A person working in Engineering in Nigeria typically earns around 286,000 NGN per month. Salaries range from 90,700 NGN (lowest average) to 605,000 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 Engineering careers. If you are interested in the salary of a particular job, see below for salaries for specific job titles.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Acoustics Engineer | 275,000 NGN |
Assembly Engineering Technician | 233,000 NGN |
Assistant Chief Engineer | 324,000 NGN |
Associate Engineer | 267,000 NGN |
Autocad Operator | 189,000 NGN |
Automation Engineer | 318,000 NGN |
Avionic System Support Engineer | 274,000 NGN |
Biochemical Engineer | 288,000 NGN |
BMS Engineer | 278,000 NGN |
Bridge and Lock Tender | 165,000 NGN |
Broadcast Engineer | 291,000 NGN |
CAD Design Engineer | 314,000 NGN |
CAD Designer | 183,000 NGN |
CAE Engineer | 296,000 NGN |
Ceramics Engineer | 281,000 NGN |
Civil Engineer | 304,000 NGN |
Commissioning Engineer | 300,000 NGN |
Communications Engineer | 307,000 NGN |
Condition Monitoring Engineer | 250,000 NGN |
Contract Associate Engineer | 293,000 NGN |
Control Systems Engineer | 286,000 NGN |
Controls Engineer | 296,000 NGN |
Controls Software Engineer | 271,000 NGN |
Corrosion Engineer | 276,000 NGN |
Design Engineer | 289,000 NGN |
Drafter | 187,000 NGN |
Drafting Manager | 329,000 NGN |
Drilling Engineer | 292,000 NGN |
Electrical Draughtsman | 146,000 NGN |
Electrical Engineer | 316,000 NGN |
Electrical Engineering Manager | 438,000 NGN |
Electromechanical Engineering Technologist | 327,000 NGN |
Electromechanical Equipment Assembler | 153,000 NGN |
Energy Engineer | 309,000 NGN |
Engine Assembler | 138,000 NGN |
Engineer | 309,000 NGN |
Engineering Account Manager | 326,000 NGN |
Engineering Chief Designer | 322,000 NGN |
Engineering Consultant | 383,000 NGN |
Engineering Key Account Manager | 415,000 NGN |
Engineering Lab Technician | 270,000 NGN |
Engineering Planning Manager | 402,000 NGN |
Engineering Production Manager | 533,000 NGN |
Engineering Project Analyst | 359,000 NGN |
Engineering Project Coordinator | 333,000 NGN |
Engineering Project Director | 575,000 NGN |
Engineering Project Manager | 413,000 NGN |
Engineering Research and Development Manager | 495,000 NGN |
Engineering Safety Coordinator | 238,000 NGN |
Engineering Sales Manager | 405,000 NGN |
Engineering Technician | 229,000 NGN |
Engineering Technologist | 241,000 NGN |
Environmental Engineer | 303,000 NGN |
Equipment Engineer | 271,000 NGN |
Equipment Engineering Manager | 375,000 NGN |
Estimator | 247,000 NGN |
Fabrication Specialist | 209,000 NGN |
Fabricator | 129,000 NGN |
Facade Engineer | 290,000 NGN |
Fiber Analyst | 169,000 NGN |
Field Engineer | 314,000 NGN |
Field Engineering Manager | 489,000 NGN |
Fire Engineer | 303,000 NGN |
Fitter and Turner | 92,900 NGN |
Forestry Strategic Planner | 353,000 NGN |
Generation Engineer | 305,000 NGN |
Genetic Engineer | 321,000 NGN |
Geological Engineer | 317,000 NGN |
Geotechnical Engineer | 326,000 NGN |
Heavy Equipment Mechanic | 150,000 NGN |
Highway Engineer | 293,000 NGN |
HSE Professional | 287,000 NGN |
HVAC Engineer | 300,000 NGN |
HVAC Supervisor | 276,000 NGN |
Industrial Engineer | 288,000 NGN |
Industrial Engineering Technologist | 279,000 NGN |
Instrument Engineer | 278,000 NGN |
Instrumentation and Control Engineer | 293,000 NGN |
Instrumentation Engineer | 298,000 NGN |
Instrumentation Manager | 297,000 NGN |
Irrigation Engineer | 278,000 NGN |
Licensed Aircraft Engineer | 326,000 NGN |
Locomotive Engineer | 274,000 NGN |
Maintenance Engineer | 285,000 NGN |
Maintenance Fitter | 102,000 NGN |
Maintenance Manager | 306,000 NGN |
Manufacturing Engineer | 280,000 NGN |
Marine Engineer | 310,000 NGN |
Materials Engineer | 290,000 NGN |
Materials Researcher | 288,000 NGN |
Materials Technician | 219,000 NGN |
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer | 326,000 NGN |
Mechanical Design Engineer | 309,000 NGN |
Mechanical Designer | 265,000 NGN |
Mechanical Engineer | 302,000 NGN |
Mechanical Engineering Manager | 422,000 NGN |
Mechanical Inspector | 286,000 NGN |
Mechatronics Engineer | 303,000 NGN |
Mining Engineer | 295,000 NGN |
Oil and Petrochemical Engineer | 333,000 NGN |
Optical Engineer | 286,000 NGN |
Optical Instrument Assembler | 143,000 NGN |
PCB Assembler | 112,000 NGN |
