Nurse in Marrakech

Hi everyone 😉 I’m Sabrina, I’m French, and I’ve been a nurse for 5 years....... I’d like to move to Marrakech and find a nursing job there.............. but I have no idea about the working conditions there, whether my diploma is recognized, or what the salary is like...... Thanks for shedding some light on this for me....... I’m looking forward to your replies and advice on the steps to take......

With a nurse's salary, you won't be able to make ends meet financially because to have a decent lifestyle, you need to budget at least 1000 € per month—and that’s without a car.

hi

I have lots of nurse friends here, but none of them work in their field—mostly because of the salary and hours, which are nowhere near the 35-hour workweek. On the other hand, what’s really lacking here is a proper nursing school that trains real nurses. I had both my kids here, and I can say that the nurses are like real prison guards when they do their jobs—well, at least after my second delivery, I didn’t see anyone for over 24 hours.

Salam Alaikoum Okhti, I don’t agree with you... there are nursing schools in Morocco. My sister is a state-registered nurse. She’s been one for a very long time, and thanks to the training she’s completed and the exams she’s passed, she earns a good living—like a small bourgeois in Morocco, with a decent salary.

Nursing training is strict and demanding, but once you’re in the working world, it’s a whole different story. The healthcare work schedule isn’t well organized, and there’s especially a lack of staff for health administration. Giving birth without proper help or not receiving adequate care is pretty common if you’re not well insured for it, as well as for illnesses. The state can’t afford luxuries for people who aren’t medically insured—just the bare minimum, of course.

Thanks,

Can you tell us how much a nurse earns? For example, your sister's salary. That way we can get a real idea of how much a nurse can earn in Morocco.

I gave birth in a private clinic in Marrakech, where the staff was supposed to be professional but wasn’t. On the other hand, I dealt with the nurses in the delivery ward—they were great, super professional.

Salam Alaikoum Okhti, It might be that the clinic doesn’t have a good reputation in Marrakech… and sometimes the public hospital is even better. I totally agree with you—there’s a real lack of responsibility in this field, which is a big issue in our country… Okht, this is everywhere in the world: if you have money, you’re first-class… if you don’t, you’re left out, especially here in Morocco. There’s a lack of accountability at work—the boss, or in this case the head doctor, shows up whenever they feel like it, and the staff does whatever they want too. I’ve seen doctors and staff smoking in the lab more than once? I was really shocked by that—smoking in a hospital, and especially in a lab…

Sorry, I got off topic… it’s just about healthcare in Morocco… bye bye

Yes, sis, she’s not just a regular nurse... she started as a state-registered nurse. I don’t know what a regular nurse earns (maybe 3,500 to 4,000 dirhams).... My sister makes almost 5,500 dirhams with a pay scale of, I think, 10 or 11? Not sure.

Basically, that’s it—between 2500 € and 5000 € (exceptional cases, high-end facilities, management positions). Don’t overlook that these jobs absolutely require fluent Moroccan Arabic and Arabic. The 35-hour workweek doesn’t exist here.

Thanks, so it's far from the 1000 to 1500 € a month you need to live decently in Morocco. With that amount, you can't support an entire family.

Life is pretty tough (materially), even for graduates.

hey, 😎 I was wondering, cousin, if Morocco is a paradise—from what I know, the poverty rate there is over 35%.

Plus, a lot of Algerians are fleeing from there because of how citizens are treated and they all returned to their country after the crisis we already saw 😛 but Algeria remains standing forever and welcomes everyone who wants to visit 😉 as for the standards, you French know Algeria better than we do 🙂

finally, I just want to send a little message that today’s Algeria is different from yesterday’s, and see you soon

Hi, I don’t know the income of a nurse in Morocco, but you can rely on what was mentioned earlier. However, I have a friend who’s a surgeon and is setting up a clinic in Marrakech. It’s still under construction, but there’s a good chance he’ll be looking for European staff. He specializes in cardiac surgery and still works in France, in Nice. From our conversations, he doesn’t trust Moroccan nursing staff because the "inch alla" mindset doesn’t align well with medicine. I can’t say more for now since we’ll have to wait another year before he practices here. The clinic should be located near Boulevard El Yarmouk.

