Prime
Revealed: Formal jobs with the highest pay in Tanzania
Students and young professionals aiming to boost their incomes may want to consider careers in finance and public administration, acording to new data. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- According to a new NBS survey, the financial and insurance industries lead in average monthly cash earnings at Sh1,346,772, followed by public administration and defence
Dar es Salaam. Students and young professionals aiming to boost their income may want to consider careers in finance, public administration and manufacturing, as new data shows these sectors offer the highest average earnings in Tanzania’s formal employment market.
According to the Tanzania Formal Sector Employment and Earnings Survey 2023/24, released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the formal sector employed 4.07 million people during the period. Of these, 2.85 million were in the private sector, while 1.22 million worked in the public sector.
Regionally, Dar es Salaam accounted for the largest share of formal sector jobs, representing 33.7 percent of the national total. It was followed by Morogoro (7.3 percent) and Arusha (5.6 percent).
The survey shows that the financial and insurance industry leads in average monthly cash earnings at Sh1,346,772, followed by public administration, defence and compulsory social security at Sh1,228,899.
Other sectors with above-average earnings include non-profit institutions (Sh606,989), education and manufacturing, which also feature among the country’s top employers.
Speaking to The Citizen yesterday, Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (Tucta) national secretary Henry Mkunda said the salary trends align with government priorities.
“It is government policy to attract specialists where they are most needed. For instance, with the current push for universal health insurance, the country requires professionals to drive this agenda forward,” he said.
However, he emphasised that this does not diminish the importance of other sectors. “It all comes down to demand and supply dynamics and future projections,” he added.
Mr Mkunda noted that Dar es Salaam remains the top employment hub due to its strategic position as the country’s primary gateway—home to the port, railway and airport—which lowers transportation costs for producers.
“Remember a few years ago, journalism was a popular choice among youth because of a growing media sector. It’s all about timing and opportunity,” he said.
On Morogoro’s strong showing, he explained that its proximity to Dar es Salaam, its industrial base and vibrant agriculture sector support its job market. Arusha, he added, benefits from the tourism industry, which also boosts employment.
Mr Mkunda called for continued investment in education and skills training to better prepare young people for high-paying opportunities.
The NBS report places the national average monthly cash earnings in the formal sector at Sh609,354 in 2023/24. However, significant disparities exist between sectors.
Public sector employees earn an average of Sh1,273,395, more than double the Sh549,373 average in the private sector. The lowest-paid workers were in accommodation and food services, underscoring the sector’s income challenges.
On a positive note, the report indicates no major pay gap between male and female employees, suggesting progress in gender wage equality.
In terms of employment share, manufacturing topped the list with 17.7 percent, followed by education (15.9 percent) and public administration and defence (11.9 percent).
Total annual cash earnings from formal employment reached Sh36.6 trillion in 2023/24, with the largest contributions coming from the education, public administration, social security and manufacturing sectors.
