A person working in Zambia typically earns around 6,000 ZMK per month. Salaries range from 1,520 ZMK (lowest average) to 26,800 ZMK (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.
Salaries in Zambia range from 1,520 ZMK per month (minimum salary) to 26,800 ZMK per month (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).
The median salary is 6,360 ZMK per month, which means that half (50%) of the population are earning less than 6,360 ZMK while the other half are earning more than 6,360 ZMK. 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 3,550 ZMK while 75% of them are earning more than 3,550 ZMK. Also from the diagram, 75% of the population are earning less than 17,600 ZMK while 25% are earning more than 17,600 ZMK.
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 Zambia costs anywhere from 30,000 Zambian Kwacha(s) to 90,000 Zambian Kwacha(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 Zambia earn 12% more than their female counterparts on avergae across all sectors.
Male | 6,390 ZMK | |
Female | -11% | 5,690 ZMK |
Employees in Zambia are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 5% every 28 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 | 8% | |
Energy | 7% | |
Information Technology | 6% | |
Healthcare | 5% | |
Travel | 4% | |
Construction | 3% | |
Education | 2% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Zambia 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.
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.
62% of surveyed staff in Zambia reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 38% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 2% to 7% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 38% | |
No Bonus | 62% |
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.
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 |
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.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Accounting and Finance | |
Accountant | 4,000 ZMK |
Accounting Assistant | 3,270 ZMK |
Accounting Manager | 8,930 ZMK |
Bookkeeper | 2,810 ZMK |
Chartered Accountant | 5,170 ZMK |
Corporate Treasurer | 7,840 ZMK |
Financial Analyst | 7,620 ZMK |
Financial Manager | 12,400 ZMK |
Internal Auditor | 5,790 ZMK |
Administration / Reception / Secretarial | |
Administrative Assistant | 3,140 ZMK |
Office Manager | 5,440 ZMK |
Receptionist | 2,290 ZMK |
Secretary | 2,730 ZMK |
Advertising / Grapic Design / Events | |
Art Director | 6,020 ZMK |
Creative Director | 5,990 ZMK |
Graphic Designer | 3,850 ZMK |
Photographer | 3,340 ZMK |
Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | |
Aerospace Engineer | 7,300 ZMK |
Air Traffic Controller | 6,540 ZMK |
Flight Attendant | 4,140 ZMK |
Pilot | 10,500 ZMK |
Architecture | |
Architect | 6,930 ZMK |
CAD Drafter | 3,150 ZMK |
Automotive | |
Mechanic | 2,310 ZMK |
Service Advisor | 4,190 ZMK |
Banking | |
Bank Branch Manager | 11,100 ZMK |
Teller | 2,340 ZMK |
Bilingual | |
Teacher | 4,650 ZMK |
Translator | 5,170 ZMK |
Business Planning | |
Business Analyst | 7,110 ZMK |
Business Development Manager | 9,530 ZMK |
Project Manager | 7,030 ZMK |
Care Giving and Child Care | |
Nanny | 2,390 ZMK |
Nursery Teacher | 2,330 ZMK |
Construction / Building / Installation | |
Civil Engineer | 5,500 ZMK |
Construction Project Manager | 9,780 ZMK |
Health and Safety Officer | 2,780 ZMK |
Customer Service and Call Center | |
Call Center Representative | 2,150 ZMK |
Customer Service Manager | 8,360 ZMK |
Customer Service Representative | 2,190 ZMK |
Engineering | |
Electrical Engineer | 6,010 ZMK |
Engineer | 5,690 ZMK |
Mechanical Engineer | 5,910 ZMK |
Executive and Management | |
Chief Executive Officer | 13,900 ZMK |
Chief Financial Officer | 12,400 ZMK |
General Manager | 10,800 ZMK |
Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering | |
Chef | 3,850 ZMK |
Executive Chef | 4,380 ZMK |
Hotel Manager | 10,400 ZMK |
Travel Agent | 3,860 ZMK |
Waiter / Waitress | 1,820 ZMK |
Health and Medical | |
Dentist | 13,700 ZMK |
Dietitian | 11,800 ZMK |
Laboratory Technician | 4,690 ZMK |
Nurse | 4,590 ZMK |
Human Resources | |
Human Resources Manager | 8,930 ZMK |
Human Resources Officer | 3,460 ZMK |
Information Technology | |
Computer Technician | 4,610 ZMK |
Database Administrator | 5,900 ZMK |
Developer / Programmer | 6,060 ZMK |
Information Technology Manager | 9,760 ZMK |
Network Engineer | 5,380 ZMK |
Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | |
Police Officer | 3,660 ZMK |
Legal | |
Attorney | 11,700 ZMK |
Legal Assistant | 3,270 ZMK |
Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | |
Journalist | 6,800 ZMK |
Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology | |
Biomedical Engineer | 5,070 ZMK |
Pharmacist | 7,310 ZMK |
Sales Retail and Wholesale | |
Cashier | 2,360 ZMK |
Sales Manager | 9,920 ZMK |
Sales Representative | 3,900 ZMK |
Teaching / Education | |
Elementary School Teacher | 3,930 ZMK |
Secondary School Teacher | 4,660 ZMK |
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.
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Zambia earn 17% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 5,580 ZMK | |
Public Sector | +17% | 6,540 ZMK |