KNBS Report Reveals Sectors With the Highest Paying Jobs

Taglines

• Kenyans working for extraterritorial organisations, like the UN, are the top earners with an average annual salary of Ksh4 million.
• County government employees earn more than those employed in national government ministries.
• The average monthly salary of teachers is Ksh60,000.
• The public sector average earnings rose by 12.1 per cent

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) revealed some of the country’s top-paying public and private sectors.

As detailed in the Economic Survey 2024, eight sectors paid their employees Ksh1.8 million and above in 2023.

Notably, the top-paying sector was extraterritorial organisations and bodies. Employees in this sector earned an average of Ksh4 million in 2023. This translated to a monthly salary of Ksh333,000.

Additionally, Kenyans employed in the public sector for accommodation and food activities were the second highest-paid employees with an annual income of Ksh2.8 million.

The public transport sector was also among the sectors with top-paying jobs. The report put the annual salary at Ksh2.4 million. The counterparts in the private sector earned Ksh1.6 million in 2023.

On the other hand, employees in private companies dealing with electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supplies earned an average of Ksh2.3 million.

Likewise, Kenyans engaged in financial and insurance activities were also offered jobs with lucrative salaries. On average, those in private practice earned Ksh2.2 million. Their counterparts in public practice earned an average of Ksh1.5 million.

Meanwhile, medical practitioners working in government institutions also topped the top earners’ list with annual average salaries of Ksh1.8 million.

The other two top-paying private sectors were administrative and support service activities (Ksh1.8 million) and professional, scientific and technical activities (Ksh1.6 million).

“Annual average earnings in both public and private sectors rose by 22.6 per cent over the five-year period. The public sector average earnings rose by 12.1 per cent compared to a 27.5 per cent increase in the private sector over the five-year period.

“In the private sector, employees in Other service activities recorded the highest increase in average earnings of 39.4 per cent, while average earnings of employees in Accommodation and food service, activities registered the lowest increase of 10.7 per cent in the
five-year period,” read the report in part.

The report also outlined the salaries paid by ministries and top government institutions as detailed below;

For instance, Kenyans employed in state corporations earned an average of Ksh1.3 million. This translates to Ksh108,000 per month.

County government employees earned an average of Ksh896,000 in 2023. This translates to a monthly salary of Ksh74,000.

On the other hand, employees in government ministries earned an average of Ksh63,000.

An average teacher’s monthly income from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) was projected at Ksh60,000.