HOME BROWSE SALARIES ARTICLES BEST PAYING JOBS SUBMIT SALARY
Browse Salaries
Best Paying Jobs
Articles
Submit Salary
Salary Increase Letters

Pharmacist Average Salary in Kenya 2024

How much money does a person working as Pharmacist make in Kenya?


Average Monthly Salary
188,000 KES
( 2,260,000 KES yearly)

LOW
92,100
KES
AVERAGE
188,000
KES
HIGH
293,000
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 Pharmacist in Kenya typically earns around 188,000 KES. Salaries range from 92,100 KES (lowest) to 293,000 KES (highest).


Salary Variance

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



Pharmacist Pay Scale and Salaries in Kenya

Median and salary distribution Kenya Pharmacist monthly
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/kenya/pharmaceutical-and-biotechnology/pharmacist/median-and-salary-distribution-monthly-kenya-pharmacist.jpg

Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
174,000 KES or more
10% of people earn
154,000 to 174,000 KES
20% of people earn
109,000 KES or less
65% of people earn
109,000 to 154,000 KES
Minimum Salary
92,100 KES
Median
175,000 KES
Maximum
293,000 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 Pharmacist in Kenya range from 92,100 KES (starting salary) to 293,000 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 175,000 KES, half of the professionals who work as Pharmacist 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 Pharmacist in Kenya earn less than 143,000 KES, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 201,000 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 Pharmacist in Kenya compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 109,000 KES to 154,000 KES. About 20% of salaries are below the 109,000 KES mark, while 10% fall within the range of 154,000 KES to 174,000 KES. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 174,000 KES.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Pharmacist / Kenya

How do experience and age affect pay?

0 - 2 Years
109,000 KES
2 - 5 Years+29%
140,000 KES
5 - 10 Years+38%
194,000 KES
10 - 15 Years+24%
240,000 KES
15 - 20 Years+7%
257,000 KES
20+ Years+7%
274,000 KES
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by years of experience monthly Kenya Pharmacist
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/kenya/pharmaceutical-and-biotechnology/pharmacist/salary-comparison-by-years-of-experience-monthly-kenya-pharmacist.jpg

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 Pharmacist 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 109,000 KES.

While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 140,000 KES, 29% more than someone with less than two year's experience.

Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 194,000 KES, 38% 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 240,000 KES, 24% 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 257,000 KES, 7% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.

Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 274,000 KES, 7% 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
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/images/salary-by-experience.jpg

Salary Comparison By Education / Pharmacist / Kenya

How do education levels affect salaries?

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

Bachelor's Degree
136,000 KES
Master's Degree+60%
219,000 KES
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by education level monthly Kenya Pharmacist
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/kenya/pharmaceutical-and-biotechnology/pharmacist/salary-comparison-by-education-level-monthly-kenya-pharmacist.jpg

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 Pharmacist in order to make a comparison.


Level 1: Bachelor's Degree

Employees at this education level have an average salary of 136,000 KES.


Level 2: Master's Degree

At this level, the average salary becomes 219,000 KES, 60% more than the previous level.



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 Kenya costs anywhere from 737,000 KES to 2,210,000 KES 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 to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support the theory. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.

If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.


Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Education Level
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/images/salary-comparison-by-education.jpg


Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Pharmacist / Kenya

Salary comparison by gender Kenya Pharmacist monthly
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/kenya/pharmaceutical-and-biotechnology/pharmacist/salary-comparison-by-gender-monthly-kenya-pharmacist.jpg

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 Pharmacist in Kenya, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 10%.

Male
195,000 KES
Female-9%
178,000 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
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/kenya/salary-comparison-by-gender-monthly-kenya.jpg


Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Pharmacist / Kenya

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

Individuals working as Pharmacist in Kenya are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 7% every 30 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 4% granted to employees every 29 months.

Annual Salary Increment Rate Kenya Pharmacist
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/kenya/pharmaceutical-and-biotechnology/pharmacist/annual-salary-increment-rate-kenya-pharmacist.jpg


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
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/kenya/annual-salary-increment-rate-kenya.jpg

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
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/images/salary-increment-world.jpg

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 / Pharmacist / Kenya

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate Kenya Pharmacist
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/kenya/pharmaceutical-and-biotechnology/pharmacist/annual-salary-bonus-rate-kenya-pharmacist.jpg

61% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 39% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 6% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus
39%
No Bonus
61%

