Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Hi all,

I think this forum is going to my new best friend, there's so much helpful information on here, I'm hoping that some members can help me out and give me some guidance.

I'm a MRICS MEP QS with 5+ years experience from the UK.

I'm trying to get a gauge on what the likely all-in salary expectations should be out in the UAE.

I've been interviewed by a PQS company and they said an offer would be circa AED 25k per month all in.

Is this reasonable for someone of my experience / qualifications?

Does anyone know any other MEP QS's out in the UAE currently for advise?

Any feedback would be most appreciated.

Regards,

Perry

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
Double that, and you might be getting close! - Which company? - Because it will have a bearing on Terms & Conditions, etc.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

A certain large UK based PQS company recently bought by a huge American based multi-national....I'll give you one guess....

I'll be honest I was under the thought of something a little more. But double really?

I don't see all that many jobs for people like me over there, I wouldn't class myself as senior just yet, even though I'm MRICS etc...

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

If you are Chartered, working for a PQS Company, your time will be charged back at a Premium. They are giving the Client a Boffin and paying you peanuts! - They are taking the Piss (Honestly)

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Just to make it clear they were indicating roughly 300k AED annually all-in package, just in case I typed it wrong previously.

Know any jobs going then? haha

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Your sums are quite correct, but UK Expats do not work for that money any more! Jobs are hard to find here, and you might find that you are replacing a more expensive member of staff, who has been given the boot!

I worked for another large consultancy which was absorbed by an American Conglomerate. I had been there for six years running the office in Dubai and Manila. Then overnight, I was told that 'We are not doing Architecture!'

Things aint what they used to be!

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

This was the going rate in 1995. However, we know some people in UAE who have been made redundant and have been offered this type of deal. You should walk away from it - they tell you it's tax free but life in UAE is expensive so any tax you "save" will soon be spent and more if you have kids!

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Thank you Soukie,

I don't have any kids, however I am engaged, my partner is also a QS, however she works on the contractor's side.

If anyone has any contacts it would be appreciated.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

They'll expect you to negotiate, so go do it. However, they do have a reputation but they're serious guys.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Thanks Bahtatboy. I really have no idea what I should be aiming for when it comes to the negotiating side of things that's the problem, I don't want to ask for more then have them turn around and go you're being completely unrealistic.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Salary/package negotiations are best done face-to-face. Looks like they've already set a figure, which is good because at least you know the starting point and it won't go down from there. PM me if you want some more advice.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Perry,

I work very closely with MEP PQS's and so can speak with experience of working on a large Dubai based project.

You will presumably know that as an MEP QS Chartership makes little or no difference, the important aspect is your experience.

5years is not a lot of experience. And whilst large salaries were the order of the day in 2008 they are not today. The offer of AED25k is light though.

At your level I would expect to get about AED32-35k all in.

Bear in mind that depending on your chosen lifestyle here the cost of living can be expensive.

As an aside I see that your partner is a QS on the Contracting side, you can expect a slightly higher salary on the Contracting side.

Good luck and I hope that you can maximise your negotiation, be mind full that there are few positions and many candidates at the moment.

Regards,

WakeUp

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Thank you WakeUp,

I have to say from the impressions I was getting I did think that was more in line with what other people were telling me they were on etc..

I think based on my expenses and the costs I know I will incur over there, I need to be looking at 30-32k per month or higher really.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

No worries Pezz, its a tricky one you need to push to get enough but not too much to price yourself out.

Also be wary if anyone starts talking about bonuses etc. We've been out here for 3 years with out bonuses or pay rises, maybe we have just been unlucky. one of the problems is that alot of the positions available now are for similar money with longer hours. Alot of companies want 6 day weeks, its up to you whether a bit more money is worth that.

As someone has already said people who came out say 5 years ago are on much more money, but a few in our company have been let go for this very reason.

WakeUp

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Pezz,

The merger this company has undergone has led to them having a very high amount of QS staff in the Middle East as the parent group now brings the various QS firms they have into one business line. I know people who are on notice and others who are getting pay rises / promotions, all depends on the status of the projects you are involved in. There is no such thing as a safe construction project here!

The salary is low, if it is workable for you will depend on your personal circumstances, if you are young free and single then it may suit, but if you're bringing dependants or need to fund a mortgage in the UK you'll need better a salary (either way you want be putting much money away each month once you have deducted for rent, car, flights and socialising).

You don't sound too far off from being an SQS in terms of experience and qualifications, maybe you should push to come out here at SQS level (AED35k min). If your good and don't get stuck out on some site in the middle of nowhere there are still good opportunities and the pay isn't bad at higher levels, but at the lower grades you compete with sub-continent and filipino staff who will work for a lot less.

By the way, are you employed in the UK? Be careful if you are thinking of giving up a position to move here.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

I don't think that I'm far off being a Senior either, in fact I think that I tick the boxes now. I think my main restraint is I'm mid twenties and I previously thought of senior roles for those closer to 30+

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Don't believe it, roles should be based on a mixture of ability and experience, I was an SQS at 27.
If you are changing a job it's generally only worthwhile if the move involves a promotion and a min 25% pay increase.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Swings and roundabouts...

I have a candidate interviewed for a Snr MEP QS role with an MEP Contractor / Subbie and despite having slightly more experience than you (6-7yrs) he was deemed too expensive at 35k.

