The best paying jobs in Nigeria

The typical Nigerian worker earns between N30,000 and N200,000 per month but there are certain professionals and specialists that make millions of naira every month. The salary of any high-paying job in Nigeria is significantly dependent on education, skills, and experience. In fact, to get to the top of the salary pyramid of any high-income profession in Nigeria, you must possess a set of core skills that would be difficult to get from other people or have a proven track record and experience in a similar industry.

If a good salary is important to you, read on to know the best-paid careers in Nigeria for 2020. And to help you enhance your chances of landing one of them, we’ve included links to some of our online courses alongside each job to equip you with the right skills and certification.

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Petroleum Engineer

What is a Petroleum Engineer?

A petroleum engineer determines the best way to extract hydrocarbons (oil and gas) from underground wells. They help evaluate how much oil and gas are in a reservoir, how much can be recovered and how quickly it can be produced. They also determine what types of wells should be drilled, how many are needed, and where they should be located.

How Do You Become a Petroleum Engineer?

Petroleum engineers are among the highest-paid professionals in Nigeria, but becoming one is a long process that requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a University or Polytechnic. A petroleum engineering degree covers many oil and gas engineering topics including reservoir characteristics and management, drilling, well completions, production processing, transportation, and more. Prospective petroleum engineers also study basic mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineering as well as geology, physics, and economics.

Explore our range of online engineering degrees from top universities and earn a degree as you learn at any time, from anywhere.

How Much Do Petroleum Engineers Make?

N200,000 to N1,000,000 per month.

Explore Our Engineering Courses

If you think you might want to be a petroleum engineer, we have some great engineering courses to get you started. You could learn the Principles of Engineering in our course by KCL, or learn about the exciting opportunities available in our Engineering the Future: Creating the Amazing course.

Surgeon

What is a Surgeon?

A surgeon is a specially trained medical practitioner who performs surgery. A surgeon leads other doctors, nurses, and qualified operating room staff during a surgical procedure, and makes the primary decisions about the patient’s health. There are more than ten surgical specialities that offer exciting and rewarding careers.

How Do You Become A Surgeon?

To become a surgeon, you have to complete medical school and some years of residency training. Usually, it takes 15 long years or more of education to become a specialised surgeon, but it offers great opportunities once you obtain relevant qualifications.

How Much Do Surgeons Make?

N450,000 to N2,500,000 per month.

Explore Healthcare Courses

If you’re interested in becoming a surgeon, we have a range of fantastic medical courses for you, starting with our Mini Medical School: Introduction to Medical Science course by the University of Colorado.

Lawyer

What is a Lawyer?

A lawyer is a professional who is qualified to practice law and represent other people in legal matters. A lawyer must be able to communicate effectively and understand the principles of advocacy. A lawyer’s main goal is to protect his client’s legal rights. There are many laws in Nigeria and a wide variety of law fields to practice including family law, environmental law, property law, human rights law, criminal law, and more.

How Do You Become a Lawyer?

To qualify as a lawyer you must have a bachelor’s degree in Law. However, before you can practice law in Nigeria, you must first be called to the Nigerian bar by the Body of Benchers after completing law school.

How Much Do Lawyers Make?

N150,000 to N1,000,000 per month.

Explore Our Law Courses

Whether you’re interested in Critical International Migration Law or Fraud Investigation, we have some excellent law courses available. Alternatively, if you want to know what it’s like to study law, our Exploring Law: Studying Law at University course will be a great introduction.

Chartered Accountant

What is a Chartered Accountant?

Chartered accountants are professional accountants who provide financial expertise to inform the management of business entities and organisations. There is a high demand for qualified accountants so finding a job in this profession is relatively easy. Chartered accountants manage financial systems and budgets, audit accounts, analyse risks, and detect financial fraud as well as provide reliable financial information.

How Do You Become a Chartered Accountant?

The chartered accountancy profession is not easy to get into but the rewards are well worth it if you qualify. In order to become a chartered accountant in Nigeria, you must spend at least 3 years getting a professional certificate from ICAN, ACA, or other professional bodies.

How Much Do Chartered Accountants Make?

N150,000 to N1,650,000 per month.

Explore Our Finance and Accounting Courses

  We have a huge range of accounting courses for you to choose from. Perhaps an Introduction to Financial Accounting is a good starting point, or maybe you’re more interested in Bookkeeping for Personal and Business Accounting or Accounting for Today’s Dynamic World.

Pharmacist

What is a Pharmacist?

A pharmacist is a healthcare professional who prepares, creates, and dispenses medications. Pharmacists are responsible for dispensing prescription drugs to patients, advising them on the best ways to take the medications safely, and what reactions to expect. They also supervise the production of medicinal drugs and ensure drug stores comply with government regulations. A pharmacist works primarily in pharmacies, drug stores, dispensaries, and hospitals.

How Do You Become a Pharmacist?

To become a pharmacist in Nigeria, you have to study for at least 5 years and get a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree (B.Pharm). After completing your degree, you will then be inducted into the pharmacy profession by the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria.

