When choosing which course to pursue, we normally consider several factors. This includes how much we can expect to earn once we get employed.
That being so, in this post, I will be telling you about the best paying courses that you can study in Kenya.
I will also give you salary ranges that you can expect to earn depending on your job experience.
Best paying courses in Kenya
Before proceeding, let me first mention that the salary will also vary depending on the organization that you’re employed in.
For instance, you can earn more as a lawyer in a large consulting firm compared to lawyers in small firms.
Aviation courses
This is inarguably the best paying course in Kenya.
Entry-level pilots – those who have just received their Commercial Pilot License (CPL) – earn between Ksh. 150,000 and 400,000 per month.
As their experience and flight hours increase, so do their salaries… Experienced mid-level Kenyan Pilots earn Ksh. 600,000-1,200,000 per month.
To be called a mid-level pilot, you need to have at least 500 flight hours on a commercial aircraft.
The highest-earning pilots are the captains – they make upwards of 1.2M Kenyan shillings in a month.
Just so you know, to become a captain, you will need to have at least 4,000 flight hours of which 2,000 hours must be as the Pilot in Command (PIC).
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
The average entry salary for doctors in Kenya is Ksh. 200,000/month.
This amount can go upwards of Ksh. 700,000 per month for more experienced doctors and surgeons.
Just so you know, this is the monthly salary for doctors working in public hospitals – doctors who have their own private clinics and hospitals earn considerably more.
The icing on the cake is the fact that this course is also among one of the most marketable courses in Kenya and the world at large.
However, it’s also one of the most rigorous courses to study in Kenya – not many people qualify to pursue it.
Software Engineering (programming/coding)
These are the guys who create the various applications and games you see on phones, computers, and embedded computing systems.
While most of them have a diploma/degree in computer science or IT, there are a few who have specialized in software engineering alone.
The average entry-level salary for software engineers in Kenya is around Ksh. 50,000-70,000 per month.
After a few years on the job, the salary increases significantly – most experienced software engineers make between ksh. 100,000 and 300,000.
Just so you know, senior-level engineers can make as much as Ksh. 400,000-500,000 per month in larger companies.
However, nowadays, some software engineers are prefer finding remote jobs as they pay better.
These software engineers can easily earn up to $10,000 per month depending on the company they are working for.
SEE: Get started with software engineering in Kenya
Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Quantity surveying courses
Data from the latest salary survey by the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) shows that a majority of entry-level architects, civil engineers, and quantity surveyors (0-5 years) earn ksh. 40,000-80,000 per month.
However, this amount increases significantly as their experience increases… A majority of those with more experience earn Ksh. 100,000-400,000 per month.
Nonetheless, there is still a significant percentage of professionals in these fields that are earning upwards of ksh.500,000 per month.
Cybersecurity
These are the guys responsible for protecting computer systems from hackers and malware.
The average entry-level salary for cyber security professionals in Kenya is around Ksh. 60,000-80,000.
Of course, the salary will increase as your experience increases.
Most experienced cyber security professionals can make between 100,000 and 300,000 Kenyan shillings based on their seniority.
However, the ones that earn the most are those that take remote jobs – they can earn as much as $12,000/month.
If this is a field that interests you, we offer several a Diploma in Cybersecurity and other short specialized cybersecurity courses that you can take advantage of.
Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
According to data from Kenya Law, entry-level lawyers earn Ksh. 26,323–35,275 per month.
As their salary grades increase, so do their salaries with the top-level lawyers earning 152,060–302,980 Kenyan shillings per month.
However, self-employed lawyers or those employed as general counsels in organizations can easily make upwards of ksh. 150,000 per month.
Sales & Marketing courses including Bachelor of Commerce – Marketing Option
Another high-earning course in Kenya is any sales & marketing-related course.
Here, I’m mainly talking about the salespeople – they are the primary drivers of revenue in companies through sales.
While their basic salaries might not be much, most salespeople still make a killing due to their commissions.
You see, most of their earnings are pegged on the amount of sales they make – this is usually their biggest motivating factor.
This is why good salespeople are usually among the best-paid employees in their organizations.
Data Science and Machine Learning (ML) courses
With companies discovering how valuable data is, they are employing data scientists to help them extract as much value as they can from their data.
Usually, these courses require one to have a strong background in mathematics and software engineering.
Having said that, as an entry-level data scientist or machine learning engineer, you can expect to make around Ksh. 44,000/month.
After a few years on the job, your salary can easily increase with more experienced professionals taking home around Ksh. 370,000/month.
However, there are some experienced data scientists and ML engineers who prefer working in remote jobs as they pay better.
On average, these guys can earn $8,000-12,000 per month depending on the company they are working for.
Actuarial Science
Closing our list of best paying courses in Kenya, we have the actuaries.
These guys use mathematical and statistical techniques to assess and manage financial risks.
You can find them working in various sectors such as insurance companies, pension funds, banks, investment firms, consulting firms, etc.
On average, entry and mid-level actuaries earn around 50,000-133,000 Kenyan shillings per month.
However, as their experience increases, so does their salary with more experienced and senior actuaries making Ksh. 150,000-250,000 per month.
Best paying courses in Kenya – wrapping it up
Remember, just because a course is among the best paying does not mean that it’s always in demand.
That’s why, it’s at times better to choose a more marketable course over a well-paying course depending on your career goals.
Also, as we go digital, there has been an increase in the number of well-paying online jobs available…
At Kenya Online College, we specialize in training on these online jobs courses – view all our courses here.
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Patrick is a digital marketer and web designer by profession but on the side, he talks about how to use skills to make money online. He studied Applied Statistics at the university. He’s also an avid reader and digital skills trainer. Have any questions? Connect with him on LinkedIn.