You must land one of these highest-paid occupations in Nigeria if you survive. Do you know why? Times have changed tremendously.
Some couple of years back, we used to have the Naira compete favorably with the dollar.
Those times, if you have a few bucks in your pocket, you can be sure to get yourself a handful of stuff, but sadly, it’s not so anymore. A lot has changed. The dollar continues to rise daily, undermining the naira and its potential.
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So, to earn a lot in Nigerian currency and live a lot, too, you need to get a high-paying job. Yea.
To help you find the highest-paid occupations in Nigeria is the sole aim of this article.
This guide will help you find the best-paid occupation in Nigeria, where you can earn enough to take care of yourself and your family and make some investments.
Let’s dive in, but before we do, look at the table of contents below for an overview of what to expect in this article.
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Highest Paid Occupations in Nigeria and their Salaries
Here is our list of the top-paying jobs in Nigeria. You can either set a goal and work towards your choices or apply for the role immediately if you know you have what it takes.
#1. Data Analyst
The IT industry is leading the world now, and the services of a data analyst can’t be overemphasized.
A data analyst provides valuable insight into products, competitors, and the market as a whole. They provide detailed reporting to the management and extract and clean data.
The average salary of a data analyst ranges from 230,000-350,000 naira per month.
#2. Petroleum Engineer
Working as a petroleum engineer will fetch you one of the highest-paid occupations in Nigeria.
One of the advantages of being a petroleum engineer is the opportunity to work for multimillion-dollar companies.
The job of a petroleum engineer involves evaluating how much oil and gas are in a reservoir, how much can be recovered, and how fast it can be produced.
They also determine what types of wells should be drilled, how many wells are required, and their location.
Usually, an average petroleum engineer makes about 200,000-1,000,000 naira monthly.
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#3. Surgeon
Pursuing a medical degree, particularly a specialty in surgery, is another path toward earning a very high salary.
Surgeons are specially trained medical doctors who perform surgery. A surgeon directs other doctors, nurses, and qualified operating room staff during a surgical process and makes the main decisions about the patient’s health.
To become a surgeon, you must pass medical school and some rigorous years of training.
Certified surgeons in Nigeria earn about 450,000–2,500,000 naira a month.
#4. Military Job
Being a military officer is one of the most lucrative occupations in Nigeria. But sadly, many citizens do not have this idea.
An officer earns according to rank and different entry levels in the military.
Senior military officers in Nigeria earn up to one million naira each month.
#5. Lawyer
A lawyer helps citizens fight for their rights and represent people in legal issues. There are quite a lot of fields to practice law. They include family law, property law, environmental law, criminal law, and many more.
To become a lawyer, you must acquire a law degree and be called to the bar after attending law school.
Usually, lawyers in Nigeria earn between 150,00 and 1,000,000 naira monthly. This depends on whether you work for the government or as a freelancer.
#6. Musicians and Entertainers
Being an entertainer is not just about making people happy but also an easy way of making some cool bucks in Nigeria and other countries.
Apart from high-level businessmen and entrepreneurs, entertainers are the third-highest income earners in Nigeria.
What an entertainer earns in a few hours might take a common Nigerian two years to earn.
So, if you are talented in singing or doing comedy, you could find hacks to sharpen your skills and start cashing out big.
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#7. Pilot
Working as a pilot is one of the highest-paid occupations in Nigeria.
Pilots are trained to navigate airplanes, helicopters, and other aircraft.
As has been said earlier, flying an aircraft is one of the highest-paid occupations in Nigeria. Usually, a senior pilot controls the aircraft and leads the first officers, co-pilots, and other aircrew members during a flight.
Becoming a pilot is long and has many requirements, including training, education, and licensing.
A pilot in Nigeria earns between 500 000 to 1, 500, 000 naira a month.
#8. Software Engineer
Software engineers are engineers that make the engineering components of modern technology. It is one of the jobs found in the IT world, among the jobs that earn heavily in Nigeria.
The demand for software engineers is more than the supply.
Interestingly, software engineers earn millions of naira in a month.
#9. Chartered Accountant
Chartered accountants are professional accountants who provide financial assistance to inform the management of business entities and organizations.
There is a high demand for qualified accountants in Nigeria today. So getting a job in this field will be extremely beneficial.
Even if you are introduced to the commercial sector as a junior accountant, you can still earn about 300,000 naira a month.
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#10. Media Personnel
Getting a job as media personnel is highly rewarding. It is among the high-paid occupations in Nigeria. One of the advantages of being a media personnel is that it exposes you to well-known personalities in the country.
The job is really interesting not because of the high salary being received, but the exposure one gets doing the job.
In this job, your salary is largely dependent on the quality of your education, experience, skills, and the media company you work for.
#11. Pharmacist
A pharmacist is a healthcare professional who prepares and dispenses medications. Pharmacists are responsible for describing and dispensing drugs to patients, giving them advice on the safest ways to take the medications.
They also help their patients learn what reactions to expect from taking certain drugs. Pharmacists have a substantial salary structure that competes with that of medical doctors.
On average, a well-experienced Nigerian pharmacist earns between 150,000 to 800,000 naira per month.
