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Legal Average Salaries in Nigeria 2024

How much money does a person working in Legal make in Nigeria?


Average Monthly Salary
440,000 NGN
( 5,280,000 NGN yearly)

LOW
126,000
NGN
AVERAGE
440,000
NGN
HIGH
1,010,000
NGN
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 in Legal in Nigeria typically earns around 440,000 NGN. Salaries range from 126,000 NGN (lowest average) to 1,010,000 NGN (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).


Salary Variance

The provided figure represents the median compensation that encompasses housing, transportation, and other perks. The salaries within the Legal domain in Nigeria exhibit significant discrepancies across various professions. In case you seek information about the remuneration of a specific position, please refer to the salaries listed below for respective job titles.

Salaries for specific jobs

Job TitleAverage Salary
Legal
Administrative Law Judge859,000 NGN
Arbitrator404,000 NGN
Associate Attorney415,000 NGN
Attorney653,000 NGN
Bailiff210,000 NGN
Barrister171,000 NGN
Blockchain Lawyer461,000 NGN
Candidate Attorney391,000 NGN
Conciliator313,000 NGN
Contracts Associate213,000 NGN
Contracts Manager374,000 NGN
Contracts Negotiator307,000 NGN
Contracts Specialist204,000 NGN
Conveyancing Secretary168,000 NGN
Corporate Counsel493,000 NGN
Counsel489,000 NGN
Court Clerk146,000 NGN
Court Judicial Assistant259,000 NGN
Court Liaison Specialist288,000 NGN
Court Reporter256,000 NGN
Court Representative190,000 NGN
Crown Prosecution Service Lawyer936,000 NGN
Data Privacy and Protection Lawyer580,000 NGN
Digital Forensics Lawyer568,000 NGN
E-discovery Lawyer588,000 NGN
General Counsel850,000 NGN
Genetics Lawyer682,000 NGN
Immigration Executive468,000 NGN
In House Counsel498,000 NGN
Intellectual Property Lawyer588,000 NGN
Intellectual Property Specialist341,000 NGN
Judge Advocate666,000 NGN
Law Clerk150,000 NGN
Lawyer621,000 NGN
Legal Administrative Assistant171,000 NGN
Legal Advisor381,000 NGN
Legal Assistant168,000 NGN
Legal Associate311,000 NGN
Legal Compliance Officer422,000 NGN
Legal Consultant415,000 NGN
Legal Consultant404,000 NGN
Legal Content Writer333,000 NGN
Legal Counsel472,000 NGN
Legal Data Analyst364,000 NGN
Legal Data Privacy Officer334,000 NGN
Legal Editor319,000 NGN
Legal Executive598,000 NGN
Legal Executive Secretary171,000 NGN
Legal IP Officer153,000 NGN
Legal Officer200,000 NGN
Legal Operations Manager728,000 NGN
Legal Process Outsourcing Professional394,000 NGN
Legal Project Manager834,000 NGN
Legal Risk Analyst620,000 NGN
Legal Secretary186,000 NGN
Legal Services Director765,000 NGN
Legal Services Manager746,000 NGN
Legal Support Worker125,000 NGN
Legal Technology Consultant297,000 NGN
Legislative Liaison316,000 NGN
Litigation Attorney802,000 NGN
Litigation Paralegal387,000 NGN
Litigation Support Specialist426,000 NGN
Magistrate Judge982,000 NGN
Paralegal255,000 NGN
Patent Attorney497,000 NGN
Privacy Compliance Officer318,000 NGN
Privacy Lawyer528,000 NGN
Social Media Lawyer479,000 NGN
Staff Attorney522,000 NGN
Venture Capital Lawyer660,000 NGN
Web Content Lawyer487,000 NGN


Legal Jobs Pay Scale and Salaries in Nigeria

Median and salary distribution Nigeria Legal monthly
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Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
474,000 NGN or more
10% of people earn
387,000 to 474,000 NGN
20% of people earn
195,000 NGN or less
65% of people earn
195,000 to 387,000 NGN
Minimum Salary
126,000
NGN
Median
389,000
NGN
Maximum
1,010,000
NGN




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 in Legal in Nigeria range from 126,000 NGN (starting average salary) to 1,010,000 NGN (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher). To clarify, the number presented is not the legally mandated minimum wage. Rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that involved thousands of participants and professionals from across the entire country.

  • Median Salary

    The median income in the field of Legal is 389,000 NGN, implying that half of the workforce in Nigeria earns less than this figure, and the other half earns more. It represents the central value of salaries. As a rule of thumb, you would prefer to be part of the group earning above the median wage, situated on the right-hand side of the salary distribution chart.

  • Percentiles and Salary Scale

    Two values that are highly correlated with the median are the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution diagram, it is possible to determine that 25% of individuals employed in Legal in Nigeria earn less than 286,000 NGN, while 75% of them earn more. Additionally, the diagram reveals that 75% of individuals earn less than 492,000 NGN, while 25% earn more than that.

  • Pay Scale Structure

    Data was regrouped into brackets to provide a better understanding of what salaries can be expected. This approach was deemed more accurate than relying solely on the average salary, as it offers greater insights into the distribution of salaries in the field of Legal in Nigeria. The analysis revealed that roughly 65% of all reported salaries fell within the range of 195,000 NGN to 387,000 NGN. Approximately 20% of salaries were below the 195,000 NGN mark, while 10% ranged from 387,000 NGN to 474,000 NGN. Only 5% of individuals earned a gross salary of 474,000 NGN or higher.

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 in Legal in Nigeria 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.


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.
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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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.

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 degree levels across many jobs in Legal in Nigeria, 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 certificate 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 1,700,000 NGN to 5,100,000 NGN and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.

Employees can't expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming they 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 this tactic. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.

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



Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Legal / Nigeria

Salary comparison by gender Nigeria Legal 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? In the field of Legal in Nigeria, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 19%.

Male
480,000 NGN
Female-16%
405,000 NGN
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Comparison By Gender in Nigeria for all Careers

Salary comparison by gender monthly Nigeria
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Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Legal / Nigeria

How much are annual salary increments in Nigeria for individuals working in Legal? How often do employees get salary raises?

Professionals working in Legal in Nigeria are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% every 17 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 19 months.

Annual Salary Increment Rate Nigeria Legal
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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.

Nigeria / All Professions

Annual Salary Increment Rate Nigeria
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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 Nigeria is 5%.

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 / Legal / Nigeria

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate Nigeria Legal
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52% of surveyed staff in Legal reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 48% 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
48%
No Bonus
52%

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.

Hourly Average Wage / Legal / Nigeria


2,540 NGN per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Legal in Nigeria is 2,540 NGN.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 in Legal in Nigeria is 730 NGN. 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
Benin City375,000 NGN
Ibadan420,000 NGN
Kaduna395,000 NGN
Kano436,000 NGN
Lagos456,000 NGN

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 Nigeria is 6% on average across all career fields.

Private Sector
329,000 NGN
Public Sector+6%
349,000 NGN
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 Legal in Nigeria?

A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 389,000 NGN and 492,000 NGN. 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 jobs in Legal in Nigeria ranges from 126,000 NGN to 286,000 NGN. 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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