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Average Salary in Nigeria 2023

How much money does a person working in Nigeria make?


Average Monthly Salary
339,000 NGN
( 4,060,000 NGN yearly)

LOW
85,700
NGN
AVERAGE
339,000
NGN
HIGH
1,510,000
NGN

A person working in Nigeria typically earns around 339,000 NGN per month. Salaries range from 85,700 NGN (lowest average) to 1,510,000 NGN (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.

Distribution of Salaries in Nigeria

Median and salary distribution monthly Nigeria
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The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range

  • Salary Range

    Salaries in Nigeria range from 85,700 NGN per month (minimum salary) to 1,510,000 NGN per month (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).

  • Median Salary

    The median salary is 339,000 NGN per month, which means that half (50%) of the population are earning less than 339,000 NGN while the other half are earning more than 339,000 NGN. 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

    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 191,000 NGN while 75% of them are earning more than 191,000 NGN. Also from the diagram, 75% of the population are earning less than 925,000 NGN while 25% are earning more than 925,000 NGN.


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

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 Nigeria costs anywhere from 1,690,000 Naira(s) to 5,080,000 Naira(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 Comparison By Gender

Salary comparison by gender monthly Nigeria
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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 Nigeria earn 7% more than their female counterparts on avergae across all sectors.

Male
348,000 NGN
Female-6%
326,000 NGN
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in Nigeria

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

Nigeria

Employees in Nigeria are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 8% every 19 months.

Annual Salary Increment Rate Nigeria
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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 Nigeria is 5%.

Annual Increment Rate By Industry 2022

Banking
5%
Energy
1%
Information Technology
6%
Healthcare
2%
Travel
7%
Construction
3%
Education
8%

Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Nigeria 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

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Bonus and Incentive Rates in Nigeria

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate Nigeria
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51% of surveyed staff in Nigeria reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 49% 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
49%
No Bonus
51%

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.

Salaries for popular jobs

Job TitleAverage Salary
Accounting and Finance
Accountant238,000 NGN
Accounting Assistant179,000 NGN
Accounting Manager504,000 NGN
Bookkeeper154,000 NGN
Chartered Accountant313,000 NGN
Corporate Treasurer464,000 NGN
Financial Analyst427,000 NGN
Financial Manager631,000 NGN
Internal Auditor308,000 NGN

Administration / Reception / Secretarial
Administrative Assistant176,000 NGN
Office Manager278,000 NGN
Receptionist165,000 NGN
Secretary149,000 NGN

Advertising / Grapic Design / Events
Art Director325,000 NGN
Creative Director327,000 NGN
Graphic Designer206,000 NGN
Photographer185,000 NGN

Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense
Aerospace Engineer445,000 NGN
Air Traffic Controller366,000 NGN
Flight Attendant230,000 NGN
Pilot569,000 NGN

Architecture
Architect415,000 NGN
CAD Drafter165,000 NGN

Automotive
Mechanic122,000 NGN
Service Advisor227,000 NGN

Banking
Bank Branch Manager586,000 NGN
Teller120,000 NGN

Bilingual
Teacher250,000 NGN
Translator313,000 NGN

Business Planning
Business Analyst435,000 NGN
Business Development Manager521,000 NGN
Project Manager412,000 NGN

Care Giving and Child Care
Nanny133,000 NGN
Nursery Teacher121,000 NGN

Construction / Building / Installation
Civil Engineer321,000 NGN
Construction Project Manager557,000 NGN
Health and Safety Officer146,000 NGN

Customer Service and Call Center
Call Center Representative131,000 NGN
Customer Service Manager436,000 NGN
Customer Service Representative128,000 NGN

Engineering
Civil Engineer304,000 NGN
Electrical Engineer316,000 NGN
Engineer309,000 NGN
Mechanical Engineer302,000 NGN

Executive and Management
Chief Executive Officer729,000 NGN
Chief Financial Officer689,000 NGN
General Manager565,000 NGN
Project Manager359,000 NGN

Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering
Chef201,000 NGN
Executive Chef237,000 NGN
Hotel Manager624,000 NGN
Receptionist123,000 NGN
Travel Agent205,000 NGN
Waiter / Waitress109,000 NGN

Health and Medical
Dentist825,000 NGN
Dietitian646,000 NGN
Laboratory Technician240,000 NGN
Nurse265,000 NGN

Human Resources
Human Resources Manager504,000 NGN
Human Resources Officer208,000 NGN

Information Technology
Computer Technician252,000 NGN
Database Administrator330,000 NGN
Developer / Programmer313,000 NGN
Information Technology Manager558,000 NGN
Network Engineer276,000 NGN

Law Enforcement / Security / Fire
Police Officer196,000 NGN

Legal
Attorney653,000 NGN
Legal Assistant168,000 NGN

Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment
Journalist372,000 NGN

Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology
Biomedical Engineer285,000 NGN
Pharmacist444,000 NGN

Sales Retail and Wholesale
Cashier119,000 NGN
Sales Manager599,000 NGN
Sales Representative217,000 NGN

Teaching / Education
Elementary School Teacher240,000 NGN
Secondary School Teacher283,000 NGN

Average Hourly Wage in Nigeria


1,950 NGN per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Nigeria is 1,950 NGN. This means that the average person in Nigeria earns approximately 1,950 NGN for every worked hour.


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

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.

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Benin City289,000 NGN
Ibadan323,000 NGN
Kaduna304,000 NGN
Kano336,000 NGN
Lagos351,000 NGN

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 Nigeria earn 6% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.

Private Sector
328,000 NGN
Public Sector+6%
347,000 NGN
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

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