Doctors salary Scale in all the 55 African Countries – A detailed and reliable compilation with comparison with doctors salary structure for countries in Europe and North America.
Which is the lowest or highest paying countries for doctors in Africa? Well, this article is not going to dwell on that, rather i want us (we Africans) to now see the reasons most african doctors run to Europe and America – poor pay, yes the the pay is not good.
Apart from Latin America and some parts of Asia, the African continent have the fewest doctors, and the poorest pay package plus welfare package for doctors. This article also shows that the problem of brain drain by doctors and other health workers, incessant strikes in the health sector, delay in payment of meagre salaries is a plague affecting all countries in Africa. Lastly, health is not a priority for African leaders both old and new. Well, African countries are too poor to properly fund health care.
NB: Do not only consider how big the money is in dollars, also consider the purchasing power (inflation, deflation, and the value of the money).
55 African Countries and their salary scale for doctors
1. Tunisia – Medical doctors working in the public sector earn between $700 and $1,500 a month in Tunisia depending on the level.
2. Lesotho – Medical doctors earn $1,700 per month.
3. Swaziland (Mbabane) – $1,500 per month.
4. Madagascar– A doctor in madagascar earns 7,8843, 56 MGA (US$2,112) monthly.
5. Seychelles – The table shows their average gross salaries per year according to averagesalarysurvey
| Doctor (Junior) | SCR 351,958 | US$25,613 | |
| Doctor Specialist | SCR 966,666 | US$69,749 |
6. Comoros (Moroni) – A senior doctor earns 1,780,877 KMF ($4,000) monthly.
7. Mauritius – A doctor earns a gross salary of MUR 810,375 yearly, which is equivalent to $22,310 per annum.
8. Djibouti – A doctor working in Health and Medical in Djibouti typically earns around 386,403 DJF ($2,171) per month. Salaries differ drasticly between different Health and Medical jobs.
9. Somalia – With over 30 years of war, this country is a failed state. The doctors working there are/were recruited by the UN, UNICEF, World Bank, Red Cross and other organisations.
10. Ethiopia – ( 230 USD / Month ). The country has been hit badly by doctor’s migration (brain drain) due to meagre pay. Ethiopia has just 1600 doctors serving a population of 83 million but needs a minimum of 8000, from the government estimates. As part of the effort to retain its doctors, Ethiopia now pays them a monthly salary equivalent to $300 (£150; €190). Doctors working in rural areas are also paid an extra $300 per month in allowances.
11. Uganda – An entry-level doctor in public healthcare in Uganda earns about 260 euros (1.1 million Ugandan shillings or $300) per month. The medical association wants government to raise the base-level salary to 2,000 euro.
12. Kenya – ( 3,187 USD/Month ). Currently the highest physician’s monthly salary is $5,000 while the lowest is $400.
13. Rwanda – Currently, doctors earn a minimum of Rwf350,000 ($531) with the highest paid getting Rwf900,000 ($1,500) monthly. They are however, expecting a pay rise.
14. Burundi (Bujumbura) – $100 is what doctors earn monthly in Burundi, although there have been incessant industrial actions by doctors for increment, but government disagrees.
15. Zambia – A Zambian doctor, after seven years in training for amedical degree, earns a gross monthly salaryof about US $489 beforeincome tax deductions of 30 percent ($147 after tax). To make ends meet, most doctorsmoonlight at private clinics, earning between US $20 and US $25 per five-hour shift.
16. Tanzania – Tanzanian doctors get an estimated $500 monthly salary. Tanzania is a country that doesn’t really take health serious. The government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and their late president’s total denial of the existence of covid-19 tells you how much health is downplayed in the country.
17. Malawi (Lilongwe) – The average GROSS salary for doctor in Malawi isMWK 4,800,000 (US$6,728) monthly. Average NET salary isMWK 2,300,000.
18. Mozambique: As as 2012, the Mozambican government increased the salary of doctors by over a 100 percent. According to a report on their local newspaper, the basic monthly wage of a newly trained doctor rises from 25, 222 meticais (913 US dollars, at current exchange rates) to 30,000 meticais.
19. Algeria– Doctors earn around €240 ($265) per month. That is quite low.
20. Morocco : The Health and Medical salaries in Morocco range between 10,381 MAD per month (minimum salary) to 106,766 MAD per month (maximum salary). The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Morocco for Health and Medical is 194 MAD. NB: MAD is same as Dirham.
