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Average Salary in Afghanistan 2023

How much money does a person working in Afghanistan make?


Average Monthly Salary
77,900 AFN
( 934,000 AFN yearly)

LOW
19,700
AFN
AVERAGE
77,900
AFN
HIGH
348,000
AFN

A person working in Afghanistan typically earns around 77,900 AFN per month. Salaries range from 19,700 AFN (lowest average) to 348,000 AFN (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).

This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Salaries vary drastically between different careers. If you are interested in the salary of a particular job, see below for salaries for specific job titles.

Pay Scale and Salaries in Afghanistan

Median and salary distribution Afghanistan monthly
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Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
145,000 AFN or more
10% of people earn
113,000 to 145,000 AFN
20% of people earn
44,100 AFN or less
65% of people earn
44,100 to 113,000 AFN
Minimum Salary
19,700 AFN
Median
66,400 AFN
Maximum
348,000 AFN


Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range

  • Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary

    Salaries in Afghanistan range from 19,700 AFN per month (starting salary) to 348,000 AFN per month (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher). This is not the minimum wage as per the law, only the lowest reported number in the salary survey that had thousands of participants and professionals from all over the country.

  • Median Salary

    The median salary is 66,400 AFN per month, which means that half (50%) of the population are earning less than 66,400 AFN while the other half are earning more than 66,400 AFN. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.

  • Percentiles and Salary Scale

    Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of the population are earning less than 47,900 AFN while 75% of them are earning more than 47,900 AFN. Also from the diagram, 75% of the population are earning less than 101,000 AFN while 25% are earning more than 101,000 AFN.

  • Pay Scale Structure

    We grouped the most common and recurring salaries into brackets to give more insight into what salary to expect. This method is more accurate than just the average salary and gives more insights on how salaries are actually distributed. Around 65% of all reported figures are in the range 44,100 AFN to 113,000 AFN. Approximatly 20% fall under the 44,100 AFN cap. Ten percent of wages are from 113,000 AFN to 145,000 AFN. Only 5% of people grossed 145,000 AFN or more.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience

How does a person's salary progress over time?

Salary Comparison By Experience Level
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The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher the wage.

Generally speaking, employees having experience from two to five years earn on average 32% more than freshers and juniors across all industries and disciplines.

Professionals with experience of more than five years tend to earn on average 36% more than those with five years or less of work experience.


Change in salary based on experience varies drastically from one location to another and depends hugely on the career field as well. The data displayed here is the combined average of many different jobs. To view accurate figures, choose a specific job title.

As you hit the ten years mark, the salary increases by 21% and an additional 14% for those who have crossed the 15 years mark.

Those figures are presented as guidelines only. The numbers become more significant if you consider one job title at a time.

On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark.
* Based on the average change in salary over time. Salary variations differ from person to person.

Salary Comparison By Education

How does the education level affect your salary?

Salary Comparison By Education
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It is well known that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We compared the salaries of professionals at the same level but with different college degrees levels across many jobs, below are our findings.


Change in salary based on education varies drastically from one location to another and depends hugely on the career field as well. The data displayed here is the combined average of multiple jobs. To view accurate figures, choose a specific job title.

Workers with a certificate or diploma earn on average 17% more than their peers who only reached the high school level.

Employees who earned a Bachelor's Degree earn 24% more than those who only managed to attain a cerificate or diploma.

Professionals who attained a Master's Degree are awarded salaries that are 29% more than those with a Bachelor's Degree.

Finally, PhD holders earn 23% more than Master's Degree holders on average while doing the same job.


Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?

A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Afghanistan costs anywhere from 389,000 Afghani(s) to 1,170,000 Afghani(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.

You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.

Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support this tactic. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.

The decision really depends on your situation and experience among many other factors. Putting all variables aside, if you can afford the costs of higher education then the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.



Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender

Salary comparison by gender Afghanistan monthly
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Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male employees in Afghanistan earn 11% more than their female counterparts on avergae across all sectors.

Male
81,000 AFN
Female-10%
73,200 AFN
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in Afghanistan

How much are annual salary increments in Afghanistan? How often do employees get salary raises?

Afghanistan

Employees in Afghanistan are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 4% every 29 months.

Annual Salary Increment Rate Afghanistan
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The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.

The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.

How to calculate the salary increment percentage?

The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency

The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in Afghanistan is 2%.

Annual Increment Rate By Industry 2022

Banking
1%
Energy
2%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
4%
Travel
5%
Construction
6%
Education
7%

Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Afghanistan for the year 2022. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.


Average Salary Increase Rate by Experience Level

Junoir Level
3% - 5%
Mid-Career
6% - 9%
Senior Level
10% - 15%
Top Management
15% - 20%

The difference in increment rates is somehow justified because employers put more effort to retain more experienced staff since they are harder to acquire than less experienced ones.

Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs

World Average Annual Salary Increment
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Salary Packages and Schemes

Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.

Bonus and Incentive Rates in Afghanistan

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate Afghanistan
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69% of surveyed staff in Afghanistan reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 31% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 4% to 5% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus
31%
No Bonus
69%

Types of Bonuses Considered

Individual Performance-Based Bonuses

The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.

Company Performance Bonuses

Occasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.

Goal-Based Bonuses

Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.

Holiday / End of Year Bonuses

These types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.

Bonuses Are Not Commissions!

People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.