Thanks to everyone for your replies. I knew it would be tough, but not *this* tough... I wonder where Moroccan nurses are trained—are there schools?

Anyway, I’m keeping this idea in mind for now... in the meantime, I’ll just keep calmly moving forward on my own path.

Thanks again to all of you for keeping me in mind if you hear anything! Sabrina 😉

Nurses are trained just like in France, in nursing schools.

Hi Fatimazahra, I’m a nurse in Morocco Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend choosing Morocco for these reasons: First, the salary isn’t encouraging at all—around 3,600 MAD (360 €) up to 400 €. Second, the workload and hours won’t leave you time for much else. Personally, I also work in the nonprofit sector, and it’s really tough to balance both properly. Otherwise, you could try combining public (if possible, though I doubt it) and private work. Good luck! Morocco, and Marrakech especially, is amazing, but building a career here is pretty tough. If you’d like more info, I’m happy to help—here’s my MSN: fifo_1984@hotmail.com

Hi Chariff, I agree with everything you said and I’ll add (see previous reply). Is your sister a general practice nurse?

I agree with you. It's tough to live financially on a nurse's salary.

It's not me who wants to go, but another person—a French woman who wanted to move to Morocco to work as a nurse.

I told her it would be financially difficult for her, and she wouldn’t be able to maintain the same standard of living as a nurse in France.

but you didn't answer me—where does your sister work? Is she Moroccan?

there's a mistake. I'm not the person whose sister is a nurse in Morocco.

And what do you do? How do you know all this about Morocco—have you ever worked in Morocco before?

Yes, I know Morocco well. My job has nothing to do with healthcare.

Salam 3alaikoum Okhti, Is it true you're looking to work abroad as a nurse? For tips...!? I have a lot to say on this topic!

Nurse in France and Morocco In France, you earn a bit more, but life is much more expensive than in Morocco. As a nurse in France: you have to work long hours to make a living. Otherwise, working 8 hours a day barely keeps you out of poverty—you don’t earn well as a nurse in France. It’s just enough to eat and have basic housing, and if you lose your job, it’s a disaster (no savings at all).

Being a nurse in Morocco is something else. 99% of people live with their family, which saves on housing costs. For food, there’s just one household budget, and everyone contributes to the family’s financial needs. That’s one advantage of Moroccan Muslim families.

In France, living for yourself is still a burden...

Just to set the record straight:

http://www.infirmiers.com/conc/presentation-profession.php (toward the end you’ll find the salaries)

Nursing in France is still a long way—thankfully—from the poverty you described. Plus, the 35-hour workweek is applied, very generously in the public sector and a bit less so in the private sector.

I have a lot of respect for the women doing the same job in Morocco for 12 extra hours a week and not even a quarter of the French salary. We’ve always been treated with competence, dedication, and a smile there.

😉Hi Claude, Thanks for your kind words, it really warms my heart to know someone appreciates what I do With all the difficulties you’ve mentioned, we don’t even have the right to that here in Morocco. But luckily, I don’t do my job to get praised or even for the money. It’s mostly to help others, learn new "things," expand my knowledge... and strengthen my faith in God. Thank you so much.

Big hi, and kudos to all the nurses around the world!

Oh really, Charif? I can't wait to hear your instructions ;)

As-salamu alaykum If you have a job in Morocco, I suggest you stay at home—it’s good for your morale and well-being. France isn’t a great country anymore… we’ve seen recently that the French are leaving their own country. Alhamdulillah, if you’re married, rest assured that Morocco is better than France! And if you’re looking to make money, you could lose everything… think it over and remember your Islamic and moral foundations. Fati… if you’re unsure, I’ll tell you there are many Moroccans living in France who are much poorer than they’d be in Morocco. Try to build your future in Morocco… good luck!

