Highest paying jobs in Nigeria (2024)

There are countless rich people in the country as everyone is into one business or another, working full-time at a cool company, and several other engaging vocations. However, it is quite evident that some people are richer than others and this could be due to several reasons. Some people inherited wealth from their parents while some were fortunate enough to get high-paying jobs. This article is, however, more concerned with the highest-paying jobs in Nigeria currently.

So if the question on your mind is to know the highest paying jobs in Nigeria, you are in the right place as I am going to list 10 of them and why I deem them so.

Highest paying jobs in Nigeria

Here are the highest-paying jobs in Nigeria:

1. Business Persons (Entrepreneurs)

Hearing that a person is a businessman alone rings a bell. Although there are several businesses in several sectors that one can venture into, it has been observed lately that those businessmen that are into oil and gas and exporting ventures are usually the richest.

A remarkable example of a person in this category is Aliko Dangote, this man has a stake in almost all sectors of the economy in Nigeria, he is in fact, ranked the number one richest man in Africa.

2. Surgeon

This should be good news for persons in the medical line as surgeons make a hell of cash in their vocation. However, you should note that for every high-paying job, there is always a tough part attached to it.

In law, surgeons are charged with a very high duty of care and the ethics of the profession do not take mistakes lightly as this could lead to a withdrawal of such doctor’s license to practice.

3. Engineers

When you hear that a person is an engineer, there is this feeling this person must be strong and skilled when it comes to machinery.

Yes, such a person is and is also rich, especially if he or she is gainfully employed in the oil and gas industry. The kind of engineer that I am referring to here is a petrol production engineer as they get paid a lot of money for their job.

4. Commercial Farmers

Although this area of work has been termed to be an old or traditional means of employment, it is, in fact, more than that. As a matter of fact, farmers have always been known to be some of the richest people in the world.

Traditionally, farmers who deal in cocoa, livestock, rubber, cashew nuts, are usually very rich. A prominent example in this category is ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo who has a very big and successful farm at Ogun state.

5. Musicians

Almost every youth today wants to be a musician, the reason for this is not far-fetched as we have the likes of Olamide Adedeji, popularly known as “Badoo” who rose from the ghetto into the limelight filled with riches.

Notable examples in this category also include Wizkid who has gained international recognition, Davido, and many more. However, for you to really make it in the music industry, you need to have talent and also something that people want to hear, and you may not like the latter condition so much if you are a conservative person.

6. Bankers

Investment Bankers make a lot of money. Such people in this category work in financial institutions to raise funds for businesses and companies. They deal especially with capital raising for both private and public corporations.

However, before you really enjoy the money in this vocation, you need to have grown to a particular height, take, for example, the CEO of UBA Kennedy Uzoka, who is ranked one of the top richest men in Africa.

7. Telecommunication Engineer

Experts in this line of work are usually paid a huge sum of money as a salary. These guys are in charge of the maintenance and installation of hardware and software devices related to the telecommunication industry.

Persons who work for the likes of Mike Adenuga – the owner of Globacom (Glo) can attest to this.

8. Pilots

Pilots are persons who fly airplanes. These sets of people are very highly skilled as they deal with human lives. These persons, in conjunction with aeronautic engineers, get paid a huge sum of remuneration for their job.

9. Bloggers

Blogging is a silent gold mine. With people getting most of their daily news intake from the internet, bloggers have taken over from newspapers and Television stations. A blogger does not have to pay transport to work and all the expenses.

The difference between their gross income and net income is slim.  Today, we have rich successful bloggers all over the country. You will be amazed at the big houses and cars they possess. You too can become a blogger today. Read: How to create a blog in less than 20 minutes 

10. Marketing Experts and Freelancers:

The face of businesses today is gradually changing as online marketing is becoming a potent method of growing one’s business rapidly. This is why the need for advertising or market strategists is growing very rapidly lately.

If you think that you possess this skill but you are not good enough yet, try as much as possible to brush it up as you can make millions of naira with it.

The beauty of this vocation again is that the hire rate is really high now globally and if you are lucky enough to get hired by a rich company abroad, you can easily make your money in dollars to boost up your profit rate. Freelance platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr have made this line of a business easier to venture into.

Conclusion

This article is only focused on legitimate vocations and jobs. There you have it, the top 10 highest-paying jobs in Nigeria. However, whichever business or job you venture into, for you to be successful, you have to be diligent and focused as these are some of the qualities that make you stand out among your co-workers. This article has covered a range of lucrative jobs in Nigeria in 2019, feel free to pick a job that suits your fit.

Why is it difficult to get a job in Nigeria? The high population of Nigeria plays a big role in job scarcity in Nigeria. About 2 million Nigerians gain admission into universities every year in Nigeria and over 600, 000 graduate every year, this means the number of jobs generated is not sufficient. Also, corruption, nepotism, and sentiments play a role in job scarcity in Nigeria. The Nigerian economy is over-dependent on oil, if efforts are focused on boosting other sectors, more jobs can be created.