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Waiter / Waitress Average Salary in Kenya 2024

How much money does a person working as Waiter / Waitress make in Kenya?


Average Monthly Salary
49,500 KES
( 594,000 KES yearly)

LOW
22,800
KES
AVERAGE
49,500
KES
HIGH
78,700
KES
All salary figures displayed here are per month except when noted otherwise.
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 salary after tax for every career.

A person working as Waiter / Waitress in Kenya typically earns around 49,500 KES. Salaries range from 22,800 KES (lowest) to 78,700 KES (highest).


Salary Variance

This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Waiter / Waitress salaries in Kenya vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.



Waiter / Waitress Pay Scale and Salaries in Kenya

Median and salary distribution Kenya Waiter / Waitress monthly
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Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
47,000 KES or more
10% of people earn
41,100 to 47,000 KES
20% of people earn
28,300 KES or less
65% of people earn
28,300 to 41,100 KES
Minimum Salary
22,800 KES
Median
47,300 KES
Maximum
78,700 KES




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

All salary figures displayed here are per month except when noted otherwise.
  • Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary

    Salaries for the position Waiter / Waitress in Kenya range from 22,800 KES (starting salary) to 78,700 KES (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.

  • Median Salary

    With a median salary of 47,300 KES, half of the professionals who work as Waiter / Waitress in Kenya earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.

  • Percentiles and Salary Scale

    The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Waiter / Waitress in Kenya earn less than 38,200 KES, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 54,500 KES while 25% earn more.

  • Pay Scale Structure

    To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Waiter / Waitress in Kenya compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 28,300 KES to 41,100 KES. About 20% of salaries are below the 28,300 KES mark, while 10% fall within the range of 41,100 KES to 47,000 KES. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 47,000 KES.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Waiter / Waitress / Kenya

How do experience and age affect pay?

0 - 2 Years
25,900 KES
2 - 5 Years+34%
34,500 KES
5 - 10 Years+48%
51,000 KES
10 - 15 Years+22%
62,200 KES
15 - 20 Years+9%
67,800 KES
20+ Years+8%
73,400 KES
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by years of experience monthly Kenya Waiter / Waitress
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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. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Waiter / Waitress and this is what we found.


All salary figures displayed here are per month except when noted otherwise.

Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 25,900 KES.

While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 34,500 KES, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.

Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 51,000 KES, 48% more than someone with two to five years of experience.

Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 62,200 KES, 22% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.

If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 67,800 KES, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.

Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 73,400 KES, 8% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.

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.

Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Experience Level
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Salary Comparison By Education / Waiter / Waitress / Kenya

How do education levels affect salaries?

Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Waiter / Waitress.

High School
29,500 KES
Certificate or Diploma+57%
46,300 KES
Bachelor's Degree+68%
77,600 KES
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by education level monthly Kenya Waiter / Waitress
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We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Waiter / Waitress in order to make a comparison.


Level 1: High School

Employees at this education level have an average salary of 29,500 KES.


Level 2: Certificate or Diploma

At this level, the average salary becomes 46,300 KES, 57% more than the previous level.


Level 3: Bachelor's Degree

At this level, the average salary becomes 77,600 KES, 68% more than the previous level.



Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Education Level
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Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Waiter / Waitress / Kenya

Salary comparison by gender Kenya Waiter / Waitress 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? For the people who work as Waiter / Waitress in Kenya, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 14%.

Male
45,900 KES
Female+16%
53,100 KES
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Comparison By Gender in Kenya for all Careers

Salary comparison by gender monthly Kenya
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Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Waiter / Waitress / Kenya

How much are annual salary increments in Kenya for individuals working as Waiter / Waitress? How often do employees get salary raises?

Individuals working as Waiter / Waitress in Kenya are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 5% every 29 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 4% granted to employees every 29 months.

Annual Salary Increment Rate Kenya Waiter / Waitress
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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.

Kenya / All Professions

Annual Salary Increment Rate Kenya
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The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare 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 Kenya is 2%.

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 / Waiter / Waitress / Kenya

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate Kenya Waiter / Waitress
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85% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 15% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 0% to 4% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus
15%
No Bonus
85%

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.


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.

Average Hourly Wage / Waiter / Waitress / Kenya


290 KES per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Waiter / Waitress in Kenya is 290 KES.This is the rate they get paid 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 fixed 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?

The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Waiter / Waitress in Kenya is 130 KES. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.