Bonus Rates Comparison by Career Field

Finance
High
Architecture
High
Sales
High
Business Development
High
Marketing / Advertising
High
Information Technology
Moderate
Healthcare
Moderate
Insurance
Moderate
Customer Service
Moderate
Human Resources
Moderate
Construction
Low
Transport
Low
Hospitality
Low

What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?

The main two types of jobs

Revenue GeneratorsSupporting Cast

Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business.

Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations.

Example:
A graphics designer working for a graphics designing company.

Example:
A graphic designer in the marketing department of a hospital.


Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.

Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.

Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level

Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.

Salary Trend and Forecast in Afghanistan

How are Afghanistan salaries changing over time? The chart below shows the average salary change in the past few years.

Average Salary 2019
70,900 AFN
Average Salary 2020+2%
72,300 AFN
Average Salary 2021+2%
73,900 AFN
Average Salary 2022+2%
75,700 AFN
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salaries in Afghanistan are on the rise in the year 2023 based on recent submitted salaries and reports. As displayed in the chart, salaries in 2022 are 2% higher than those of 2021. The trend suggests a slow yet continuous increase in pay in 2024 and future years. These numbers may vary from industry to another.

Salary trends and forecast monthly Afghanistan
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Salaries for popular jobs. Salaries by occupations.

Job TitleAverage Salary
Accounting and Finance
Accountant58,700 AFN
Accounting Assistant46,000 AFN
Accounting Manager116,000 AFN
Bookkeeper36,600 AFN
Chartered Accountant71,200 AFN
Corporate Treasurer107,000 AFN
Financial Analyst99,700 AFN
Financial Manager154,000 AFN
Internal Auditor74,100 AFN

Administration / Reception / Secretarial
Administrative Assistant41,100 AFN
Office Manager69,000 AFN
Receptionist31,200 AFN
Secretary35,800 AFN

Advertising / Grapic Design / Events
Art Director79,800 AFN
Creative Director80,300 AFN
Graphic Designer51,400 AFN
Photographer45,300 AFN

Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense
Aerospace Engineer105,000 AFN
Air Traffic Controller90,100 AFN
Flight Attendant57,400 AFN
Pilot144,000 AFN

Architecture
Architect101,000 AFN
CAD Drafter43,100 AFN

Automotive
Mechanic29,200 AFN
Service Advisor53,800 AFN

Banking
Bank Branch Manager153,000 AFN
Teller29,700 AFN

Bilingual
Teacher60,200 AFN
Translator71,200 AFN

Business Planning
Business Analyst99,200 AFN
Business Development Manager128,000 AFN
Project Manager89,200 AFN

Care Giving and Child Care
Nanny34,100 AFN
Nursery Teacher30,500 AFN

Construction / Building / Installation
Civil Engineer74,800 AFN
Construction Project Manager139,000 AFN
Health and Safety Officer36,200 AFN

Customer Service and Call Center
Call Center Representative29,300 AFN
Customer Service Manager106,000 AFN
Customer Service Representative29,600 AFN

Engineering
Electrical Engineer79,900 AFN
Engineer77,000 AFN
Mechanical Engineer78,700 AFN

Executive and Management
Chief Executive Officer175,000 AFN
Chief Financial Officer169,000 AFN
General Manager138,000 AFN

Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering
Chef52,600 AFN
Executive Chef60,900 AFN
Hotel Manager140,000 AFN
Travel Agent49,400 AFN
Waiter / Waitress24,700 AFN

Health and Medical
Dentist188,000 AFN
Dietitian153,000 AFN
Laboratory Technician62,500 AFN
Nurse64,300 AFN

Human Resources
Human Resources Manager122,000 AFN
Human Resources Officer49,000 AFN

Information Technology
Computer Technician61,900 AFN
Database Administrator77,200 AFN
Developer / Programmer81,800 AFN
Information Technology Manager135,000 AFN
Network Engineer73,200 AFN

Law Enforcement / Security / Fire
Police Officer46,500 AFN

Legal
Attorney152,000 AFN
Legal Assistant41,100 AFN

Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment
Journalist95,800 AFN

Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology
Biomedical Engineer71,200 AFN
Pharmacist108,000 AFN

Sales Retail and Wholesale
Cashier31,000 AFN
Sales Manager143,000 AFN
Sales Representative54,100 AFN

Teaching / Education
Elementary School Teacher53,700 AFN
Secondary School Teacher65,500 AFN

Average Hourly Wage in Afghanistan


450 AFN per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Afghanistan is 450 AFN. This means that the average person in Afghanistan earns approximately 450 AFN for every worked hour.


Hourly Wage = Annual Salary ÷ ( 52 x 5 x 8 )

About The Hourly Pay Rate

The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.

What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?

This minimum pay rate per hour for a person in Afghanistan is 110 AFN. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Herat79,500 AFN
Jalalabad74,900 AFN
Kabul85,900 AFN
Kandahar82,900 AFN
Kunduz72,000 AFN
Mazari Sharif76,800 AFN

Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison

Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Afghanistan earn 11% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.

Private Sector
73,200 AFN
Public Sector+11%
81,000 AFN
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide

What is considered to be a good and competitive salary in Afghanistan?

It is extremely difficult to give an exact figure of a good salary when no specific job is selected, however; an estimate can be provided based purely on the cost of living. A good compensation in Afghanistan would range anywhere between 66,400 AFN and 101,000 AFN.

Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)

All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salart after tax for every career.

Base / Basic Salary

The base salary in Afghanistan is ranges from 47,900 AFN to 101,000 AFN. The base salary depends on many factors including profession, experience, and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range in a grain of salt.


What is the difference between the median and the average salary?

Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary


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