Nurses Salary Structure in Nigeria 2024

Just a few days ago, I was on Twitter, and I saw an advert placement for the position of a registered nurse, a head nurse to be specific.

This was for a health and fitness centre.

This advert spiked my interest and I began to wonder how much whoever gets that position will be earning.

This lead to me do some research into what nurses earn. I know some nurses here and there, my aunt is actually a matron/head nurse in a university teaching hospital somewhere in South East Nigeria. Today, I’ll be sharing with you some of my findings.

Health workers are a very important part of any country. Doctors, nurses, midwives and the likes, no country can do without them. When a country is healthy, theirs is a productive population, therefore more money comes into the country. This is one reason nurses are very important in Nigeria and in many other parts of the world.

One way this has been proven is in the shortage of health practitioners in Nigeria. It’s not as though the Nigerian educational system doesn’t produce registered nurses but the problem is that they seek better living and working conditions outside of Nigeria; in developed countries where they are wanted and catered for.

Some have even quipped that they earn more than general practitioners. Okay, so this is not the time to either prove or disprove that. However, we’ll be seeing how much nurses make in Nigeria, the different kinds of nurses we have in Nigeria, what you need to do if you’re considering it as a career option.

 

Who is a Nurse?

So, who’s a nurse?

The question brings to mind a lady putting on an immaculate white gown, with some kind of cap on her head and different colours of pens in her breast pocket. There are also male nurses too.

A nurse is someone who has been trained to give care to sick people or those who have been injured. This usually happens under the guidance or the supervision of a medical doctor.  Although this care is majorly carried out in the hospital, it can also be done in the home, convalescent centres, clinics, workplaces or in any other medical facilities.

 

How Much is the Salary of a Nurse in Nigeria?

Below is the list of the nurse salary scale in Nigeria categorized into government institutions and private sectors.

• The range for entry-level nurses in somewhere between N80,000 and N150,000 in government hospitals. For entry-level nurses, their salary doesn’t usually go beyond this
• For mid-level nurses in government institutions, their pay ranges from N100,000 to N180,000
• Then for senior-level nurses, that is anywhere from 5 years and above, salary is somewhere between N150,000 and N250,000.

The figures stated above doesn’t include bonuses and allowances earned by people in the profession over time.

Now, for the nurses working in the private sector, their salaries are considerably lower.

• For entry level, the earning is somewhere between N60,000 and N80,000
• For mid-level nurses in the private sector, the basic salary is N70,000 to N100,000
• For the experienced nurses, salary is in the range of N100,000 to N180,000. That is for the nurses who have up to 5-years  experience

Most private hospitals pay lesser than the government hospitals, except in the case of those hospitals who serve the crème de la crème of society. Note that the amounts listed above are nurses salary in Nigeria per month.

 

Related

• Salary of Civil Engineers in Nigeria
• Salary Scale of Pharmacists in Nigeria
• Salary of Mechanical Engineers in Nigeria
• Salary Scale of NNPC Staff 
• Salary of Petroleum Engineers Per Month in Nigeria
• Salary of Medical Doctors in Nigeria

 

What Affects the Salary of Nurses in Nigeria?

As you have seen from the data above, each experience level has its salary ranges, and this is for a few reasons. Aside from the level of experience, some of the following factors also determine the salary of a nurse in Nigeria.

 

Institution

Nurses in government institutions generally earn more than those in the private sectors. However, all nurses don’t earn equally even in government institutions. For example, federal government workers usually earn better than state government workers.

 

Qualification

Another thing again is the qualification.

There are 2 ways to become a registered nurse in Nigeria. It’s either you go to the school of nursing where you spend 3 years getting certified as a nurse or you study nursing in a university.

The nursing school awards you an ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing), which is equivalent to a Diploma in other degrees. The university degree, which takes up to 5 years, will earn you a BSc degree.

Someone with a BSc in nursing, given the same year of experience, will definitely earn more than someone with ADN in nursing.   Of course, studying further like having a Master’s degree or the likes will definitely move a nurse’s salary higher.

 

Speciality

There’s also the matter of speciality. Some specialities earn better than others. Here are some nursing specialities.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetic (CRNA) – In the U.S, this is the highest paid nursing speciality. They are also very well paid in Nigeria. This is because they carry out a very delicate procedure. That is, putting people to sleep with the aid of anaesthetics before surgery is performed. To be a CRNA,  one must be a registered nurse and have at least a Master’s degree in the discipline.

Pediatric Nursing – They work closely with children.

Nurse Researcher – They work to improve the field of nursing.

Some others include orthopaedic nurses and academic nurses.

The more a particular speciality is needed the more money earned in that speciality. You have to take additional courses and certifications to become a specialist nurse.

 

Allowances

Apart from earning a basic salary, having different types of allowances may cause a difference in what nurses earn. There are allowances for speciality, for hazard, for working in rural areas, for teaching, for being on call and many more. So, after earning a basic salary, allowances and bonuses sometimes make the difference.

 

How to Become a Registered Nurse in Nigeria

First, you need to have a grasp of science subjects such as Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

You should have at least 5 credits in you O–levels, which include the core science subjects and the English language.

In your UTME, you can apply to any of the numerous institutions in the country that offers training to become a registered nurse.

There are loads of schools of nursing and fewer university that offer a BSc in Nursing.

Nursing is a noble profession that is worth consideration. It is the right career for you if you love to care for the sick. A nursing degree also raises your prospects of having a good life as a professional working outside of Nigeria.

Compare Other Jobs in Nigeria

• Average Salary Structure in Nigeria
• Public Health Careers Salary in Nigeria
• Pilots Salary Per Month in Nigeria
• Chevron Salary Structure in Nigeria
• Grade Level 8 Salary Scale in Nigeria
• Mass Communication Jobs Salary in Nigeria
• Geologist Salary in Nigeria
• Civil Engineering Salary Per Month in Nigeria
• Pharmacists Salary Structure in Nigeria
• Mechanical Engineering Salary Per Month in Nigeria
• NNPC Staff Average Salary Structure
• Petroleum Engineering Starting Salary in Nigeria
• Medical Doctors Salary Scale in Nigeria
• Housemanship Salary in Nigeria