Hello, Mr. Morocco Tourism Specialist, Thank you for your input. It's true that we earn better in France than in Morocco, but as I wrote, there are other conditions in Morocco that don’t exist in France. In France, a nurse works to live and ends up saving nothing, whereas in Morocco, because of family life, a nurse can save well, live comfortably, and maybe even have a wonderful wedding... believe me, I’m of Moroccan origin.

It’s quite possible that you’re of Moroccan "origin," but it’s also possible that I’ve lived and worked in Morocco longer than you—I don’t just know the country as a tourist!

We’ve had contact with local medical and paramedical staff during the births of our children and after accidents. And I’m also familiar with the reality in France.

A French nurse likely has more savings capacity than a Moroccan nurse—it’s just basic arithmetic and common sense.

But it’s also true that I wouldn’t encourage Fatima to look for work in Europe, as she’d likely face major disappointments regarding quality of life, morals, economic reality, and many other things.

thanks to all of you but you don’t seem to get it—the issue isn’t just financial to be honest, with my good grades, I was assigned by the ministry to the middle of nowhere, and all day long I deal with illiterate people.........whom I respect sooooooo much for the efforts they make to improve their cultural, social, and health levels...especially women in short, I think I deserve better than this—I mean: continuing education, networking

and to charif, thank you for worrying about the religious side, but that’s the least of my concerns, simply because I know my worth and I’m PROUD of who I am: a veiled Muslim woman who wants to develop her knowledge and experience

That was really interesting! I’ve got to do it and it’s urgent. I’ll log on in the evening, inshallah. Hi everyone! 😎

Salam 3alaikoum Fati... rest assured that you are (will be) much more respected in Morocco than in France, and doing good for Muslims is even more rewarding in the end (we all do it for Allah... inna salzti wa noussouki wa mahyaya wa mamati lillah...). Sister Fati, don’t you think about leaving your country for your future? Don’t focus on what isn’t real... alam alaikoum

Salam Alaikoum...Hi Raoulx, thanks for stepping in. Yes, I’m Moroccan and I have an experience that maybe you haven’t had the chance to have. Yes, I’m not in the tourism industry even though I’m from a tourist city; to me, tourists have become like citizens. I’m not definitively against this exodus or moving toward it. Instead of being affected or disoriented by this tourist wave as a Moroccan, I just want to open the eyes of others who think differently. Thanks

I think you have no idea what a nurse's salary is like in France. And with that salary, they can live completely financially independent, buy their own car or house/apartment, go on vacation, receive unemployment benefits, have a good retirement, and so on...

Just a little clarification: there are also male nurses—I think you’re forgetting about them.

If a nurse wants to live with her parents, there’s no problem at all; that’s her private life. Of course, in that case, expenses are lower. You know, it’s not illegal in France to live with your family. And it’s not something that’s only Muslim, either. This has always existed in many non-industrialized societies.

If earning at least 2,000 € when starting out (just so you know, that’s 22,000 dirhams) isn’t a good salary, then tell me—what *is* a decent salary to live on?

In France, you don’t earn 2000 euros as a nurse... maybe 12 hours a day, one day off a month, and no extra benefits if you’re not single?

I said a nurse (9) can make a living in France like in Morocco, but it’s not without saving on everything. In France, if you work as a nurse for 35 or 37.5 hours a week, single, you might earn 1300 euros. What can you do with that amount in France? Housing, food, and a family... don’t dream, sir—a nurse doesn’t own an apartment or a house; it belongs to the bank that financed it, and maybe after 1 or 2 years before retiring (if they work until 65...?!) does it finally belong to them?

