedural support for interventional cardiology, sterile field demands.
Must-have credentials: BSN; cath lab training; ACLS.
Typical employers: Cardiac centres and tertiary hospitals.
Negotiation levers: Procedural volume, arterial/line management skills.
9. Nurse Educator / Clinical Instructor
Base: QAR 6,000–10,000 / month
Total comp: QAR 7,000–12,000 / month
Why higher pay: internal training needs, accreditation and CPD programs.
Must-have credentials: BSN (MSc preferred for senior roles); teaching experience; curriculum delivery.
Typical employers: Large hospitals, universities, simulation centres.
Negotiation levers: Accreditation experience, program development track record.
10. Infection Control / Quality Nurse
Base: QAR 6,000–10,000 / month
Total comp: QAR 8,000–12,000 / month
Why higher pay: accreditation focus, outbreak prevention, surveillance responsibilities.
Must-have credentials: BSN; CIC or infection control certification; audit experience.
Typical employers: Tertiary hospitals, quality departments.
Negotiation levers: Demonstrated HAI reduction projects, audit leadership.
11. Medical-Surgical Staff Nurse (Ward RN)
Base: QAR 4,500–7,500 / month
Total comp: QAR 5,500–9,000 / month
Why this band: backbone role with steady demand; pay reflects generalist skills and volume.
Must-have credentials: Diploma/BSN; basic life support; ward experience preferred.
Typical employers: Public and private hospitals.
Negotiation levers: Multi-specialty experience, wound care, IV competency.
12. Outpatient / Clinic Nurse
Base: QAR 4,000–6,500 / month
Total comp: QAR 4,500–7,500 / month
Why this band: regular hours, lower acuity; clinics often trade higher predictability for lower base.
Must-have credentials: Diploma/BSN; outpatient triage/clinic systems experience.
Typical employers: Primary care clinics, specialist outpatient units.
Negotiation levers: Chronic disease management experience, specialty clinic training.
13. Maternity / Labor & Delivery Nurse
Base: QAR 5,500–9,000 / month
Total comp: QAR 7,000–11,500 / month
Why higher pay: labor and delivery require specific competencies and potential for high-risk management.
Must-have credentials: BSN; midwifery/labor & delivery training; NRP/BLS.
Typical employers: Maternity hospitals, obstetrics units.
Negotiation levers: High-volume L&D experience, epidural care skills, neonatal resuscitation.
14. Home Health / Community Nurse
Base: QAR 5,000–8,500 / month
Total comp: QAR 5,500–9,500 / month
Why this band: growing demand for community care; variable caseloads and travel expectations.
Must-have credentials: BSN or diploma; home care experience; autonomous assessment skills.
Typical employers: Home health agencies, community clinics.
Negotiation levers: Case management experience, IV/home infusion competency, patient education success metrics.
Read also: Top 10 Highest-Paying Nursing Specialties in Qatar in 2026
Specialty pay table (condensed)
Factors Influencing Nurse Salaries in Qatar
1. Employer Type
Public and quasi-government hospitals generally offer higher total compensation and stronger benefits than small private hospitals and clinics. Corporate and oil & gas health units can pay premiums for niche roles.
2. Location
Doha and major hospital hubs pay more than peripheral areas. Employer presence matters: tertiary centres and specialist hospitals set the top of market rates.
3. Certifications and Licensing
Specialty certifications (CCRN, CNOR, NRP, CIC), recognized postgraduate qualifications, and relevant licences significantly raise bargaining power. Local or Gulf experience compounds value.
4. Experience
Recent, high-volume clinical experience in the same specialty is often more valuable than general years of practice. Recruiters prioritise hands-on, recent caseloads.
Common Allowances and Benefits (what to check in offers)
- Housing allowance or employer-provided accommodation: large effect on disposable income.
- Transport allowance or shuttle / company car.
- Annual flight ticket(s): employee and sometimes family.
- Private medical insurance: check family coverage and scope.
- End-of-service gratuity: statutory entitlement; confirm calculation.
- Overtime and night differential formulas: often the difference between a livable and a strong package.
- Relocation support: visa, arrival flights, initial housing stipend.
Always convert allowances into monthly equivalents and compare total compensation, not base salary alone.
Read also: Average Registered Nurse (RN) Salary & Benefits in Qatar in 2026
Most In-Demand Nursing Specialties in Qatar (2026)
These specialties consistently appear on hiring plans and shortlists across hospitals and agencies:
- Critical Care / ICU
- Emergency Medicine / Trauma
- NICU / Pediatric Critical Care
- Operating Theatre / Perioperative
- Dialysis
- Oncology / Infusion
- Cath Lab / Cardiology
- Infection Control / Quality
- Home Health Nurses (growing demand)
- Nurse Educators (for training scale-up)
If you are planning reskilling or certification, target these areas for the best combination of vacancies and pay uplift.
Practical negotiation guidance (what actually works)
- Ask for total comp in writing. Convert housing/flight into monthly figures.
- Use measurable clinical evidence (case volumes, certifications, leadership in codes) rather than generic statements.
- Offer immediate availability or a short notice period if you can; employers often value quick starts.
- If base is fixed, negotiate allowances (housing, guaranteed overtime, early salary review).
- Confirm probation terms and whether allowances apply during probation.
Quick checklist before you sign
- Confirm base pay, allowance amounts and payment frequency.
- Get overtime/night differential calculation in writing.
- Check who pays visa and repatriation.
- Verify end-of-service gratuity calculation.
- Confirm probation length and post-probation salary review.
Conclusion — what to take away
Specialty matters. In Qatar, the highest compensation sits with high-acuity and procedure-based nursing (ICU, NICU, cath lab, perioperative) and with roles that carry accreditation and infection-control responsibilities. But real financial impact comes from total compensation: housing, travel, insurance and overtime rules often change an offer’s value more than a small base difference.
Choose a specialty that matches your long-term career goals and then plan the credentials and recent clinical experience that employers in Qatar reward. Use the salary bands above as negotiation anchors, convert allowances into cash equivalents, and insist on written clarity before you accept.
