Average Salary in Sri Lanka 2019
How much money does a person working in Sri Lanka make?
85,989 LKR per month Average Monthly Salary
A person working in Sri Lanka typically earns around 85,989 LKR per month.
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits.
Salaries differ drasticly between different jobs. If you are interested in the salary of a particular job, see below for salaries for specific job titles.
Distribution of Salaries in Sri Lanka | All Jobs
25% of people earn
40,000 LKR
or less
40,000 LKR
or less
50% of people earn
60,000 LKR
or less
60,000 LKR
or less
75% of people earn
100,000 LKR
or less
100,000 LKR
or less
 3,000 LKR |
60,000 LKR |
750,000 LKR |
Abount These Figures: Salary Range, Median and Percentiles
Salaries in Sri Lanka range between 3,000 LKR per month (minimum salary) to 750,000 LKR per month (maximum salary).The median salary is 60,000 LKR per month, which means that half (50%) of the population are earning less than 60,000 LKR while the other half are earning more than 60,000 LKR. 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 the population are earning less than 40,000 LKR while 75% of them are earning more than 40,000 LKR. Also from the diagram, 75% of the population are earning less than 100,000 LKR while 25% are earning more than 100,000 LKR.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary? What should you be looking at?
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 plently of room for improvement. If your wage is in between the average and median, then things can be a bit confusing. We have written a guide to explain all the different senarios. How to compare your salarySalaries for specific job categories
Choose your job category from below to explore specific salary details
Accounting and FinanceAdministration / Reception / SecretarialConstruction / Building / InstallationEngineeringExecutive and ManagementHuman ResourcesInformation TechnologyMarketingSalary Trend and Forecast in Sri Lanka
How are Sri Lanka salaries changing over time? Listed below is a chart that shows the average salary over the past few years.
| Average Salary 2016 | = | 80,557 LKR |
| Average Salary 2017 |  +3% | 82,813 LKR |
| Average Salary 2018 | +2% | 84,635 LKR |
| Average Salary 2019 | +2% | 85,989 LKR |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salaries in Sri Lanka are on the rise in the year 2019 based on recent submitted salaries and reports. As displayed in the chart, salaries in 2019 are 2% higher than those of 2018. The trend suggests a slow yet continous increase in pay in 2020 and future years. These numbers differ slightly from industry to another.Average Hourly Wage in Sri Lanka | All Jobs
441 LKR per hour Average Hourly Wage
The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Sri Lanka | All Jobs is 441 LKR. This means that the average person in Sri Lanka earns approximatly 441 LKR for every worked hour.
Hourly Wage = Annual Salary ÷ ( 52 x 5 x 8 )
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one working 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 annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximation and they are considered to the be the standard.
Salary Comparison By City
| City | Average Salary |
| Batticaloa | 184,600 LKR |
| Colombo | 89,373 LKR |
| Galle | 46,667 LKR |
| Kalmunai | 23,000 LKR |
| Kandy | 58,111 LKR |
| Moratuwa | 50,000 LKR |
| Sri Jayawardenepura | 40,000 LKR |