Don’t dream... nursing is a job that deserves respect, but we can’t do the impossible. Look at the life of an average doctor in France today... open your eyes and dream of a career as a nurse... thanks

I think a nurse's salary in France is decent—it matches a "B-level" public sector position. I believe you live better alone in France on a nurse's salary than in Morocco in a "Muslim, Moroccan" family. Just a reminder, the person who started this discussion is French and definitely won’t accept living with 10 people in one house. We all have our own customs! What might feel like a burden for a Moroccan woman—is living alone really that bad? You shared your opinion as a man, but on this topic, I think it’s better to hear from an independent Moroccan woman.

Here, with 400 €/month, a Westerner definitely can’t live comfortably—that’s for sure. As for unemployment for nurses, it must exist but is probably rare.

I think you're mixing things up a bit. In France, whether you're married or single, your salary is the same.

When it comes to buying an apartment, whether in France or Morocco, the apartment belongs to the bank if there's a mortgage because everyone takes out a loan.

Even with 1,300 €, you can have your own apartment and a car in France (not in Paris, though). I think you don’t know the French system at all. In France, there’s a lot of help available—even when buying on credit, the state pays part of the interest if you don’t earn much (you get housing assistance). None of this exists in Morocco. You shouldn’t just compare salaries but also all the support the state provides if someone isn’t earning a great living.

I don’t think someone earning 4,000 dirhams a month can afford a car and go on vacation every now and then!!! (I know people in Marrakech who earn that amount, and I know how tough life is for them).

I hadn't seen the messages on the second page, so I'll continue—it's worse than I thought, Charif. You really have a backward mindset for 2007. It feels like I'm hearing a conversation from my grandparents about living on credit. It's better to live well your whole life in a decent house with a mortgage than in some "hovel" surrounded by litter and filth.

As for salaries, just a reminder that people sometimes get married, and in France, we try to have two incomes plus family benefits. When you're 35 with two kids and earning 4000 €/month, it makes life manageable (e.g., two nurses).

On the other hand, for Fatifleur, it's really better to stay in Morocco to work because if you wear the hijab like in the photo, know that it's very poorly accepted in France and even in Europe. I don’t think this will improve in the coming years. Being Muslim in France can go very well, but you mustn’t show it—that’s the reality if you don’t want to be disappointed. You can practice your religion, but it shouldn’t be the center of your interests like it is in Morocco.

didier

I totally agree with your point of view.

In France, there are family benefits, which isn’t the case in Morocco, to supplement your salary.

And in the end, you can have a decent life (your own apartment, a car, and some vacations).

my dear chariff, in France people don’t just die a few short years after retiring at 65—especially women, who live to 84 on average (life expectancy for a French woman), compared to 74 in Morocco (that’s 10 more years of life in France than in Morocco).

Isn’t a wife or sister considered a burden for the Moroccan family?!! And I’m sure you wouldn’t agree that your sister gets her own apartment and lives alone without being married (if you do agree, let me know and I can give another opinion..?). Living with 10 people in one house is almost the norm in Morocco (that’s how family members read it).. The French only dream of this kind of family luxury... Most families in France don’t even know each other (everyone for themselves); is that what you prefer, or have you been influenced by European life, which even Europeans themselves are tired of.... Tell me, if you’re Moroccan, be reasonable and solve the problem with your head? I know a family where two people both have degrees (Agrégé)... and they might be living quite normally... And don’t tell me a nurse can live well in France!

Yes, it's true that maybe everyone buys on credit in France... but not necessarily in Morocco. There are lots of people like me who don’t buy on credit. Is it a religious catastrophe!?

1300 € in France? Maybe enough to live minimally with one or two small kids. A 3-bedroom apartment (85 m²) with social assistance plus utilities costs at least 70 €... so tell me how you expect to feed the kids in France with maybe 600 € left, plus a car and saving for a place (apartment or house)?? PLEASE, SIR ::DON’T DREAM:: YOU’RE IN FRANCE

Thanks, Mr. Bouriane, for stepping in... being modern means having credit? That’s new to me?! I’m not behind the times, but I’m reasonable, and I want to open the eyes of people like you who are caught up in this life of credit—never sleeping, always living in fear of not being able to pay it off, and then death comes knocking... Don’t dream, live peacefully without credit

According to your calculation, 1300 - 70 (rent) isn’t equal to 600 euros but to 1230 euros. I’d love to know how you’re doing the math.