#12. Sailor
Being a sailor in Nigeria or other countries is among the highest-paid jobs. The reason a Nigerian sailor earns well is that there are a few universities that train sailors. This is the major reason Nigeria has fewer sailors than it wants.
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#13. Medical Doctors
Medical practice is among the highest-paid occupations in Nigeria.
A medical doctor is a licensed physician qualified to promote, maintain, and restore human health through modern medicine.
Doctors are well-respected professionals who provide comprehensive medical care in different areas of specialization. If you’re in the medical field, you need to have the experience to climb to the apex of your career.
A medical doctor earns between 300,000 to 1, 500, 000 naira per month, according to your specialty.
#14. Banker
Banking is one of Nigeria’s biggest sectors, with a high employment rate. Based on education, skills, and experience, a Nigerian banker earns around 200, 000 naira monthly. Some banks begin salaries with 60,000 nairas for fresh bankers at the entry level.
#15. Nurse
A Nurse is a professional trained to care for sick individuals of all ages in a healthcare system. It is a profession mostly accosted to the feminine gender.
Nursing jobs are good for anyone who is empathetic, communicative, caring, and open-minded.
A fresh nursing graduate in Nigeria might have a low salary, but as you advance in experience and become a senior nurse or midwife, you can earn around 500,000 naira per month.
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#16. Aeronautic Engineer
Aeronautical engineers are professionals trained to design and manufacture aircraft. Aeronautical engineering is a hard but rewarding career. Aeronautical engineers work with aircraft, defense systems, and more.
Aeronautical engineering is one of the most sought-after professions in the country and worldwide, but no Nigerian university offers this course.
To become an aeronautical engineer, you must have a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering or any other field related to aerospace systems.
An average aeronautic engineer earns about 450,000 to 1, 500, 000 naira monthly.
#17. Actors
Nollywood is, without a doubt, one of the highest-paying industries in Nigeria. Nollywood is ranked the third largest movie industry worldwide after Hollywood and Bollywood.
Actors who are highly paid in the industry took Nollywood as their main source of income.
An average Nollywood actor earns between 150, 000 to 300, 000 Naira per outing, while veteran actors earn between 600, 000 to 1,000, 000 Naira.
#18. Telecommunication Engineer
A telecommunication engineer is trained to design and enhance telecommunication systems and facilities.
In Nigeria, telecommunication engineering is considered a good career path as the industry continues to grow, and companies like MTN and Globacom pay their engineers high salaries.
As a telecom engineer, you’ll earn between 200,000 and 1,200,000 naira per month, depending on your skill, education, and experience.
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#19. Web Developer
Becoming a Mobile app and web developer is one of the highest-paid occupations in Nigeria.
As a developer, what determines how much you’ll make from this occupation is how experienced and skilled you are.
Usually, web developers earn between 200,000 to 400,000 naira monthly.
#20. Electrical Engineer
Electrical engineer designs and maintains electrical appliances for domestic and office use, ensuring adequate compliance is put in place for the equipment’s installation.
An average electrical engineer earns 10 to 12 million yearly. You can also read about the job description of an electrical engineer
#21. Digital Marketer
Most industries, firms, and companies seek the services of digital marketers to help them explore consumer preferences and market trends. Digital marketers also measure results with analytic tools and fight for online attention for their businesses and products.
Digital marketer earns around 80,000 to 250,000 naira per month according to their skill and wealth of experience.
Find digital marketing courses here for free.
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#22. Teacher
Teaching or lecturing as the case may be, are well-known and dignified professions in Nigeria and many other countries.
Lecturers develop an educational program and lecture plan and help to assess the progress of each student.
It is important to note that lecturers who are paid heavily are those with their master’s and doctorate degrees. They earn between 600,000 to 1 million nairas per month. How well do you know the job description of a teacher?
#23. Mechanical Engineer
Mechanical engineering is the best discipline of engineering studied by Nigerian students.
Mechanical engineers are vast and can be employed in any industry associated with engineering.
At entry-level, mechanical engineers are paid heavily and can be paid up to 10 million nairas when hired by a big firm.
#24. Chemical Engineer
Working as a chemical engineer is one of the highest-paying jobs in Nigeria. Like many other engineering disciplines, chemical engineers are employed by multinational companies.
Most chemical engineers working under global companies can earn up to 12 million nairas.
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#25. Computer Engineer
The services of computer engineers have always been in high demand. Computer engineers are needed to handle a large collection of computers, fix computer-related faults, and even install softwares.
A professional graduate of computer engineering earns about 10 million nairas per annum.
#26. Investment Banker
An investment banker uses proficient analytical skills to create financial models for determining profitability rates and avoiding losses. They make all the required information available for companies and individuals to make investment decisions.
The salary range of an investment banker is 210,000 to 550,000 naira monthly.
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Conclusion
Pursuing a career in any of these listed professions will be your first step toward earning a high-end salary in Nigeria.
So, to benefit from any of these highest-paid occupations in Nigeria, you will either need to pursue a degree program that will land you such job or acquire a skill that will qualify you for that career. Whichever way you want it, be sure to get at it and well on time too.