Everyone on here will tell you that you should be getting that MINIMUM, but it's harder and harder to come by. PQS side of things I don't deal with but if I'm right in guessing the company you've been offered by then I might have got drunk with one of their Directors out here last week (Thursday night brunch). They seem to be busy people.

If you want me to have a look at your CV and suggest some places then PM me and I'll give you my email address.

(yes I'm a recruiter.)

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

25% pay increase? That's ridiculous.

So if you're a SQS on 40,000 (for example) the minimum you would accept is 50,000?

Dream world.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

I may have been living in a tin box in the desert too long :blink:, but could someone give me a bit more of a clue on the Companies being discussed here :confused:

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Scamp,

Maybe ridiculous, depends on why you're moving. For me a move to another company is only worthwhile if it progresses career and salary, so if I'm a SQS earning 40k I would only move to another firm if I would be an associate earning 50K. Why move to be an SQS earning 42k if you have to start a fresh and rebuild relationships with new colleagues and clients and possible delay your career progression?

It's called having a career plan.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Cynical Scot,

I would presume we are talking Davis Langdon, AECOM, Tischmans, Hanscombs etc.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

AECOM bought out Davis Langdon last year

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

A 'career plan' doesn't neccessarily mean a pay increase of that much money.

You get punted because jobs dry up do you still go round touting for an Associate position?

If you're good enough to be an Associate and want 50k to move, why aren't you getting that where you are? Are you sat below dead men's desks?

(they aren't directed at you directly, just generally...I think being realistic is key, especially at the moment.)

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Totally agree :thumbup:

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Thanks Mullet & WC :thumbup:

Was aware of the DLE cut & run by the Equity Partners - that happened a year ago, but the "recently" (from earlier post) threw me! Thought for a moment that I may have missed that Currie & Brown/ECH/Gleeds/Cyril Sweet had been swallowed as well :o

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Only a matter of time until the Evil Empire swallows them all!

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

I think if you don't need to work over here, or are still in work now hold out for a better offer. If you need to move then obviously do what you have to.

The lowering of the salaries and packages is just as much driven by the recruiters as the companies involved, as they are going to try and place you cheaply.
Case in point is when sometimes I see the same CV from two different agencies with 2 very different expected salaries, so its quite clear to see. Of course then a HR guy is going to tell you well we can get the same people for less than you are asking. Vicious circle really.. This isn't a recruitment rant, just an explanation of the current circumstance.

But as a few have commented the best way is to use your own contacts as they won't be playing this game with an already proven candidate and try go from there.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Thank you everyone for your feedback.

I'm interested to know what the salary expectations should be in Qatar also?

I know there's a lot of work out there at the moment, and people have shown interest, so I want to compare the two.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Swings and roundabouts. There's a reason I have vacancies and a reason I have candidates. You'd be surprised how many times you can put a candidate in front of a client and they chuckle to themselves because they did a job with them 5, 10 years ago but never thought about calling them...others are smarter / wiser / know what they want and do all that stuff themselves.


Weasel; I don't understand why you think a recruiter would try and lower the salary the candidate gets offered? I spend my life trying make salaries higher...

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Simply because you are competing against other recruitment companies who will try offer similarly qualified or experienced candidates for less salary.
I don't think this btw, I see this more often than you'd expect. And in some cases unfortunately its the same candidate.
Unless you have a deal to be the sole recruitment agency for a company? and thats not something I have seen

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

You arent going to see a major difference either way between UAE or Qatar right now, within the company I work for Qatar is usually higher as its a less desirable location but there is no real trend either way. Dubai may be maginally more competitive due to the bad market there but Qatar has not picked up enough to see any salary growth as far as i can see.
A lot of the expected work has yet to come on stream fully.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

That surprises me...it's not logical.

Fortunately I've done both; worked as a sole supplier but as a stand alone business and as I am now working will multiple clients.

Every experience is so varied, it's why we're all labelled as shit.

Such is.:)

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

From your clients perspective it is logical, if I have 2 candidates of similar calibre and experience, I am going to choose the one who wants the lower salary. (all other things being equal)

If this is your guy then your agency will get the fee, if its not the the other agency will get the fee.

Your clients will have multiple agencies.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Yep, exactly my experience. No disrespect here, Scamp, its just simple economics: if you're the sole agent for a client, you'll endeavour to get the candidate the highest salary (assuming your fee is a percentage of the salary); if you're not the sole agent, you'll consider persuading candidates to accept lower salaries because you know, all other things being equal, that your client wants to pay as little as possible to get a candidate who ticks all the required boxes. Genuinely, I have no disrespect for that approach--its business, and every business is there to (legitimately) maximise its profits (as well as retaining clients and keeping its employees satisfied).

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

I understand what you're saying, but it's the classic argument of getting what you pay for.

If the budget for an engineer is 10,000 per month, I'll stick three guys in at 8,000, 9,000 and 10,000 so the client see's different levels...better candiates don't always cost more but generally do, and generally are worth it.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

We are going over it a little but the guy you have in at 10,000 maybe is in at 9,000 with another agency.

Re: Mechancial & Electrical Quantity Surveyor (MEP QS)
 

Fortunately I rarely come up against this, but it's interesting to hear what you have seen / experienced.