Many Nigerians, despite the country’s alarmingly high poverty rate, are able to make a reasonable living from their chosen professions.

Some of these occupations pay millions of dollars, and as a result, they are quite difficult to enter.

Education, talents, and experience all play a role in these high-paying positions. Employers from large multinationals to small firms are among those taking part in the workforce.

As an added bonus, they provide their employees with enticing benefits and compensation.

Here, you’ll discover the most lucrative professions in Nigeria, how much they pay, and how you can secure them.

List of the Highest Paying Jobs in Nigeria Based on Salary

1. Surgeon

Potential Salary: N400,000 to N2,500,000

A surgeon is a doctor who uses surgery to treat illnesses, injuries, and deformities in the body. 

Surgeons do not only lead the surgical team of physicians, nurses, anesthesiologists, and surgical assistants, but also diagnoses the patient, performs the procedure and provides after care.

In Nigeria, there are several sorts of surgeons, all of whom earn a good living.

Additionally, the recent growth in demand for aesthetic procedures and a shortage of plastic surgeons have made cosmetic surgery the best paid surgical specialty in Africa.

2. Petroleum Engineer

Potential Salary: N200,000 to N1,000,000

Given Nigeria’s oil production, it’s no wonder that petroleum engineers are among the highest paid in the country. A petroleum engineer designs and develops ways for obtaining oil and gas from underground resources.

When it comes to determining how much oil and gas is in a reservoir, how it can be extracted and how long it will last, it is up to a petroleum engineer to assess the situation and environment.

3. Aircraft Pilot

Potential Salary for a First Officer: N200,000 to N500,000

Potential Salary for a Captain: N500,000 to N3,000,000

The person in charge of an aircraft’s direction and flying is known as an aviator or a pilot. Likewise, planes, freight planes, helicopters, and other forms of aircraft are all flown and navigated by pilots.

Passengers and cargo are secure in their hands, and they are also in charge of supervising the personnel.

4. Software Developer

Potential Salary: N134,000 to N400,000

Software development is the process of generating, designing, delivering, and maintaining software. Computer programs are the responsibility of software developers.

They identify a requirement and then analyze, design, test, and build software to meet it. Also, they also create and maintain application systems.

5. Investment Banker

Potential Salary: N300,000 to N500,000

Investment bankers serve as intermediaries between governments, corporations, and government agencies. To raise cash, they issue stocks and get loans.

Essentially, they are in charge of attracting capital investments. Investment bankers work in hedge funds, commercial and investment banks, asset management organizations, and consultancy firms.

6. Telecommunications Engineer

Potential Salary: N200,000 to N1,000,000

Telecommunications engineers (aka telecoms engineers) are experts in the administration of data obtained via voice calls, video calls, and texts.

They also design, build, and operate telecommunications equipment to ensure a continuous flow of information.

7. Aeronautical Engineer

Potential Salary: N350,000 to N700,000

An aeronautical engineer is responsible for aircraft design, development, building, and maintenance (including spacecraft, missiles, navigation and weapon systems). In other words, they are concerned with the technical aspects of aviation.

They compute aircraft timeframes, produce manuals, compute operational costs, and assess flying safety, fuel economy, and carbon emissions.

8. Accountant

Potential Salary: N140,000 to N1,500,000

An accountant maintains financial records. As an accountant, they check the correctness of an establishment’s accounts and records.

Accountants also guarantee that taxes are properly submitted and that the company is in conformity with financial standards.

9. Lawyer

Potential Salary: N150,000 to N1,100,000

A lawyer, also known as an attorney, barrister, notary, and counselor, gives legal advice and assistance, serves as a prosecutor or defense attorney in court, gathers essential information, and prepares legal papers (wills, contracts, wills and so on).

Moreover, Nigerian law is well organized. An authorized university’s Bachelor of Laws (LLB) is required to become a lawyer.

10. Pharmacist

Potential Salary: N120,000 to N180,000

A pharmacist is a medical specialist who specializes in the safe and effective use of medications. 

Pharmacists administer medications and are responsible for ensuring that the medicine is legal and that the appropriate dosage is recommended.

Likewise, they also supervise the supply of medicine, provide medical advice to patients, and coordinate with other healthcare professionals to save lives.

11. IT Analyst

Potential Salary: N176,000 to N492,000

IT analysts can also be referred to as systems analysts. It is their responsibility to give technical help to IT users by building and implementing efficient systems. 

The IT analyst oversees the implementation of software projects by supervising programmers, software developers, and other technology experts to ensure that the design is correctly performed and that the budget is met.

12. Graphic Designer

Potential Salary: Average of N200,000

A graphic designer draws designs by hand or using special computer software.