Salary comparison with similar jobs

Job TitleAverage Salary
Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering-100%
Airbnb Property Manager170,000 KES+240%
All Rounder63,100 KES+27%
Assistant Executive Housekeeper45,100 KES-9%
Assistant Food and Beverage Controller88,800 KES+79%
Assistant Food and Beverage Director192,000 KES+290%
Assistant Hospitality Manager210,000 KES+320%
Assistant Storekeeper40,500 KES-18%
Assistant Tour Manager94,500 KES+91%
Baker and Pastrycook53,300 KES+8%
Bakery Manager112,000 KES+130%
Bakery Superintendent77,300 KES+56%
Banquet Captain59,300 KES+20%
Banquet Manager82,800 KES+67%
Banquet Server48,100 KES-3%
Bar Attendant47,600 KES-4%
Bar Manager107,000 KES+120%
Bar Supervisor67,200 KES+36%
Barista58,100 KES+17%
Bartender56,900 KES+15%
Bellman46,600 KES-6%
Beverage Manager117,000 KES+140%
Bistro Attendant51,800 KES+5%
Buffet Chef86,500 KES+75%
Buffet Host48,200 KES-3%
Buffet Manager109,000 KES+120%
Butcher and Slaughterer41,200 KES-17%
Cafeteria Assistant52,200 KES+5%
Cafeteria Manager94,900 KES+92%
Cafeteria Supervisor70,000 KES+41%
Cake Decorator57,900 KES+17%
Casino Shift Manager175,000 KES+250%
Chain Store Customer Support81,300 KES+64%
Chef98,100 KES+98%
Chef De Cuisine130,000 KES+160%
Club Manager177,000 KES+260%
Cluster Director234,000 KES+370%
Cluster Revenue Manager185,000 KES+270%
Cocktail Server47,900 KES-3%
Coffee Shop Manager162,000 KES+230%
Concierge48,900 KES-1%
Confectionery Baker59,100 KES+19%
Conference and Sales Coordinator84,000 KES+70%
Conference Services Manager112,000 KES+130%
Cook81,400 KES+64%
Corporate Sous Chef133,000 KES+170%
Corporate Travel Consultant138,000 KES+180%
Croupier65,100 KES+31%
Culinary Assistant42,700 KES-14%
Culinary Associate43,200 KES-13%
Culinary Tour Guide117,000 KES+140%
Demi Chef95,900 KES+94%
Dietary Aide94,500 KES+91%
Dining Room Supervisor88,800 KES+79%
Dishwasher40,200 KES-19%
Duty Manager116,000 KES+130%
Events Coordinator69,800 KES+41%
Executive Chef105,000 KES+110%
Executive Pastry Chef86,400 KES+74%
Fast Food Cook77,800 KES+57%
Fast Food Shift Supervisor80,100 KES+62%
Fine Dining Cook139,000 KES+180%
Fine Dining Restaurant Chef133,000 KES+170%
Fleet Manager241,000 KES+390%
Food and Beverage Manager179,000 KES+260%
Food and Beverage Trend Analyst121,000 KES+140%
Food Consultant149,000 KES+200%
Food Photographer99,100 KES+100%
Food Policy Analyst135,000 KES+170%
Food Safety Auditor127,000 KES+160%
Food Safety Compliance Manager148,000 KES+200%
Food Safety Coordinator111,000 KES+120%
Food Server45,900 KES-7%
Food Service Director175,000 KES+250%
Food Service Manager191,000 KES+290%
Food Service Sales114,000 KES+130%
Food Service Worker47,100 KES-5%
Food Stylist75,800 KES+53%
Food Sustainability Consultant135,000 KES+170%
Front Desk Agent57,500 KES+16%
Front Desk Clerk56,100 KES+13%
Front Office Manager107,000 KES+120%
Gastronomy Consultant104,000 KES+110%
Guest Service Executive163,000 KES+230%
Guest Service Representative63,300 KES+28%
Head Chef 109,000 KES+120%
Head Concierge70,400 KES+42%
Hospitality Director296,000 KES+500%
Hospitality Technology Specialist118,000 KES+140%
Hostess / Host55,400 KES+12%
Hotel Desk Clerk54,700 KES+10%
Hotel Maid39,900 KES-19%
Hotel Manager274,000 KES+450%
Hotel Revenue Manager169,000 KES+240%
Hotel Sales Manager213,000 KES+330%
Hotel Service Supervisor156,000 KES+220%
Hotel Staff52,300 KES+6%
Inventory Coordinator64,200 KES+30%
Kitchen Manager95,700 KES+93%
Kitchen Staff53,100 KES+7%
Kitchen Supervisor81,600 KES+65%
Line Cook83,800 KES+69%
Luggage Porter38,100 KES-23%
Molecular Gastronomist133,000 KES+170%
Motel Manager161,000 KES+230%
Pastry Chef77,900 KES+57%
Pastrycooking and Baking Assistant50,200 KES+1%
Personal Chef110,000 KES+120%
Production Operator82,000 KES+66%
Quality, Health and Safety Coordinator90,500 KES+83%
Receptionist54,200 KES+9%
Regional Restaurant Manager210,000 KES+320%
Restaurant Manager181,000 KES+270%
Restaurant Server48,600 KES-2%
Room Reservations Manager181,000 KES+270%
Room Service Manager174,000 KES+250%
Sous Chef102,000 KES+110%
Special Events Coordinator114,000 KES+130%
Supervisor of Food Services129,000 KES+160%
Sustainable Catering Coordinator110,000 KES+120%
Sustainable Tourism Consultant121,000 KES+140%
Tour Consultant142,000 KES+190%
Tour Guide90,400 KES+83%
Tour Manager126,000 KES+150%
Travel Agent98,000 KES+98%
Travel Consultant142,000 KES+190%
Virtual / Augmented Reality Tourism Specialist109,000 KES+120%
Waiter / Waitress49,500 KES-0%
Wedding Planner150,000 KES+200%

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Mombasa49,600 KES
Nairobi52,400 KES

Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison

Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Kenya is 14% on average across all career fields.

Private Sector
140,000 KES
Public Sector+14%
159,000 KES
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 for the job title Waiter / Waitress in Kenya?

A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 47,300 KES and 54,500 KES. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.

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 salary after tax for every career.

Base / Basic Salary

The base salary for a careers like Waiter / Waitress in Kenya ranges from 22,800 KES to 38,200 KES. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with 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 the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn 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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