21. Western Sahara – Semi autonomous, but not yet independent to be called a country. Their doctors are categorised under the Moroccan state.
22. Senegal – A specialist doctor salary in Senegal is around 2,075,011CFA ($3,515) per month (1.3 million in Nigerian currency).
23. Benin Republic – A specialist doctor, earns an average salary of XOF 8,000,000 (US$ 16,523) yearly.
24. Nigeria – At entry level, a doctor (houseofficers) earns an average of #180,000 ($480), an average middle-level medical doctor (junior resident) earns an average of #300,000 ($600) per month. A senior registrar earns up to 450,000 naira ($906) as monthly wages while a consultant/specialist rake in #750,000 naira ($1,800) and above depending on the level. Some consultants in Nigeria may earn up to 1.2 million Naira monthly ($3,100 monthly).
These salaries is at the whims and caprices of the chief Medical Directors (CMDs), who may decide to slash it as they wish. This is very common, and they go unchecked. Also, junior doctors in the private hospital sector earns between #80, 000 – #130,000 naira monthly ($221 – $360).
The federal government of Nigeria has just recently started paying the the recently gazetted hazard allowance of #40,000 naira….(from the initially meagre #5,000). This will invariably increase the federal doctors salary for the better.
25. Sao Tome and Principe (Sao Tome) – Doctor’s salaries in Sao Tome and Principe range between 24,557,021 STD per month (minimum salary) to 89,457,721 STD per month (maximum salary). Salaries may differ drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location.
26. Burkina Faso – A senior doctor earns 678,293 CFA ($1,150) monthly.
27. Niger Republic ( Niamey) – A doctor in Niger Republic earns about 3,000 CFA, which is equivalent to $4,908 in American Dollars yearly
28. Cameroon – A doctor earns an average of $300/month
29. Chad – 1 504 361XAF ($2,548) monthly. Chad is a poor country.
30. Equatorial Guinea – A top surgeon is paid a gross of XAF 100,000,000 (US$ 163,891) per year.
31. Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa): Currently, Congo’s doctors working in public hospitals earn about 350 USD a month, and want their pay increased to 1,000 USD a month, to help them adjust to the high rate of inflation. In 2018, they struck a deal with government to approve a new structure in 2019.
32. Gabon – The salaries for doctors usually start from $500 going upwards. Experienced senior doctors especially those working for private hospitals earn even more than $2,000 per month.
33. Republic of Congo – No information yet (Sent a mail to their health ministry).
34. Central African Republic – No reliable data. If you have any trustworthy information on this, please help me with it. However, be informed that this country have very few doctors. The others have left the shores of their country in search of greener pastures and the unending civil strifes.
35. Sudan – In Sudan, doctors are getting about $66 a month. A poor pay.
36. Libya – A senior specialist doctor earned about $36,532 per year in Ghadaffi’s era. Things may be different now after a civil war that still lingers on.
37. Egypt: In general, a doctor in a public Egyptian hospital earns around 1,500 Egyptian pounds ($78) per month from the Ministry of Health, while another in a private hospital might earn 3,000 ($157). While salaries vary according to specialization and experience, the highest paid doctors in Egypt work in private clinics. Doctors in Egypt are one of the least paid doctors in the world.
38. Eritrea – A doctor working in Eritrea typically earns around 24,926 ERN per month. Eritea is a very poor country.
39. Zimbabwe – A junior doctor currently earns about 400 Zimbabwean dollars ($33) as basic salary and an “on-call allowance” of approximately 1,000 Zimbabwean dollars ($83) a month according to Aljazeera.
40. Botswana- A specialist doctor earns 16,457 BWP ($1,518) monthly. This is equivalent to #555,000 naira in Nigerian currency.
41. Namibia- ( 3,120 USD / Month) according to East African Newspaper
42. Angola – A medical doctor’s salary in Angola ranges between $864 – $972 monthly (Kwanzas 160,000 -180,000). However, it was reported in 2018, that more than 1500 doctors were jobless.
43. South Africa: ( 3,402 USD/Month ). This is equivalent to what Nigeria pays its consultants monthly. Pay is bad.
44. The Gambia – Medical Doctors are put at grade 10 are paid 61,000 Dalasis ($1,188) per annum or 5000 Dalasis per month.