Photonics Engineer | 324,000 NGN |
Photonics Technician | 253,000 NGN |
Pipeline Engineer | 261,000 NGN |
Piping Designer | 164,000 NGN |
Piping Engineer | 266,000 NGN |
Planning Engineer | 286,000 NGN |
Pressure Vessel Inspector | 143,000 NGN |
Principal Cost Engineer | 311,000 NGN |
Principal Engineer | 285,000 NGN |
Principal Support Engineer | 302,000 NGN |
Process Engineer | 290,000 NGN |
Process Operator | 177,000 NGN |
Product Development Engineer | 322,000 NGN |
Product Development Technician | 223,000 NGN |
Product Engineer | 309,000 NGN |
Product Safety Engineer | 277,000 NGN |
Production Engineer | 281,000 NGN |
Project Engineer | 301,000 NGN |
Proposal Manager | 381,000 NGN |
Purchasing Engineer | 264,000 NGN |
Quality Assurance Engineer | 299,000 NGN |
Rail Engineer | 292,000 NGN |
Robotics Engineer | 320,000 NGN |
Robotics Technician | 246,000 NGN |
Safety Engineer | 306,000 NGN |
Safety Inspector | 240,000 NGN |
Safety Manager | 353,000 NGN |
Safety Officer | 147,000 NGN |
Sales Engineer | 310,000 NGN |
Scheduling Engineer | 275,000 NGN |
Service Engineer | 321,000 NGN |
Solar Engineer | 304,000 NGN |
Staff Engineer | 298,000 NGN |
Static Equipment Engineer | 292,000 NGN |
Stationary Engineer | 258,000 NGN |
Stress Engineer | 284,000 NGN |
Structural Analysis Engineer | 287,000 NGN |
Structural Designer | 255,000 NGN |
Structural Engineer | 304,000 NGN |
Structural Technician | 191,000 NGN |
Supply Chain Specialist | 299,000 NGN |
Surveyor | 218,000 NGN |
Technical Affairs Officer | 154,000 NGN |
Technical Assistant | 150,000 NGN |
Technical Engineer | 256,000 NGN |
Technical Support Engineer | 250,000 NGN |
Tender Engineer | 263,000 NGN |
Test Development Engineer | 282,000 NGN |
Transportation Engineer | 279,000 NGN |
Validation Engineer | 255,000 NGN |
Verification Engineer | 274,000 NGN |
Wastewater Engineer | 285,000 NGN |
Wind Energy Engineer | 297,000 NGN |
Wind Energy Operations Manager | 411,000 NGN |
Work Planner | 214,000 NGN |
Engineering salaries in Nigeria range from 90,700 NGN per month (minimum average salary) to 605,000 NGN per month (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).
The median salary is 269,000 NGN per month, which means that half (50%) of people working in Engineering are earning less than 269,000 NGN while the other half are earning more than 269,000 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.
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of people working in Engineering are earning less than 162,000 NGN while 75% of them are earning more than 162,000 NGN. Also from the diagram, 75% of people working in Engineering are earning less than 411,000 NGN while 25% are earning more than 411,000 NGN.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 who work in Engineering earn 16% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 302,000 NGN | |
Female | -14% | 260,000 NGN |
Engineering professionals in Nigeria are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 9% every 18 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 19 months.
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.
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
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.
Engineering is considered to be a moderate bonus-based field due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
54% of surveyed staff in Engineering reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 46% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 5% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 46% | |
No Bonus | 54% |
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, 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 BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
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.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting 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: | Example: |
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.
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.
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.
The average salary for Engineering is 16% less than that of All Jobs.
City | Average Salary |
Benin City | 243,000 NGN |
Ibadan | 273,000 NGN |
Kaduna | 257,000 NGN |
Kano | 283,000 NGN |
Lagos | 296,000 NGN |
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 |