Jobs Where Kenyans Earn Over Ksh100,000 Per Month

A recent survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) revealed how much Kenyans in both the public and private sectors earned on average in 2024.

Per the Economic Survey Report 2025, released on Tuesday, May 6, there were some job cadres which paid an average of over Ksh100,000 per month.

Topping the list of earners were employees working for international and extraterritorial organisations like the United Nations (UN). These individuals took home an average monthly salary of Ksh353,048, translating to an annual income of Ksh4.2 million.

Within the public sector, those working in the accommodation and food services industry were the highest paid, earning an average of Ksh249,863 per month.

They were followed by employees in the transportation sector, who earned Ksh217,737 monthly, while those in finance and insurance received Ksh190,652.

Healthcare workers, including doctors, earned Ksh153,478 on average. Other well-paying government sectors included electricity and gas supply (Ksh133,735), scientific and technical fields (Ksh111,964), and wholesale and retail trade (Ksh104,372).

In the private sector, international organisation staff still led in earnings, but next in line were employees in electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply, with an average salary of Ksh205,270.

Finance and insurance workers followed closely with Ksh198,082, and those in administrative and support services earned Ksh164,205 monthly.

Professionals in scientific and technical activities took home Ksh148,955, transport and storage workers earned Ksh144,471, while service industry workers made Ksh119,360. ICT specialists averaged Ksh113,751, and those in health and social work received Ksh107,765.

Below Ksh100,000

In the lower end of the salary scale, those working in manufacturing took home Ksh96,167 per month, followed by ICT (Ksh88,564). Those working in the arts and entertainment sector took home an average of Ksh84,844.

In the public sector, employees in construction took home Ksh78,151 per month, followed by water and waste management (Ksh59,884), education (Ksh59,784), public administration and defence (Ksh57,204), mining (Ksh48,686), and agriculture, forestry and fishing (Ksh47,794).

Private education employees earned an average of Ksh91,078 per month. Other salaries in the private sector included wholesale and retail trade (Ksh88,604), arts and entertainment (Ksh75,770), construction (Ksh72,727), and mining and quarrying (Ksh65,823).

Manufacturing staff earned Ksh59,406, while workers in accommodation and food service made Ksh40,934.

Those in agriculture, forestry and fishing earned Ksh35,065, real estate workers made Ksh30,416, domestic employees (households) earned Ksh29,443, and those in water supply and waste management took home just Ksh29,114 per month.

Dipping Fortunes In Salary Per Kenyan Employee

In 2024, the average Kenyan worker took home less money than at any point in the past five years, despite the ongoing surge in inflation and cost of living. Data from KNBS showed that real annual average earnings per employee dropped to Ksh665,418.2 — the lowest since 2020.

This steady decline from the 2020 peak of Ksh747,083.3 highlights the shrinking purchasing power of workers across both public and private sectors. While there was a small bump in private sector wages, from Ksh686,450.7 in 2023 to Ksh689,300.7 in 2024, it wasn’t enough to offset the broader trend.

The public sector saw a sharper drop, with average pay falling from Ksh625,869.9 to Ksh614,288.7 over the same period.

Some of the hardest-hit sectors included Education, Public Administration and Defence, and Health and Social Work. For example, teachers and education workers saw their average earnings fall to Ksh511,613.9 in 2024, down from Ksh525,542.3 the previous year, and significantly below what they earned in 2020.