It’s not just housing assistance but also support for children. So even if they have 1000 euros left, you can live on that and even have a car.

And this isn’t possible in Morocco (with the same level of comfort).

Can you tell me how you manage not to buy your apartment on credit? Maybe you’re rich enough to pay for it in full.

You don’t know anything about life in France to lecture me like that. So tell me, how do nurses in France manage to live???? And don’t even get me started on factory workers in France. Maybe you’ve forgotten that a large part of Moroccans in France earn little, yet they still go on vacation to Morocco and own cars. How do you explain that?

hi,

France is a country where taking out a loan is still legal and not (yet) immoral—it’s still a secular country!

A salary of 1,300 € in France is very common; it’s not far from the average and still well above the poverty line!

Do some research instead of making assumptions, and proofread your messages so people can understand them. They’re sometimes unclear (maybe due to a certain obscurantism you seem to advocate?)

Good evening, Monsieur raoulx... it's true like I said. You can live as a nurse on a salary of 1200 to 1300 €, but not in luxury. Maybe a used mid-range car, but don’t dream of building a career in France or living like a high-flyer and owning property. In Morocco, you can’t really compare because of the system and other factors, but at least family helps you get something decent.

I’ll try to answer, because I don’t understand everything. First, have you ever been to France, or are you just repeating what you’ve been told? I lived in France for over 40 years—my sister is a nurse, my daughter wants to pursue this career, and I know many in the field. So when I tell you that nursing is a job with average but decent salaries, I’m sure of it. A lot of people would love to earn between 1,200 € and 2,500 € (excluding night shifts or other bonuses). Plus, it’s often a female-dominated profession, so it’s usually a second income in a household. Hope that was clear.

Now, regarding your family issues—I know Moroccan families are very close-knit, and your customs differ from European ones, but I’ll reassure you: I see my family every day. We’re close enough to support each other, just like you. But we don’t face the same struggles. As I mentioned earlier, your challenges are ones we had thirty years ago—no sewage system, no running water (we had a well at my grandparents’), and so on. We lived with similar constraints. No credit was allowed—my God, that was frowned upon!!! Back then, we went to church too!!! Times have changed—"not always for the better"—but I can assure you, you can get by just fine on a nurse’s salary, even better than you might think. As for your other message, we’re talking about salaries like mine because I’m a civil servant with the same pay scale as a nurse, and I live comfortably. Now that I’m in Morocco, I can compare, and I live much better than many Moroccans—even with the high cost of living in France, my salary allowed me to eat well, unlike Moroccans in the same profession. The Moroccan people are exploited by a small group, and don’t tell me it’s Europeans—that’ll annoy me. As for loans, we manage to sleep at night because we only take out credit when we have a stable job. It might be harder for you. As for living on 1,200 €, we never said it allows for luxury. The difference between our countries is that you only know two lifestyles: luxury for a few and poverty for most. In France, there’s luxury, many live comfortably, and unfortunately, some still live in poverty. Hope I didn’t bore you too much. Good evening, everyone.

Thanks for replying! A salary of 1200 € might be enough to live normally, but not much more, and 2500 € is a starting salary for an engineer in France. It’s nighttime, I need to sleep—I’ll try to reply and tell you about life in France and Morocco, and the life of French people in Morocco... Good evening or good night! Don’t dream too much.

That’s the salary of a 40-year-old nurse. See you!

Chariff, I’ve got a question for you.

Let’s say your sister (not married, of course)—just hypothetically—finds a job and decides to rent out her apartment. She rents it and moves in by herself, not in the same neighborhood as you. And let’s say she actually goes through with it.

What would you do in that situation?