How much do you earn? Well, it could be your top-guarded secret because you earn peanuts. While you are yet to come to terms with the fact that you earn less than what your neighbor pays as tithe, many Kenyans cannot disclose their monthly pay because it is just too fat. Imagine yourself earning a meter in 30 days! Frankly, millions of Kenyans will die without their bank account ever-reading six digits. Who are these people pocketing such hefty pays? It is all about their jobs. In Kenya, your career is likely to determine your pay. Here are top 10 highest paying jobs in Kenya:
- Company CEOs
Have you ever dreamed being a CEO? If you haven’t, you might just have to review your valid dreams. Top executives in Kenya earn mind-blowing salaries. Their pay sounds like votes garnered by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga. Leading the big earners is Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore, who pockets about Ksh. 9 million in a month. This is excessively higher than what the president earns. Equity Bank CEO James Mwangi is also said to be receiving nothing less than Ksh. 5 million in just 30 days. Other companies paying their CEOs salaries in the tune of millions are KCB, East African Breweries, Co-operative Bank, Britam, and Housing Finance.
- Politics
Another well-paying job is politics. While it might be hard to state the job description of a Kenyan politician, they always smile all the way to the bank for ‘making noise.’ Kenyan MPs, are the second highest paid in the world after Nigeria. This is according to the UK-based Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). MPs earn about Ksh740, 000 minus allowances. This means Kenyan lawmakers take home more than a million every month. The speaker of the National Assembly earns KSh 1.4 million. Mr. President earns Ksh. 1.75 million while his deputy earns Ksh. 1.488 million monthly in basic pay.
- Medicine
Medics save lives. They endure long working hours to attend to patients day and night. The training is also too demanding that many first year students drop out to join BA classes. With an entry of about Ksh. 50,000 per month for an intern, Ksh. 100,000 for a qualified Dr and for specialists anything from Ksh. 200,000 to Ksh 300,000 per month, one is able to improve his or her salary scale in Kenya.
- Media personalities
Kenyan media does not have a salary scale. Here, the gap between highest paid individuals and their counterparts at the bottom is alarming. It has been rumoured before that Citizen TV pays the likes of Lillian Muli and Janet Mbugua nothing below Ksh. 450,000. Maina Kageni of Classic 105 is also said to be earning something in the neighbourhood of a meter. Other personalities likely to be enjoying abnormal salaries in Kenya’s media industry are the overly proud Larry Madowo of NTV, and KTN’s Jeff Koinange.
- Pilot/ Aviation Industry
Pilots are among the best-paid professionals not only in Kenya but worldwide. Furthermore, high cost of training has killed the dream of many young people who at once wanted to be pilots. For examples, it costs Kenya Airways Ksh. 8.5 million to train a pilot. A captain pockets between 120K and 500K depending on experience.
- Accounting, Actuaries, Finance Experts
Are you thinking of what field to pursue? Do you believe yourself in mathematics? Try accounting. Professionals in this area of study earn Ksh 100,000 per month as a starter according to the national bureau of statistics 2013. However, your pay depends on your employer.
- NGOs and Civil Societies specialists
Are you looking for a 6-digit salary job? Why not try the NGO world? Top officials in leading civil societies live large. They drive top of the range guzzlers, live in leafy suburbs of Nairobi and have spare money. Organizations like the United Nations, and Open society of East Africa treat their top employees well. With an average of 194,000 according to the 2013 Kenya Bureau of Statistics Economic Survey, NGOs are paying up to millions to their senior most officials. Closer home, people like COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli earn millions in form of salary. Atwoli is said to drive a state-of-the-art Mercedes car.
- Engineering
Here, your employer matters most. With the country economically struggling to survive in a developing world, the need for engineers has increased. Engineers large draw their pay from contracts. The size of the project therefore is a key factor.
- Information Technology
The world is in mad demand for IT experts. New job opportunities in information technology are emerging. Firms need talented and passionate professionals to code and perform other key functions. An IT expert can earn up to 500K in a month in Kenya.
- Lecturers
With massive growth in higher education sector, there are more job opportunities in universities and colleges for lecturers. This does not come on a silver platter. For you to earn a fat salary of more than 500K per month, you need to study hard beyond undergraduate to masters then PhD level. Because of the flexibility of the job and money mindedness, most Kenyan lecturers burn out moonlighting.
