MANILA - Among Filipinos working overseas, engineers and healthcare professionals were the highest paid, while skilled workers were the most in-demand last year, an online jobs portal said Wednesday.

The Middle East was still the top market for Overseas Filipino Workers in 2017 while the US offered the highest-paying jobs, according to the WorkAbroad.ph.

Filipinos can take advantage of demand by undergoing technical-vocation training, WorkAbroad.ph senior marketing manager Rowena Cielo Sonza said.

“Aspirants can also get ahead of competition by getting the necessary work experience in the Philippines before applying for jobs abroad. This is because overseas jobs require experience,” she said.

HIGHEST-PAID JOBS

Sea-based engineers deployed in the US were the highest paid in 2017, with ship masters earning P99,000 a month, chief engineers with P96,000 and chief officers with P92,000, the report said.

In the US, nurses with 5 or more years of experience can earn up to P80,000 – the highest rate given to nurses, the report said.

Skilled workers in the US, which include sea-based electricians and oilers earned P34,000 to P64,000 a month.

In the Middle East, healthcare professionals with 5 or more years of experience were the highest paid. Pediatricians earn as much as P86,000 a month, followed by general practitioners with P81,000, orthopedic doctors with P79,000, dentists with P79,000 and dermatologists with P74,000.

Nurses in the Middle East earn P65,000 monthly while veterinarians earn up to P58,000.

Land-based engineers in the Middle East and in Asia Pacific get P57,000 and P59,000 per month, respectively.

In the Asia Pacific, IT professionals with experience of 4 years or less earned as much as P54,000 a month.

MIDDLE EAST

Job openings in the Middle East are for skilled and engineering-related workers, the report said.

Engineering-related mechanics and electrical technicians were in demand in the Middle East. There was also demand for drivers, electricians and air-conditioning, auto, plumbing and maintenance technicians, the report said.

Mechanics and electrical engineers earned P42,000 to P50,000 a month while drivers, electricians and technicians got P30,000 to P35,000.

Cooks, waiters and baristas in the Middle East got P33,000 to P40,000 a month.

ASIA PACIFIC

In the Asia Pacific, skilled general workers were most in demand, with carpenters, domestic helpers and caretakers earning P30,000 to P34,000 per month.

Engineers and technical operators in the region got P38,000 to P59,000.

Unlike in the US and the Middle East, manufacturing and production operations jobs were in demand in Asia. Factory workers, production and machine operators and welders earned as much as P35,000.

TOP COUNTRIES FOR DEPLOYMENT

Despite repatriations last year, Saudi Arabia remains as the top employer for OFWs with 61,534 jobs or 54 percent of the total, Sonza said.

“Continue pa rin ang hiring kasi through the years marami pa rin ang demand,” she said.

(They continue to hire. Through the years, there's still high demand.)

Here are the top 10 countries in terms of available jobs for OFWs last year:

1. Saudi Arabia - 61,534
2. Qatar 16,083
3. UAE - 7231
4. Kuwait - 5,310
5. Bahrain 3,725
6. Oman - 3,661
7. US - 3,017
8. New Zealand - 1,190
9. Malaysia - 1,094
10. Taiwan - 861