Creating visual imagery that appeals to and informs clients is one of the fundamental goals of graphic design. Inkscape, canva, and Adobe Illustrator are some of the tools graphic designers utilize to promote a brand.

A bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a related subject is preferred but not required.

If you wish to work as a graphic designer, you should improve your talents utilizing the above tools, or attend classes online or at a registered computer training facility. Furthermore, graphic designers ought to have a portfolio showcasing their ingenuity and uniqueness as a designer.

13. Digital Marketer

Potential Salary: N148,000 to N350,000

As the internet has become an integral element of human life, digitalized jobs have become commonplace.

Digital marketers create, implement, and manage digital marketing strategies to promote a company’s products or services. It is also their job to ensure that a company’s online and offline activities are in sync. 

A digital marketer’s major tasks include content strategy, SEO, IT team coordination, and social media administration.

14. Social Media Influencer

Potential Salary for a Micro Influencer: N20,000 to N50,000

Potential Salary for a Macro Influencer: N300,000 to N600,000

Social media influences are a result of technological advancement in the 21st century. An influencer is someone who has the ability to influence the purchase decisions of others due to his or her authority, expertise, position, or relationship with his or her target audience.

15. Medical Doctor

Potential Salary: N180,000 to N1,500,000 (may vary due to specialization)

The most prevalent definition of a doctor is “someone who saves lives.” While this is not incorrect, it does not provide the entire picture. 

Above all, a doctor is a medical practitioner who uses medical concepts and techniques to prevent, diagnose, care for, and treat patients suffering from illness, disease, or injury, as well as to maintain physical and mental health.

If you wish to practice medicine in Nigeria, you must first study medicine for six years at any approved university in Nigeria, then complete a year of housemanship before getting initiated.

16. Anesthesiologist

Potential Salary: N173,000 to N549,000

Anesthesiologists evaluate, screen, and manage understanding consideration before, throughout, and after medical treatment, communicating sedation, leading the Anesthesia Care Team, and ensuring optimal patient security. 

Doctor anesthesiologists have a lot of power in sedation care, discomfort the board, and fundamental consideration medicine.

17. Psychiatrist

Potential Salary: N160,000 to N849,000

Psychiatrists examine all of your psychological and physical symptoms. They conduct an examination and collaborate with you to develop a treatment and recovery plan.

They also provide mental health care, prescribe medications, and use treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy.

18. Oncologist

Potential Salary: Average of N530,000

An oncologist is a physician who specializes in the treatment of malignant growths (cancer). An oncologist provides therapeutic advice to patients who are with the disease.

Furthermore, oncology has three distinct areas: clinical, surgical, and radiation.

19. Dentist

Potential Salary: Average of N250,000

Dentists diagnose and treat dental problems, as well as help patients develop improved oral hygiene regimes.

They polish teeth, execute medical operations including extractions, and carry out other duties to ensure that the teeth and mouth are healthy.

20. Architect

Potential Salary: N199,000 to N652,000

Architects plan new development projects, modifications, and redevelopments.

They use their professional development knowledge and high level attracting abilities to plan constructions that are practical, safe, practicable, and visually appealing.

21. Sailor

Potential Salary: N200,000 to N1,400,000

A sailor is someone who works on passenger ships, tankers, and large cargo ships, exploring marine vessels and assisting with their support, activity, and administration.

If you want to learn to sail, you may acquire a basic education from the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, or any of the certified private maritime academies located around the country.

22. Project Manager

Potential Salary: N139,000 to N457,000

A project manager oversees the development and approval of project plans. They are also responsible for ensuring that these tasks are completed on time, within budget, and within scope.

To work as a project manager in Nigeria, you must have a project management degree or a certificate from The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) and the Project Management Institute (PMI)

23. Nurse

Potential Salary: N133,000 to N410,000

A nurse is a main caregiver who assists in the documentation of medical history and symptoms, partnering with the medical team to care for patients, monitoring patient health and documenting signs, and administering drugs and treatments.

24. Mechanical Engineer

Potential Salary: N150,000 to N500,000

Mechanical engineers design, plan, build, and test mechanical and warm sensors and devices such as tools, engines, and machines.

To work as a mechanical engineer, you must first get a degree or diploma from an accredited university.

25. Civil Engineer

Potential Salary: N132,000 to N450,000

Civil engineers design, develop, and protect the environment.

They design, plan, and manage the construction and maintenance of building structures and framework, such as roadways, railways, air terminals, bridges, ports, dams, water system enterprises, power plants, and water and sewerage systems.

They also design and construct large and massive structures that can resist any weather situation.

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