A person working in Brasilia typically earns around 9,860 BRL per month. Salaries range from 2,490 BRL (lowest average) to 44,000 BRL (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 Brasilia range from 2,490 BRL per month (minimum salary) to 44,000 BRL per month (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).
The median salary is 10,100 BRL per month, which means that half (50%) of the population are earning less than 10,100 BRL while the other half are earning more than 10,100 BRL. 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 5,650 BRL while 75% of them are earning more than 5,650 BRL. Also from the diagram, 75% of the population are earning less than 27,600 BRL while 25% are earning more than 27,600 BRL.
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 Brazil costs anywhere from 42,800 Brazilian Real(s) to 128,000 Brazilian Real(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 Brazil earn 10% more than their female counterparts on avergae across all sectors.
Male | 9,040 BRL | |
Female | -9% | 8,240 BRL |
Employees in Brazil are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 9% every 16 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 | 3% | |
Energy | 6% | |
Information Technology | 9% | |
Healthcare | 3% | |
Travel | 6% | |
Construction | 9% | |
Education | 3% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Brazil for the year 2020. 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.
49% of surveyed staff in Brazil reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 51% 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 | 51% | |
No Bonus | 49% |
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 | 6,740 BRL |
Accounting Assistant | 5,110 BRL |
Accounting Manager | 14,700 BRL |
Bookkeeper | 4,280 BRL |
Chartered Accountant | 8,290 BRL |
Corporate Treasurer | 12,900 BRL |
Financial Analyst | 12,500 BRL |
Financial Manager | 19,400 BRL |
Internal Auditor | 9,290 BRL |
Administration / Reception / Secretarial | |
Administrative Assistant | 5,160 BRL |
Office Manager | 8,300 BRL |
Receptionist | 3,760 BRL |
Secretary | 4,160 BRL |
Advertising / Grapic Design / Events | |
Art Director | 9,180 BRL |
Creative Director | 9,840 BRL |
Graphic Designer | 5,870 BRL |
Photographer | 5,350 BRL |
Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | |
Aerospace Engineer | 12,300 BRL |
Air Traffic Controller | 10,200 BRL |
Flight Attendant | 6,470 BRL |
Pilot | 16,800 BRL |
Architecture | |
Architect | 11,700 BRL |
CAD Drafter | 4,810 BRL |
Automotive | |
Mechanic | 3,440 BRL |
Service Advisor | 6,550 BRL |
Banking | |
Bank Branch Manager | 18,200 BRL |
Teller | 3,580 BRL |
Bilingual | |
Teacher | 7,270 BRL |
Translator | 8,290 BRL |
Business Planning | |
Business Analyst | 12,300 BRL |
Business Development Manager | 15,700 BRL |
Project Manager | 10,700 BRL |
Care Giving and Child Care | |
Nanny | 4,040 BRL |
Nursery Teacher | 3,730 BRL |
Construction / Building / Installation | |
Civil Engineer | 8,820 BRL |
Construction Project Manager | 16,100 BRL |
Health and Safety Officer | 4,460 BRL |
Customer Service and Call Center | |
Call Center Representative | 3,440 BRL |
Customer Service Manager | 12,400 BRL |
Customer Service Representative | 3,690 BRL |
Engineering | |
Electrical Engineer | 9,410 BRL |
Engineer | 9,350 BRL |
Mechanical Engineer | 9,470 BRL |
Executive and Management | |
Chief Executive Officer | 20,600 BRL |
Chief Financial Officer | 20,000 BRL |
General Manager | 16,100 BRL |
Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering | |
Chef | 5,870 BRL |
Executive Chef | 7,020 BRL |
Hotel Manager | 17,100 BRL |
Travel Agent | 6,190 BRL |
Waiter / Waitress | 3,000 BRL |
Health and Medical | |
Dentist | 21,900 BRL |
Dietitian | 17,900 BRL |
Laboratory Technician | 7,520 BRL |
Nurse | 7,540 BRL |
Human Resources | |
Human Resources Manager | 14,000 BRL |
Human Resources Officer | 5,970 BRL |
Information Technology | |
Computer Technician | 7,580 BRL |
Database Administrator | 9,700 BRL |
Developer / Programmer | 9,480 BRL |
Information Technology Manager | 16,400 BRL |
Network Engineer | 8,420 BRL |
Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | |
Police Officer | 5,880 BRL |
Legal | |
Attorney | 19,200 BRL |
Legal Assistant | 4,990 BRL |
Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | |
Journalist | 10,600 BRL |
Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology | |
Biomedical Engineer | 8,540 BRL |
Pharmacist | 12,000 BRL |
Sales Retail and Wholesale | |
Cashier | 3,510 BRL |
Sales Manager | 16,700 BRL |
Sales Representative | 6,100 BRL |
Teaching / Education | |
Elementary School Teacher | 6,310 BRL |
Secondary School Teacher | 8,060 BRL |
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.
City | Average Salary |
Aracaju | 8,570 BRL |
Belem | 9,270 BRL |
Belo Horizonte | 9,550 BRL |
Brasilia | 9,860 BRL |
Campinas | 8,990 BRL |
Cuiaba | 8,460 BRL |
Curitiba | 9,430 BRL |
Fortaleza | 9,680 BRL |
Goiania | 9,190 BRL |
Joao Pessoa | 8,630 BRL |
Londrina | 8,390 BRL |
Macapa | 8,330 BRL |
Maceio | 8,880 BRL |
Manaus | 9,550 BRL |
Maringa | 8,040 BRL |
Natal | 8,780 BRL |
Petrolina and Juazeiro | 7,840 BRL |
Porto Alegre | 9,030 BRL |
Recife | 9,310 BRL |
Rio de Janeiro | 9,890 BRL |
Salvador | 9,740 BRL |
Santos | 8,050 BRL |
Sao Luis | 8,960 BRL |
Sao Paulo | 9,970 BRL |
Teresina | 8,710 BRL |
Vale do Aco | 8,230 BRL |
Vitoria | 7,870 BRL |
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Brazil earn 6% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 8,330 BRL | |
Public Sector | +6% | 8,850 BRL |