45. Mauritania – 1,005,972 MRO ($27,000) per month.
46. Mali – 1,001,891 XOF ($1,697) per month.
47. Guinea (Conakry) – Doctors earn on average $102 a month in a public hospital.
48. Guinea Bissau – $320 per month after tax.
49. Cape Verde – $13,000 per year (for a senior doctor).
50. Sierra Leone – In Sierra Leone, doctors are paid $400 monthly.
51. Liberia – The highest medical professional earns an average of $1,000 monthly.
52. Ivory Coast – No reliable data.
53. Ghana: Senior Medical Officers have an existing salary between GH¢ 3,469.53 ($635) and GH¢ 3, 970.44 ($727). However, payslips of Senior Medical Officer indicates a gross monthly salary of GH¢ 1900.00 which after tax deductions, comes to GH¢ 1600.00 ($295 or N105,900 naira) monthly.
54. Togo – A physician earns, 531,468 XOF (USD900) per month.
55. South Sudan: A failed country at war. Doctors are mainly employed by NGOs. No data on how much government pays doctors in public service.
****AND ONE OTHER THING*****
It will be nice for me to compare with our “sister” continents in Europe and America to drive home my points, and perhaps, pick your interest. See what other doctors earn.
1. United States
Average yearly salary for a specialist – $370,000
Average yearly salary for a GP – $230,000
2. Canada
Average yearly salary for a specialist – $338,000
Average yearly salary for a GP – $271,000
3. Australia
Average yearly salary for a specialist – $260,000
Average yearly salary for a GP – $140,000
4. Netherlands
Average yearly salary for a specialist – $253,000
Average yearly salary for a General Practitioner – $117,000
5. Belgium
Average yearly salary for a specialist – $188,000
Average yearly salary for a GP – $61,000
6. Ireland
Average yearly salary for a specialist – $183,000
Average yearly salary for a GP – $125,000
7. United Kingdom:
Average yearly salary for a specialist – $150,000
Average yearly salary for a GP – $120,000
8. France:
Average yearly salary for a specialist – $149,000
Average yearly salary for a GP – $60,000
9. Switzerland
Average yearly salary for a specialist – $130,000
Average yearly salary for a GP – $116,000
10. Denmark:
Average yearly salary for a specialist – $91,000
Average yearly salary for a GP – $109,000.
The difference is clear. You can’t even compare, the gap in earnings is just too wide. Yes, we are not as rich as they are, I agree, but, start from the beginning again, you will understand that the major reasons, doctors leave Africa are poor and irregular salaries.
Recommended: Houseofficers Salary in all the 36 states of the Federation.
Definition of terms
Net salaryis the amount oftake-homepay remaining after all withholdings and deductions have been removed from a person’ssalary. The residual amount is then paid to the employee in cash.
Gross salary is the term used to describe all of the money you’ve made while working at your job, figured before any deductions are taken for state and federal taxes, Social Security and health insurance. If you work more than one job, you’ll have a gross salary amount for each one.
This article on doctors salary scale in all the 55 African Countries was researched for 3 months. Corrections and suggestions are highly welcomed.
Thank you for reading
Sources:
1. ghstudents.com
2. al-monitor
3. salaryexplorer
4. AllAfrica
5. Aljazeera
6. EastAfrican
7. Dailynews.co.za
8. Ncbi
9. CNN
10.Erkd
Great work in research Sir, presentation is however haphazard. You can put the local currency first, then the value in USD then in Naira so that a reader can follow without holding a calculator.
Thank you. I will do as suggested
You should do more inquiries from each country in Africa and make sure that your information is accurate and reliable.
for instance, the South Sudan government started a pay rate of $300 USD per month for Junior Medical doctors and General Practitioners and a pay rate of $600 USD for Medical doctors specialists(Medical Consultants).
Despite the exportation of petroleum products and other mineral resources; South Sudan is poor and unable to pay salaries on time.
Salaries are delayed up to six months without payment to public government employees.
Most Medical Doctors are working for the UN, INGOs, OXFAM, MSF, UNICEF, UNDP, and especially in Public Health and preventative healthcare programs.
Therefore many medical doctors are migrating from South Sudan to the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania who pay a little bit better than South Sudan.
Some South Sudanese medical specialists are working in South Africa making over $2,500 USD per month in private hospitals.
I think African leaders should pay more to healthcare professionals to avoid brain drain to Western countries in Europe, North America, the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Nobody should live with $200 dollars a month in today’s economic crises around the world.
Thank you for this wonderful insight