In Kenya, not many career paths offer competitive salaries. This is partly due to the size of the economy and the informal nature of our business landscape. However, there are specific, high-demand, top-notch roles that defy the norms; offering country-leading pay scales.
The following article outlines the best paying careers in Kenya. Each job includes estimated monthly earnings and why it ranks where it does. Salary estimates have been drawn from credible, publicly available information sources and estimates.
1. Bank CEOs
Bank CEOs are routinely ranked as the best-earning employees in Kenya. Co-Op Bank CEO for instance is claimed to pocket over 400 million shillings annually with his ABSA Group counterpart reportedly pocketing over 109 million shillings (annually). Based on this data, it is logical to assume that the position of a bank CEO is highly likely the best paying job in Kenya.
2.Telco Executives
Telecom firm CEOs are among the best paid executives in the country with Safaricom CEO, Peter Ndegwa reported to earn close to 300 million per year in salary and bonuses. His predecessor, the late Bob Collymore pocketed a whopping 196 million shillings per year as reported by the Business Daily.
3. Manufacturing Executive Roles
Across the world, the manufacturing sector is known to produce some of the highest income earners and Kenya is no different. Athi River mining CEO reportedly pockets well over Ksh100 million per year. His EABL counterpart pocketed well over Ksh180 million in 2023.
Another major player in the manufacturing industry is Bamburi cement whose former CEO was reported to earn millions annually through executive compensation and performance bonuses. Overall, this sector contributes to roughly 7.6% Kenya’s GDP according KNBS, making it one of the key drivers of industrial growth and employment.
4. Insurance Executives
The insurance sector is one of the biggest formal employers in Kenya and also one of the best rewarding ones for anyone looking to pursue a career. Top executives in the insurance realm earn figures in excess of 2 million shillings per month.
To cite a 2017 article by the Business Daily newspaper article, Britam’s CEO was reported to pocket in excess of 69 million shillings per year. Adjusting for inflation, it is fair to estimate that a well-paid top insurance executive in Kenya earns well over Ksh100 million shillings per year in 2025/2026 period.
5. Senior Airline Staff
The airline sector never disappoints when it comes to remuneration. In Kenya, the chief executive officer of the national airline, Kenya Airways, has been reported to earn in excess of 60 million per year. Senior pilots earn between Ksh 600,000 and Ksh 1.8 million per month depending on experience, rank, and aircraft type. First officers at major local airlines are thought to pocket between Ksh300,000 and Ksh700,000 monthly.
6. Politicians
It turns out that being a politician in Kenya is perhaps the easiest way to land a fat monthly salary. The President of Kenya, for instance, officially pockets well over Ksh 40million in annual salary while a member of parliament pockets Ksh10 to 20 million per year. This is 100 times higher than the country’s minimum wage, making politicians comparatively some of the best paid workers in the country.
Note: In addition to formal salaries, the political class earns extra income from allowances and via “cutting deals.” However, due to the uncertain nature of such transactions we will never be able to fully estimates what politicians in Kenya truly pocket in totality.
7. Senior Judges (High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court)
Judges of the high court and above are among the highest paid public servants in Kenya. According to various sources, high court judges take home approximately 700,000 Ksh to 1,000,000 per month. Supreme Court judges pocket even more – with the Chief Justice reported to earn Ksh15.6 million shillings annually according to 2017 data from the Salaries and Remunerations Commission (SRC).
8. Medical Doctors and Surgeons
Specialist doctors including surgeons, cardiologists and gynecologists are among the highest earners across the country. This is especially true for practitioners working in private hospitals such as The Aga Khan Hospital and Nairobi Hospital who are widely estimated to pocket over 10 million in salaries per year.
Senior oncologists (doctor who treat cancer) are particularly worth noting as they are estimated to pocket above-average perks thanks to the unique nature of their specialty.
9. Company Secretaries
Company secretaries are simply corporate lawyers who work for big companies. For instance, Safaricom PLC has a full-time company secretary position which as of December 2025 was held by Linda Mesa Wambani, an advocate with over two decades of practicing experience. Company secretaries for top-tier companies are thought to be some of the highest earning employees in Kenya.
Seeing as this is a high-level role, you can expect the salary to be in the higher brackets – likely to the tens of millions KES per year.
10. ICT and Cybersecurity Specialists
A career in ICT and cybersecurity has become one of the most rewarding in Kenya companies, banks, Saccos, insurance firms, and government agencies continue to digitize their operations. Senior ICT staff in blue-chip companies typically pocket in excess of 10,000,000 KES per year.
However, the figures vary widely from company to company, responsibilities and level of experience. Other high-paying careers falling under the ICT umbrella include data scientists, cloud architects, and so forth.
11. NGO Program Manager
Non-government organizations have always earned the reputation of being some of the best employers in the continent. Employees in Kenya’s non-governmental sector earned an average of Sh313,000 per month in 2023, according to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
Reports also suggest that UN and World Bank workers are among the best paid workers in the country. The average NGO CEO salary in Kenya is Ksh2,000,000 per month according to ImpactPool.
12. Journalists
Professionals in the media industry, especially top TV and radio personalities, can take home impressive salaries. Celebrated journalists like Jeff Koinange and Maina Kageni, for instance, are believed to take home over Ksh 2 million monthly. Other renowned journalists like Lilian Muli and Betty Kyalo are also estimated to earn high monthly incomes drawn from salaries, allowances, and brand endorsements.
13. Real Estate Gurus
Real estate developers coordinate land acquisition, project design, construction, marketing and sales. They also work closely with architects, contractors, and financiers. High-earning real estate executives and senior project managers can pocket between Ksh 1 million and Ksh 1.5 million per month especially those involved in commercial buildings or high-end residential projects.
Conclusion
Basically, there are quite a number of jobs that pay well in Kenya, all that is required of you are good qualifications and commitment. When choosing a career path do not rush, sit down and conduct thorough analysis to ensure you settle for something that enables you explore your passion.
This article talks about the best paying jobs but not all are included. Understanding these trends will help the reader identify sectors that offer the best paying work opportunities in this East African nation.
Magdalene is a young Kenyan web content author with a deep love for innovation and finding solutions designed to make the world a better place. The BA Marketing & Comms major at Kisii University boasts strong writing skills thanks to her prior training under the Ajira Digital Program by the Government of Kenya.