Career advice · Updated November 2026
Average Earnings by Sector in Kenya: KNBS 2026 Salary Data for 20 Industries
Average earnings by sector in Kenya ranged from about KSh 435,000 a year in private agriculture to KSh 4.47 million at international organisations in 2025, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Economic Survey 2026. Across all formal employees, average annual earnings rose 5.9% to KSh 988,177, or roughly KSh 82,350 a month. Private sector workers averaged KSh 1,042,467 and public sector workers KSh 874,273.
Source: KNBS Economic Survey 2026, Table 3.7 (Average Wage Earnings per Employee, 2021–2025), read on 7 November 2026. The 2025 figures are provisional and are annualised June earnings for formal wage employees. Monthly figures below are the annual figure divided by 12 and rounded.
What these numbers measure
KNBS collects wage data from formal employers, so these averages cover the 3.3 million people in modern-sector wage employment, not the 18.1 million working in the informal sector. They are averages, which means a few very high salaries pull them up. A bank’s average includes its chief executive and its tellers. Treat them as a benchmark for a whole industry, not as the salary for a specific job.
The averages are also before tax. PAYE, NSSF, the Social Health Insurance Fund and the Housing Levy all come out of these gross figures, so take-home pay is lower.
Private sector: average earnings by sector, 2025
| Industry (private sector) | Annual average (KSh) | About per month (KSh) | Change from 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extraterritorial organisations (embassies, UN agencies) | 4,468,785 | 372,400 | +5.5% |
| Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning | 2,619,109 | 218,300 | +6.3% |
| Financial and insurance activities | 2,618,182 | 218,200 | +10.1% |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 2,001,084 | 166,800 | +8.3% |
| Administrative and support services | 1,990,535 | 165,900 | +11.5% |
| Transportation and storage | 1,751,913 | 146,000 | +1.1% |
| Other service activities | 1,508,254 | 125,700 | +5.3% |
| Information and communication | 1,438,060 | 119,800 | +5.4% |
| Human health and social work | 1,394,432 | 116,200 | +7.8% |
| Education | 1,135,297 | 94,600 | +3.9% |
| Wholesale and retail trade | 1,134,834 | 94,600 | +6.7% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 986,342 | 82,200 | +8.5% |
| Construction | 907,956 | 75,700 | +4.0% |
| Manufacturing | 874,301 | 72,900 | +22.6% |
| Mining and quarrying | 837,493 | 69,800 | +6.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 498,642 | 41,600 | +1.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 434,638 | 36,200 | +3.3% |
| Real estate activities | 373,283 | 31,100 | +2.3% |
| Water supply, sewerage and waste | 361,106 | 30,100 | +3.4% |
| Households as employers (domestic work) | 360,638 | 30,100 | +2.1% |
| All private sector | 1,042,467 | 86,900 | +7.9% |
Percentage changes are calculated by JobInKenya from the 2024 and 2025 columns of Table 3.7.
What stands out
Finance and energy pay roughly double the national average. Banks, insurers and power companies employ many graduates and specialists, and their averages sit above KSh 2.6 million a year. Finance also had one of the biggest increases, at 10.1%.
Manufacturing jumped 22.6%. This is the largest one-year rise in the private sector table. KNBS does not explain the change in the table itself, so it may reflect a change in the mix of firms or workers as well as pay rises. Check the next survey before treating it as a trend.
Hospitality, farming, real estate and domestic work are at the bottom. These sectors average under KSh 42,000 a month. Many workers in them earn close to the gazetted minimum wage, and tips or housing provided by the employer are not always captured.
The same industry pays very differently in the public sector. Public accommodation and food services, mainly state-owned hotels and training institutions, averaged KSh 3.04 million, against KSh 498,642 in private hotels and restaurants. Public transport and storage averaged KSh 2.65 million. Small numbers of highly paid staff in a few state corporations can produce these averages, so do not read them as typical hotel or transport wages.
Did pay beat inflation?
Yes, on average, but only just. The Economic Survey says nominal average earnings in the modern sector rose from KSh 933,100 in 2024 to KSh 988,200 in 2025, while annual inflation eased to 4.1%. After adjusting for prices, KNBS estimates real average earnings per employee rose from KSh 665,400 to KSh 678,800, a gain of about 2%. Private sector workers did better than public sector workers, whose real earnings fell.
Food inflation was higher than the overall rate, at 7.2% in 2025. Workers who spend a large share of their pay on food, which is most workers in the lower-paid sectors, may not have felt any real increase at all.
How job seekers can use average earnings by sector
- Choose a field with your eyes open. If two careers interest you, the sector averages show which one tends to pay more over time, not just at entry level.
- Sense-check an offer. An offer far below the sector average is not automatically unfair, especially for a first job, but it is a reason to ask about the pay structure and promotion path.
- Negotiate with evidence. Quoting an official KNBS figure is more persuasive than “I heard”. Our guide to salary negotiation in Kenya shows how to use it.
- Remember the gross-to-net gap. Work out your take-home pay before you accept. Allowances may be taxed differently from basic pay.
How employers can use the data
Small employers rarely have access to paid salary surveys. The KNBS table is free and covers every industry, so it is a reasonable starting point for setting a pay band, alongside the minimum wage for your area and occupation and what competitors advertise. If you are hiring, our guide to writing a job advert explains why showing a salary range attracts better applicants.
Common questions about reading the table
Why is my salary far below my sector’s average? Averages include senior managers and specialists, and big employers in Nairobi pay more than small firms elsewhere. Compare yourself with people at the same level and in the same town, and use the sector figure only as an outer benchmark.
Does “administrative and support services” mean office administrators? No. In the KNBS classification it covers businesses such as security firms, cleaning companies, travel agencies and employment agencies, so it includes many different jobs.
Limits of the data
KNBS reports averages, not medians, and it does not break pay down by job title, experience or county. The 2025 numbers are provisional and can be revised in next year’s survey. For specific roles, combine this table with published scales such as civil service job groups or collective bargaining agreements, which list actual pay points.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Kenya?
KNBS puts average annual earnings for formal employees at KSh 988,177 in 2025, about KSh 82,350 a month before tax.
Which sector pays the most in Kenya?
In the private sector, international organisations averaged KSh 4.47 million a year, followed by energy and finance at about KSh 2.62 million each.
Which sector pays the least?
Domestic work, water and waste services, real estate and agriculture averaged under KSh 435,000 a year in the private sector.
Are the KNBS figures before tax?
Yes. They are gross annualised June earnings, so PAYE and statutory deductions still come off.