How Much Do Pharmacists Make?

N150,000 to N800,000 per month.

Explore Pharmacy Courses

Try one of our top-rated pharmacy courses today. Maybe our Introduction to Medication Delivery Systems or Essentials of Good Pharmacy Practice courses by Taipei Medical University will pique your interest, or perhaps you’ll enjoy our Discovering Science: Medicinal Chemistry course by the University of Leeds.

Medical Doctor

What is a Medical Doctor?

A medical doctor is a licensed physician who is qualified to promote, maintain, and restore human health through the practice of modern medicine. Doctors are well-respected professionals who provide comprehensive medical care in different areas of specialisation including paediatrics, pathology, gastroenterology, gynaecology, ophthalmology, neurology, and others. They have some of the most rewarding and challenging careers and can choose to work in a public health institution, teaching hospital, private practice, specialist hospital, and more.

How Do You Become a Medical Doctor?

Becoming a medical doctor is a long process filled with heavy workloads. Entry requirements for undergraduate medicine programs vary from university to university in Nigeria, but becoming a medical doctor requires at least 6 years of education and training.

How Much Do Medical Doctors Make?

N300,000 to N1,500,000 per month.

Explore Healthcare Courses

We have an incredible selection of healthcare and medical courses, so take a look at the options available to you, from anatomy courses to medical technology courses.

Banker

What is a Banker?

A banker is an individual who works for a financial institution and conducts financial transactions for individuals or corporate clients. Bankers enjoy excellent benefits and can choose to practice their craft in a wide variety of rewarding career paths including audit, customer service banking, sales, financial analysis, budgeting, investment banking, and more.

How Do You Become a Banker?

To become a banker in Nigeria and have a rewarding career, you need at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field. Undergraduate courses in banking and finance, economics, business administration, or accountancy educate students in regulatory compliance, accounting, and the fundamentals of the banking industry.

How Much Do Bankers Make?

N150,000 to N1,500,000 per month.

Explore Finance and Accounting Courses

Join our Financial Services after the Banking Crisis course by The Open University to explore the UK financial services landscape, or try our Decentralised Finance: Blockchain, Ethereum, and The Future of Banking course by RMIT.

Nurse

What is a Nurse?

A nurse is a professional trained to care for sick individuals of all ages in a health care system. Nursing jobs are an excellent fit for anybody who is empathetic, communicative, caring, open-minded, and observant. The main role of a nurse is to help people get well and stay healthy. Nursing careers typically provide excellent benefits and opportunities for advancement in various positions and roles.

How Do You Become a Nurse?

To become a registered nurse in Nigeria, you must apply and obtain a nursing certificate from any school of nursing. Then you will be examined by the West Africa Health Examination Board and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Nigerian nurses typically work in public health institutions, teaching hospitals, private practices, or specialist hospitals.

How Much Do Nurses Make?

N150,000 to N650,000 per month.

Explore Nursing Courses

 We have so many fantastic nursing courses for you to choose from, whether you’re looking for an Introduction to Nursing, an exploration of current challenges in nursing, or a look into Care Home Nursing.

Software Engineer

What is a Software Engineer?

A software engineer is a professional programmer who designs, evaluates, builds, and maintains computer software. As more people and companies continue to embrace technology, the need for software engineers has significantly increased. Typically, software engineers are involved in managing technical operations and writing codes for new technological applications. Career options in software engineering range from quality assurance engineering and embedded systems engineering to security engineering and more.

How Do You Become a Software Engineer?

To become a computer engineer in Nigeria, a candidate must complete a computer engineering degree from an approved university or get a diploma from a recognised computer school. A career in software engineering is very rewarding. If you have an affinity for computers and strong analytical skills, you should consider embracing it.

How Much Do Software Engineers Make?

N250,000 to N1,650,000 per month.

Discover Our Coding & Programming Courses

Master the basics in our Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) course by the University of Michigan, or delve in deeper with our Software Development Fundamentals ExpertTrack by Coventry University.

Telecommunications Engineer

What is a Telecommunications Engineer?

A telecommunications engineer is a professional trained to support, design, create, and enhance telecommunication systems and facilities. Telecoms engineers are involved primarily in designing efficient information transfer methods and providing high-speed data transmission services. In Nigeria, telecommunications engineering is considered a good career path as the industry continues to evolve, and companies like MTN and Globacom pay their engineers top salaries.

How Do You Become a Telecommunications Engineer?

To become a telecommunications engineer, you must earn a bachelor’s degree program in telecommunications engineering from a university accredited by the National University Commission. Telecommunications engineers are employed primarily by telecommunication service providers, internet and broadband technology companies, research and development institutes, and the government.

How Much Do Telecommunications Engineers Make?

N200,000 to N1,200,000 per month.

Explore Engineering Courses

If you think you might want to be a telecommunications engineer, we have some great engineering courses to get you started. You could learn the Principles of Engineering in our course by KCL, or learn about the exciting opportunities available in our Engineering the Future: Creating the Amazing course.