Job offers in Kenya are usually quoted as a gross monthly salary. What reaches your bank account is noticeably less, and benefits can be worth as much as a pay rise. This is how to compare offers properly.

Gross vs take-home

From your gross pay, your employer deducts:

  • PAYE (income tax), from 10% up to 35% on the top band.
  • NSSF, 6% up to the upper earnings limit.
  • SHIF, 2.75% for the Social Health Authority.
  • The Housing Levy, 1.5%.

Put any offer into the salary calculator to see your net pay. See PAYE and taxes for how each deduction works.

What else is in the package

  • Allowances - house, transport or airtime. Most are taxable, and counted in gross pay.
  • Medical cover - private cover for you and often your family. Check the limits; this can be worth hundreds of thousands of shillings a year. See Private health insurance.
  • Pension - an employer pension scheme on top of NSSF, often with the employer matching your contributions.
  • Bonus - ask whether it is guaranteed or discretionary, and how it has paid out in the past.
  • Leave - the legal minimum is 21 working days a year; many employers give more.
  • Staff loans and mortgages - banks especially offer cheaper loans to staff.

Questions to ask

  1. Is the figure gross or net, and monthly or annual?
  2. Which allowances are included, and are they taxable?
  3. What does the medical cover include, and does it cover my family?
  4. Is there a pension scheme, and what does the employer contribute?
  5. How long is probation, and what is the notice period?
  6. When are salary reviews, and how are increases decided?
  7. For expatriate roles - who pays for the work permit, relocation, housing, school fees and flights home?

Comparing salaries

Salaries vary widely by sector. International organisations, banks, large technology companies and NGOs usually pay more than local private firms, and far more than the minimum wage. Useful ways to benchmark:

  • Ask people in the same role, and recruiters in your field.
  • Look at advertised ranges on job boards.
  • Use published salary surveys from recruitment firms, knowing they reflect larger employers.

See Finding a job in Nairobi.

Get it in writing

Before you resign from your current job, get a written contract stating the salary, benefits, start date, probation and notice. See Working in Kenya.

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