Saudi Arabia Domestic Helper Salary for Filipinos: What to Check

Direct answer: Saudi Arabia has no fixed minimum wage for domestic workers, so your salary is whatever your Musaned contract says. The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) floor for household service workers has been USD 400 a month, about SAR 1,500, and an August 2025 advisory raised it to at least USD 500 for DMW-processed contracts. Reports say Gulf countries are not held to the higher figure, so ask which one applies to your contract and get it in writing.

If you are a Filipino domestic worker looking at a Saudi job, the monthly figure is only the start. You also need to know when and how you are paid, how many hours you can be asked to work, when you get a day off, and what you receive when the contract ends. This guide covers those points using the Saudi domestic worker regulation and DMW advisories, checked on 16 October 2026.

It is not an agency ranking, and it is not legal advice. Salary rules for Filipino workers have changed twice since 2023, so confirm the current figure with DMW or the Migrant Workers Office before you sign.

What is the Philippine minimum salary for household workers going to Saudi Arabia?

DMW sets a salary floor for Filipino household service workers, which includes domestic helpers. Two advisories matter.

DMW Advisory No. 07 of 2023 says the monthly salary of household service workers deployed overseas is USD 400. It tells Migrant Workers Offices to process only contracts worth USD 400 or more, and it allows payment in the local currency equivalent. At the Saudi riyal peg of 3.75 to the dollar, USD 400 is SAR 1,500.

DMW Advisory No. 25 of 2025, signed on 22 August 2025, raised the minimum monthly wage for Filipino domestic workers from USD 400 to at least USD 500. USD 500 is SAR 1,875. The advisory says the increase applies to contracts processed by DMW and tells Migrant Workers Offices to push host governments and foreign agencies to apply it.

Does the USD 500 floor apply to Saudi Arabia?

This is the part you cannot settle from one official page. No DMW issuance that exempts Saudi Arabia was found, so here is what the reporting says and where it conflicts.

• Gulf News reported that after consultations in Doha on 11 September 2025, DMW decided not to impose the USD 500 floor on the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, including Saudi Arabia. It said wages there would be set by the market. Read the Gulf News report.
• On 19 September 2025, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac told reporters the increase would be voluntary and that DMW would not penalize an employer for offering less than USD 500. SunStar's coverage of that briefing also said the advisory disappointed some countries, including Saudi Arabia, because it was issued without prior consultation.

Until DMW publishes a clear Saudi-specific rule, treat SAR 1,500 as the lowest figure you should accept and SAR 1,875 as the figure to ask about. If an offer is below SAR 1,500, do not sign. If it is between SAR 1,500 and SAR 1,875, ask the agency whether the employer has agreed to the higher DMW rate, and ask the Migrant Workers Office what it will verify for your contract.

What does the salary include? A salary elements table

A monthly figure on a recruiter's message is not a contract. Use this table to find what is still missing.

Write down any element your agency cannot show you in a document. A promise made by phone does not count.

How are domestic workers paid in Saudi Arabia?

The Saudi regulation says the wage is paid monthly, in Saudi riyals, by the methods the ministry sets. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) announced that the final phase of the digital wage rule took effect on 1 January 2026 for all employers without exception.

Under the HRSD announcement, salaries go through banks or digital wallets approved by Musaned, using the Salary Transfer for Domestic Workers service. Your mobile number is linked to your residency number, and the account or wallet is opened in your name. The HRSD service page says each transfer then shows in the Musaned portal, and that the worker needs a valid Iqama (residence permit).

What this means for you:

1. Ask for the account or wallet to be opened in your own name, not the employer's or a relative's.
2. Keep the app, card, and PIN yourself.
3. Screenshot each month's payment and note the date.
4. If the employer says "I will hold your salary and give it to you at the end," do not accept that. Report it.

How many hours can a domestic worker be asked to work?

The regulation sets these limits:

• No more than 10 effective working hours in one day (Article 10).
• No more than five consecutive hours without a break of at least 30 minutes for rest, prayer, and meals. Breaks are not counted as working time.
• A continuous daily rest period of at least eight hours.
• One day of weekly rest with full pay, of at least 24 consecutive hours, with the day set in the contract (Article 11).
• If you work on the rest day, a substitute day or pay, as agreed (Article 11).

The Musaned labor education page and older HRSD pages summarize these rules in slightly different words, and one older page gives nine hours of daily rest. Use the regulation text, and ask your agency to point to the contract line that matches each limit. If the contract says "as needed" or "24 hours on call," ask for the hours in writing before you sign.

