Best Highest Paying Careers in Nigeria (2024)

There are highest paying careers in Nigeria which stand miles above the rest and their take home pay is mouthwatering. A career is an occupation undertaken by a person for a significant period of their life with the opportunity to progress.

It can also be defined as a profession a person does regularly for a living. In this post, we shall reel out the top paying careers in Nigeria currently and details of each.

In no particular order, these are top 13 best highest paying careers in Nigeria this 2019.

1. BUSINESS

A successful business has always been the best highest paying career one can ever do in Nigeria. It is no surprise that most people have indulged in business ventures than working under an employer and earn basic salaries.

Over the years, there has been an increase in entrepreneurship. This is because many have come to realize the beauty of entrepreneurship and have ventured into it and have become successful entrepreneurs of repute.

It is no secret that the richest people in the world today, apart from politicians are business people who have built vast business empires for themselves.

In Nigeria today, the Dangotes, the Otedolas, the Adenugas earn huge sums monthly that is more than enough to sustain them and their families.

2. POLITICS

Make no mistake about it, Nigerian politicians today earn more than some of their counterparts in the whole world. Politics has always been ranked as the world’s highest paying career as a considerable rise in participation coupled with the lucrative take home pay.

A career in politics can guarantee one’s future especially when you factor out corrupt practices that those involved in it engage in.

Politicians, apart from their basic salaries, take home other mouthwatering allowances that gives them financial stability.

3. FOOTBALL

The Nigerian Professional Football League has seen its fortunes turn around for the better which makes it one of the best paying careers in Nigeria.

Prior to recent times, Nigerian players in the local league earned paltry sums but that is becoming a thing of the past as most players earn as high as between N400,000 – N800,000 monthly.

Take out your calculators and do the math over a year and you will see that it isn’t so bad taking to football in Nigeria as a career.

4. ENTERTAINMENT

The Nigerian entertainment industry has also seen an massive influx of talent, both locally and internationally.

Entertainment in Nigeria has become a career for many, be it in music or movie making.

The entertainment industry in Nigeria rakes in millions of Naira and pays those into it huge sums of money via shows, endorsement deals and other means.

5. OIL AND GAS

A career in the oil and gas industry goes a long way to secure one financially and it is no secret that the petroleum sector in Nigeria pay their staff robust sums of money per month.

This sector is one sector many Nigerians dream of working in but is very difficult to come by.

6. MEDICINE

Medicine and other courses related to it like pharmacy are also career that are good and pays well. Aside the fact that Medicine in Nigeria is very respectable, especially when you are employed by the government, be it federal or state.

Medical doctors are life savers and because of the time they put in to acquire their skills, they are well respected and thus paid respectably monthly. Private hospitals need to do more to take care of their doctors as they are lagging behind their counterparts in the public sector in Nigeria.

7. ENGINEERING

A career that also pays well in Nigeria is engineering and it goes a long way to assure one’s financial future.

Most top construction companies pay engineers a huge deal to keep them happy due to the nature of their work which is sometimes dangerous.

8. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

A career in science as well as technology can guarantee you financial security. It is no hidden secret that scientists are paid huge sums of money in research.

Most spend great hours in the laboratories, researching new ways to combat certain diseases with the ultimate aim being finding the cure and millions of money are being poured into research. Technology on the other hand is fast rising in Nigeria and the pay is respectable.

9. PASTORING

This might sound strange as years ago, no one ever thought of Pastoring in Nigeria as one of the highest paying careers.

In Nigeria today, Evangelism has evolved and has been seen to bring in serious money for religious organizations.

The profession once thought to be a poor man’s job has seen a considerable increase in its fortunes in recent years.

10. LAW

The Nigerian legal profession has always been one of the best paying professions in the country from time immemorial.

A career in law is very respectable and most parents would really encourage their children to study law and make a distinguished career out of their lives.

Being a lawyer requires serious academic commitments on the part of the students studying law.

11. AIRLINE OPERATIONS

A career in the airline industry is very lucrative. The skilled personnel who fly air-crafts from one place to another risk their lives in doing so.

Pilots and flight attendants take home respectable pay every month.

12. LECTURING

Lecturing is one of the best paying careers in the country because apart from being well paid, lecturers have time to do other businesses.

Their profession gives them them the opportunity to meet with people from all walks of life.

13. PHARMACY

A career in pharmacy/pharmaceutical industry is respectable with a great take home pay.

The job is nice and pharmacists will agree that it is worth it.