Females in Qatar earn less than males, although they work longer than the latter, according to an official estimate.
The average monthly wage for males stood at QR10,893 at an estimated average 49 working hours; while females earned on an average QR9,294 working for 51 hours, the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS) said in its Labour Force Survey, released yesterday.
The average monthly wage for total workers amounts to QR10,483 at an estimated average 50 working hours; implying that females, especially non-Qataris, worked more than the national average. 
The gender equality index stands at 85.3% in 2014 compared to 84.5% in 2013, 81.9% in 2012 and 77.3% in 2011, said the survey, which is an imperative tool for the design and evaluation of the development policies such as socioeconomic planning and human resources development support programmes.
In the case of Qatari males, their average monthly salary was QR31,405 on average 41 working hours; while Qatari females earn QR23,223 working for 38 hours.
Non-Qatari males earn an average salary of QR7,012 on average 51 working hours while non-Qatari females earn on QR4,968 despite putting in 55 average working hours.
At the level of occupations, the highest average monthly wages are for “legislators, senior officials, and managers” with an average of QR33,000, followed by “specialists” with QR24,000. The lowest average wages are in “elementary occupations”, and “machinery and equipment operators” with QR4,000.
As for the economic activities, the highest monthly wages are registered in “public administration and defence” with QR25,000, followed by “mining and quarrying” with QR23,000.
The lowest average monthly wages are in the “household activities” with about QR3,000.
In terms of sectors, the highest monthly wages are in “government administration” and “government agency/company” with QR24,000, followed by the “diplomatic” sector with QR23,000. The “domestic” sector registered the lowest rates of monthly wages of approximately QR3,000.
MDPS said the average working hours per week reach 50. They amount to 49 and 51 hours for males and females, respectively.
The working hours of “elementary occupations’ workers” amount to 55, representing one of the highest average working hours in occupations, followed by “machinery operators” at an average of 53, it said.
The lowest working hours on average are registered in the occupations of “specialists”, and “clerks” at 42 a week.
The highest average working hours by economic activity are for workers in the “household activities” with 57 hours weekly, followed by “agriculture, forestry, and fishing” with 53 hours weekly on average, the ministry said.
The lowest working hours at all are in the economic activities of “education”, “human health and social work”, and “arts, entertainment, and recreation”, where 40 working hours per week are registered.
However, the highest average working hours distributed by sectors are in the domestic and private sectors, where they range from 50 to 56 hours weekly, while the lowest on average are manifested in the diplomatic sector, where only 41 working hours are recorded weekly.