What leave do you get?

The regulation gives you:

• Thirty days of leave after two years of service, when both sides renew the contract. If you do not take it, you are paid for it when the contract ends (Article 12).
• A round trip ticket to your home country after two years, to spend that leave, or a one-way ticket if you are leaving for good. If you spend leave inside Saudi Arabia, you get neither a ticket nor pay for it.
• Sick leave of up to 30 days with a medical report: the first 15 days at full pay and the next 15 at half pay (Article 13).
• An employer cannot end your job because of illness until you have used the full sick leave, unless you ask in writing.

Leave after two years is not leave after one year. If a recruiter promises a trip home every year, check the contract for it.

What is the end of service award?

When the contract ends, you are owed an end of service award of one month's wage for every four consecutive years with the same employer, based on your last wage (Article 22). The employer must pay your wage and all dues within one week of the contract ending, or within two weeks if you ended the contract (Article 23).

Two other rules matter if you leave early. Without a contract-defined amount, a party that ends the contract for an illegitimate reason owes the other side two months' wages (Article 25). And you pay your own flight home if you are found unfit for work or you leave without a legitimate reason (Article 24). You keep your rights if you leave because the employer broke fundamental duties, deceived you about the terms, assaulted you, gave you dangerous work, or rented you out to others (Article 27).

What should you check in the Musaned contract?

The regulation requires a written contract on a template the ministry sets, with the Arabic text as the official version and a translation into a language you understand (Article 7). A contract is still valid if unwritten, but you should never rely on that. Article 8 lists what it must include.

Before you sign, check:

1. Your name, the employer's name, national address, and contact numbers match the job offer.
2. The job is the one you were promised, and it is a domestic profession in the contract and residence permit.
3. The wage, currency, payment method, and pay date.
4. Daily hours, weekly rest day, overtime, and what happens if you work on your rest day.
5. The contract term, probation (no more than 90 days, and either side may end it), extension, and termination terms.
6. Insurance on the contract.
7. Accommodation and food.
8. That the work address is one household. You cannot be sent to work for other people (Article 15).

Compare the Saudi contract with the one DMW processes. DMW lists an individual verified employment contract among the documents for newly hired domestic workers. If the two differ on salary or duties, stop and ask the Migrant Workers Office. Saudi families go through the same contract steps from their side, which you can read in our Musaned hiring guide for families.

What do DMW rules require before you leave?

DMW rules protect you before you ever board a plane.

Use a licensed agency. Only a DMW-licensed recruitment agency with a job order should handle your deployment. See how to verify a DMW-licensed recruitment agency before you send documents.

Do not pay a placement fee. DMW's archived Q and A on the 2016 POEA rules lists domestic workers as exempt from the placement fee and puts recruitment and placement costs, including the visa, work permit, airfare, and OWWA membership fee, on the principal or employer. The Saudi regulation also makes the employer cover recruitment, transfer, residence permit, and work permit fees. The exact DMW rule text may have been updated, so ask DMW for the current wording before you pay anything, and ask for an official receipt for every payment.

Join a video call with the employer. DMW Advisory 25 of 2025 requires video conferencing between the worker and employer before contract finalization. The call lets you ask about duties, household members, rest periods, and accommodation, and it gives your consent before deployment. The advisory applies to newly hired workers under contracts entered into 60 days after its issuance.

Complete the orientation and documents. The DMW archive lists Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar and Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar certificates, a medical certificate from a DOH-accredited clinic, and a TESDA skill certification among the documents for newly hired domestic workers. Ask your agency for the current checklist, and ask DMW or OWWA about the Overseas Employment Certificate and OWWA membership. The DMW material says an Overseas Employment Certificate is valid for 60 days.

Keep your passport. DMW Advisory 25 says passports belong to the Philippine government and must stay with the worker, except for justified steps like visa stamping, after which they must be returned promptly. The Saudi regulation bars employers from holding your passport or personal documents.

Check the deployment status before you pay or travel

DMW can suspend or restrict deployment to a country when conditions change, and it announces that through its advisories. A job offer does not tell you whether processing for Saudi Arabia is open on the day you plan to leave.

Before you pay any fee, resign from a job, or book travel, read the current advisories on the DMW website and ask the Migrant Workers Office in Riyadh, Jeddah or Al Khobar. Ask your agency for its written deployment schedule too. If a recruiter says "no problem, just go" but cannot show you a processed contract and a valid clearance, do not travel.

