09/10/2026
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A map showing how average monthly salaries vary dramatically across Africa, with some countries reporting more than $1,000 a month while others remain below $150.
According to wage.is's 2026 compilation, the highest estimated gross monthly salaries appear in Mauritania ($1,625), South Africa ($1,584) and Seychelles ($1,363). Gabon, Mauritius and Namibia also rank relatively high, while Djibouti, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire and Botswana form another group with comparatively higher earnings.
Much of North Africa falls in the middle ranges. Algeria reports around $406 per month, Tunisia $383 and Libya $370, while Egypt sits considerably lower at approximately $135.
Across the Sahel, Central Africa and parts of East Africa, reported salaries are generally much lower. Nigeria stands at around $220, the Democratic Republic of the Congo at $142 and Ethiopia at just $51. Some of the lowest estimates appear in countries affected by prolonged conflict and economic instability.
These differences reflect the continent's diverse economic structures. Countries with developed financial services, mining, tourism and higher-paying formal industries often report larger average salaries. Meanwhile, economies with limited industrial development, large agricultural sectors and widespread informal employment tend to record lower figures.
One important distinction is that these are estimated gross salaries before taxes, converted into U.S. dollars. The underlying data comes from different reporting years and may represent formal-sector workers more strongly than informal earners. Averages can also be pushed upward by a relatively small number of high earners.
Living costs and exchange rates further affect how much these salaries are actually worth.
The map highlights the enormous differences in reported earnings across Africa, where neighboring countries can have very different wage levels despite sharing similar geography and regional markets.
