Updated 2026 ยท Lagos Market

Nigeria Salary Guide 2026

Real salary benchmarks from verified Nigerian employers. Know your market rate before you negotiate.

Browse Jobs Build Your CV
All Sectors Technology Banking & Finance NGO & Development Healthcare Education Marketing & Sales Engineering & Construction Hospitality & Tourism

Technology

Role Monthly Gross Market Rate Notes
Software Engineer (Mid) NGN 150,000 โ€“ 350,000
75th percentile
 BSc CS or Engineering. 3โ€“5 yrs experience. Python/Java/Node popular.
Software Engineer (Senior) NGN 300,000 โ€“ 600,000
90th percentile
 Team lead skills. Cloud (AWS/GCP). Strong portfolio expected.
Product Manager NGN 180,000 โ€“ 400,000
82th percentile
 Agile/Scrum. MBA or tech background. Fintech roles pay top of range.
Data Scientist NGN 160,000 โ€“ 380,000
80th percentile
 Python, SQL, ML. Demand surging in banking & telco.
DevOps / Cloud Engineer NGN 180,000 โ€“ 420,000
84th percentile
 AWS/Azure certs. Docker, Kubernetes. Remote roles available.
UI/UX Designer NGN 80,000 โ€“ 200,000
48th percentile
 Figma, portfolio required. Agencies pay lower end; fintechs higher.
Browse Technology jobs โ†’
๐Ÿ“Š Methodology: Salary ranges represent Lagos market gross monthly pay (before PAYE and NHIF/NSSF deductions) compiled from job postings on Mimu's Jobs Nigeria, employer surveys, and publicly available 2025โ€“2026 data. Ranges vary by employer size, candidate experience, and location. Counties outside Lagos typically pay 15โ€“30% less. Always negotiate.

๐Ÿ’ก Salary Negotiation Tips for Nigeria

๐ŸŽฏ
Know your market rate
Use this guide and compare 3+ job postings before any negotiation. Never state a number first.
๐Ÿ“„
Quantify your impact
Nigerian employers respond to numbers: "I grew sales by 40%" beats "I am a hard worker."
๐Ÿ’ผ
Factor in total package
Medical cover, pension (NSSF + employer top-up), airtime and transport allowances can add 20โ€“40% to base pay.
๐Ÿ“…
Time it right
Best time to negotiate: after a verbal offer but before signing. Or after 12 months with strong performance.
๐Ÿฆ
PAYE awareness
Gross NGN 200k โ†’ take-home ~NGN 145k after PAYE. Always negotiate on gross, not net.
๐Ÿค
Use competing offers
A competing offer is the single most powerful negotiation tool in Nigeria's job market.