Red flags in a Saudi household job offer

• The salary is below SAR 1,500, or the recruiter will not put the figure in writing.
• You are asked for a placement, reservation, medical, or training fee that no one will receipt.
• The recruiter tells you to travel on a tourist or visit visa and "fix the papers" later.
• The agency cannot name the employer, city, or household members.
• The employer will not join a video call.
• The contract is only in Arabic, or you are told to sign a blank page.
• Your passport is taken without a written reason and return date.
• The salary will go to a relative's account or "be kept for you."
• The job includes a second home, a shop, or a relative's house.
• The recruiter says a rest day is optional, or that you will be on call at all hours.

One unclear item deserves a question. Two or three deserve a pause and a call to DMW.

Where can you get help if something goes wrong?

DMW's directory dated 9 October 2025 lists three Migrant Workers Offices in Saudi Arabia:

The DMW directory also shows which cities each office covers and lists phone numbers. Phone numbers can change, so check the directory before you rely on one.

For wage and contract disputes, Musaned runs a friendly settlement service for disputes between domestic employers and workers over contracts, wages, rights, and work injuries. You can attach the contract or other proof of the work relationship. The regulation also gives the ministry power to receive complaints, and it sets a 12-month limit for court claims after a contract ends (Article 5), so do not wait.

OWWA can help with welfare cases, and DMW's Advisory 25 says AKSYON Fund assistance can cover legal, medical, and emergency needs. Keep copies of your contract, payment screenshots, a dated note of problems, and your employer's address, and give a trusted person at home the same set.

How do you apply for a domestic helper job in Saudi Arabia?

1. Choose a DMW-licensed agency and verify it using our agency check guide.
2. Ask for the job order, employer name, city, salary in riyals, and the written job description.
3. Join the video call with the employer and ask about duties, hours, rest day, and housing.
4. Read the Musaned contract and compare it with the job offer and the DMW contract.
5. Check the salary against SAR 1,500 and ask about the USD 500 rate.
6. Attend the orientation seminars and complete the medical and skill documents your agency lists.
7. Confirm in writing that you pay no placement fee, and keep every receipt.
8. Check the current DMW advisory for Saudi Arabia before you book a flight.

If you are still deciding between countries or job types, read more in our helper guides and see what Saudi family employers read on the Saudi Arabia page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary of a Filipino domestic helper in Saudi Arabia?

Saudi law has no fixed minimum wage for domestic workers, so the amount is whatever your contract says. The Philippine DMW floor is USD 400 a month, about SAR 1,500, and DMW Advisory 25 of 2025 raised it to at least USD 500 for DMW-processed contracts, but reports say Gulf countries are not held to the higher figure. Ask your agency which figure applies to your contract and confirm it with the Migrant Workers Office.

How is a domestic helper paid in Saudi Arabia?

Since 1 January 2026 the employer must pay through the Musaned salary transfer service, into a bank account or approved digital wallet in your own name. The payment shows in the Musaned portal. Wages are paid monthly in Saudi riyals, and deductions cannot exceed one quarter of the wage.

Do domestic workers in Saudi Arabia get a rest day and annual leave?

Yes. The HRSD regulation gives one paid weekly rest day of at least 24 consecutive hours, a maximum of 10 effective working hours a day, and 30 days of leave after two years of service if the contract is renewed. The regulation also gives sick leave of up to 30 days, the first 15 at full pay and the next 15 at half pay.

Do I pay a placement fee to work as a household helper in Saudi Arabia?

DMW material on the 2016 POEA rules exempts domestic workers from the placement fee, and the Saudi regulation says the employer pays recruitment, work permit, and residence permit costs. Confirm the current DMW rule before paying anything, and ask for an official receipt for any amount a recruiter asks you to pay.

How do I apply for a domestic helper job in Saudi Arabia from the Philippines?

Apply only through a DMW-licensed recruitment agency with an approved job order. Join a video call with the employer, compare the Musaned contract with the job offer, attend the required orientation seminars, and complete DMW contract processing and medical requirements before you leave. Never travel on a tourist visa for a household job.

A practical next step for Filipino helpers

Write down the salary, rest day, leave, and payment method from your offer, then compare them line by line with this guide. When you are ready, create or update your Helpers profile with your real experience and the countries you are open to. A Helpers profile does not replace DMW processing, a Saudi visa, or an agency licence.