IMA Middle East Salary Survey shows CMAs earn more than double salary of non-certified professionals

This translates to a total of up to Dhs9.5m ($2.6m) in extra income throughout the career lifetime of a CMA. These and additional findings appear in the October 2010 issue of IMA's Strategic Finance magazine.

While most of the research results found commonalities with the latest U.S. version of IMA's Annual Salary Survey (released in June 2010), such as salary increases for higher positions in management, the Middle East Salary Survey indicated a much greater 'master's premium' in the region than in the U.S. For example, on average, entry-level managers with master's degrees earned more than middle managers without.

"The findings of the Middle East Salary Survey demonstrate the value of higher education, professional certification, and professional experience in advancing your career in accounting and finance and earning higher pay," said Jeff Thomson, CMA, IMA President and CEO. "The ability for finance and accounting professionals in the region to more than double their income by becoming a CMA is a strong indication of the value employers place on CMAs and the value certified professionals bring to their organizations."

"In many of the world's emerging economies, such as the Middle East, there is a demand for highly skilled professionals who can support strategic business decisions," said Hassan Sharafeddin, CMA, CIA, President of IMA's Dubai chapter. "The CMA certification program helps professionals meet the demands of businesses."

IMA's Middle East Salary Survey was mailed to a sample of 4,436 IMA members in the Middle East. A total of 944 questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 21%. The survey was conducted by IMA's Vice-President of Research and Applications Development, Dr. Raef Lawson, CMA, CPA.