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 / Pharmacist / Kenya


1,080 KES per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Pharmacist in Kenya is 1,080 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 Pharmacist in Kenya is 530 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
Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology-100%
Assistant Pharmacist129,000 KES-31%
Assistant Pharmacy Director249,000 KES+32%
Associate Medical Affairs Director318,000 KES+69%
Bioethics Specialist180,000 KES-4%
Biofabrication Specialist187,000 KES-1%
Bioinformatics Scientist303,000 KES+61%
Bioinformatics Technician141,000 KES-25%
Biological Scientist333,000 KES+77%
Biological Technician131,000 KES-30%
Biomanufacturing Technician163,000 KES-13%
Biomarker Scientist224,000 KES+19%
Biomedical Electronics Technician131,000 KES-30%
Biomedical Engineer123,000 KES-35%
Biomedical Engineering Director241,000 KES+28%
Bioprocess Engineer151,000 KES-20%
Biostatistician197,000 KES+5%
Biotechnologist 188,000 KES-0%
Biotechnology Lead Data Manager163,000 KES-13%
Cell Therapy Scientist260,000 KES+38%
Chemical Process Technician144,000 KES-23%
Clinical Consultant197,000 KES+5%
Clinical Data Manager194,000 KES+3%
Clinical Data Specialist180,000 KES-4%
Clinical Informatics Specialist155,000 KES-18%
Clinical Operations Manager274,000 KES+46%
Clinical Pharmacist195,000 KES+4%
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist230,000 KES+22%
Clinical Programmer101,000 KES-46%
Clinical Project Manager180,000 KES-4%
Clinical Research Associate175,000 KES-7%
Clinical Research Manager273,000 KES+45%
Clinical Study Manager250,000 KES+33%
Clinical Trials Compliance Officer346,000 KES+84%
Compliance Specialist205,000 KES+9%
Computational Chemist239,000 KES+27%
Cytology Laboratory Technologist164,000 KES-13%
Cytotechnologist166,000 KES-12%
Digital Biomarker Developer196,000 KES+4%
Digital Health Specialist184,000 KES-2%
Drug Safety Specialist225,000 KES+20%
GCP Auditor175,000 KES-7%
Gene Editing Compliance Officer236,000 KES+25%
Gene Editing Specialist192,000 KES+2%
Gene Therapy Researcher206,000 KES+10%
Hospital Pharmacy Technician142,000 KES-24%
Manufacturing Engineer157,000 KES-17%
Medical 3D Printing Specialist164,000 KES-13%
Medical Affairs Director309,000 KES+64%
Medical Device Compliance Specialist199,000 KES+6%
Medical Device Data Analyst174,000 KES-7%
Medical Device Designer171,000 KES-9%
Medical Representative 135,000 KES-28%
Medical Science Liaison231,000 KES+23%
Medical Technology Writer143,000 KES-24%
Molecular and Cellular Biologist335,000 KES+78%
Nuclear Pharmacist195,000 KES+4%
Pharmaceutical Compliance Auditor276,000 KES+47%
Pharmaceutical Manager356,000 KES+89%
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Lead377,000 KES+100%
Pharmaceutical Operations Excellence Manager311,000 KES+65%
Pharmaceutical Process Engineer173,000 KES-8%
Pharmaceutical Production Assistant Manager220,000 KES+17%
Pharmaceutical Project Manager198,000 KES+5%
Pharmaceutical Quality Auditor218,000 KES+16%
Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs Assistant162,000 KES-14%
Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs Manager224,000 KES+19%
Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs Specialist175,000 KES-7%
Pharmaceutical Representative130,000 KES-31%
Pharmaceutical Research Associate188,000 KES-0%
Pharmaceutical Research Scientist293,000 KES+56%
Pharmaceutical Researcher293,000 KES+56%
Pharmaceutical Sales and Marketing Manager228,000 KES+21%
Pharmaceutical Sales Manager292,000 KES+55%
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative138,000 KES-27%
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Manager313,000 KES+66%
Pharmaceutical Team Leader224,000 KES+19%
Pharmaceutical Technologist148,000 KES-21%
Pharmacist188,000 KES-0%
Pharmacogenomics Expert227,000 KES+21%
Pharmacovigilance Analyst225,000 KES+20%
Pharmacy Aide127,000 KES-32%
Pharmacy Manager268,000 KES+43%
Pharmacy Stock Controller117,000 KES-38%
Pharmacy Technician117,000 KES-38%
Precision Medicine Compliance Analyst217,000 KES+15%
Precision Medicine Specialist206,000 KES+10%
Records Management Coordinator109,000 KES-42%
Shift Encapsulator116,000 KES-38%
Staff Pharmacist203,000 KES+8%
Synthetic Biologist245,000 KES+30%
Telepharmacy Technician115,000 KES-39%

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Mombasa203,000 KES
Nairobi215,000 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 Pharmacist in Kenya?

A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 175,000 KES and 201,000 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 Pharmacist in Kenya ranges from 92,100 KES to 143,000 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


Browse Salaries

Salary Increase Letters

Best Paying Jobs
Home BROWSE SALARIES ARTICLES BEST PAYING JOBS Salary Comparison

©Salary Explorer 2024