Domestic staff salary guide: Islamabad & Rawalpindi

Why this exists

Nobody publishes what domestic staff actually earn

Ask five people in Islamabad what a cook should be paid and you will get five different numbers, most of them years out of date. That gap hurts both sides: households overpay or underpay without knowing, and good staff leave jobs that were never competitive to begin with.

The figures on this page come from placements we completed across 47 areas of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. They are agreed salaries, not asking rates, which is why a few sit below the numbers quoted in general news coverage. We update them as the market moves and note the date at the top of the page.

Pay ranges run from Rs 18,000 a month at the entry end (car washers & cleaners) up to Rs 350,000 for the most specialised roles (it & technical staff). Where you land inside a band depends on experience, hours, whether the role is live-in, and the size of the household or business.

Reading the numbers

What moves a salary up or down

Hours

A four-hour morning shift costs less than a ten-hour day, but not proportionally. Travel time does not shrink with the hours, so very short shifts carry a premium per hour worked.

Area

Islamabad generally runs 5 to 15 per cent above Rawalpindi for household roles, with the F and E sectors, DHA and Bahria Enclave at the top. Bahria Town Rawalpindi and DHA Rawalpindi track Islamabad rates rather than the wider Rawalpindi market. Saddar, Raja Bazaar and the older city sit lowest.

Live-in versus day shift

Live-in roles sit in the upper third of each band and include accommodation and food on top. This only works where the property has a separate servant quarter or a room with attached bathroom.

Scope creep

The most common cause of a failed placement is paying for one job and expecting two. A maid asked to also cook daily is doing a cook cum helper's job and should be paid accordingly. Agreeing duties in writing before joining prevents nearly all of these disputes.

Annual increments

Ten to fifteen per cent a year is normal and is the cheapest retention tool you have. Late salary, rather than low salary, is the most common reason good staff resign in the twin cities.