Kenya's Top Paying Jobs: The Art of Negotiating a Higher Salary💼

Greetings, and welcome to the eighteenth edition of Wallet Wellness in 2025 - your weekly source of practical personal finance tips to elevate your money management skills.

We hope you had a chance to check out the last edition, where we discussed Payday Feels Good... Until It Doesn’t: How to Avoid Regret Spending. In today’s edition, we explore what to consider when negotiating your salary.

As always, be sure to check out the Concept Corner below for a deep dive into the money concept of the week.

Let’s dive in! 

Sponsored Content

This week’s newsletter is brought to you by Umba Microfinance Bank. Umba is Kenya’s digital Microfinance Bank licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya. 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐦𝐛𝐚'𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐠𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐋𝐨𝐚𝐧, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐊𝐬𝐡𝟏𝟎𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐬𝐡𝟏.𝟕 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟑% 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭. Plus, you keep your car while using the funds to solve your financial needs.

MONEY254 TIP OF THE WEEK

Kenya's Top Paying Jobs: The Art of Negotiating a Higher Salary💼

KNBS Insights

The 2025 Economic Survey by KNBS reveals Kenya’s top-paying jobs — and they offer key lessons for your next salary negotiation. At the top of the private sector are employees in extraterritorial organisations like the UN, earning an average of Ksh353,048 monthly, while public sector leaders are in accommodation and food service, with Ksh249,863 per month.

Other lucrative roles include the electricity and utilities sector (Ksh205,270 private, Ksh133,735 public), finance and insurance (Ksh198,082 private, Ksh190,652 public), and transport and storage, where public employees earn a strong Ksh217,737 monthly. These industries reflect where specialised skills meet high demand.

The report highlighted that lower career ladders offer, on average, Ksh29,000 (Check our story on top-paying careers in Kenya). 

But no matter your industry, there are tips you can live by to ensure that you are always a step ahead when it comes to salary negotiations without coming off as brash or too needy. Here are five factors to always consider;

1. Research Industry Pay Trends

Stay informed — it's your strongest leverage.
Understanding the going rate for roles in your industry keeps your expectations realistic and protects your earnings from being undervalued, especially in light of inflation and market changes.

What to Do:

• Regularly scan job listings across multiple companies.

• Use platforms like Glassdoor, Payscale, or BrighterMonday.

• Review industry salary reports or publications in your field.

• Network with peers at events or via LinkedIn to gather informal insights.

• Consider factors like company size, financial health, and growth stage, which often influence compensation packages.

2. Know Your Worth

If you don’t believe in your value, why should they?
Your skills, experience, certifications, and the impact you've made are all part of your value proposition. Walking into negotiations with this clarity strengthens your position.

What to Do:

• Reflect on your achievements in previous roles.

• Document any trainings, certifications, and upskilling efforts.

• Identify unique strengths or niche expertise that sets you apart.

• Use these as talking points to justify your salary expectations during negotiations.

3. Look Beyond the Basic Pay

A great offer isn’t always about the salary number.
Perks like remote work, transportation, flexible hours, wellness benefits, or lunch allowances can dramatically improve your work-life balance and reduce your personal expenses.

 What to Do:

• Ask HR for a full breakdown of the benefits package.

• Consider both monetary (e.g., bonuses, allowances) and non-monetary perks (e.g., flexibility, professional development).

• Do the math — sometimes, a slightly lower salary with robust benefits can offer more value.

4. Let the Employer Make the First Move

Timing matters — don’t jump into money talk too soon.
Let your qualifications and value speak first. Pushing salary discussions too early can weaken your position or make you seem overly focused on compensation.

What to Do:

• Focus initial conversations on your fit for the role and the problems you’ll solve.

• Wait for the employer to make the first offer.

• If no offer is made after several rounds, politely initiate the discussion by asking about their salary range based on your experience and value.

5. Take Time Before You Say "Yes"

Patience can lead to a better offer.
Accepting an offer too quickly may suggest desperation. Instead, requesting time shows you’re thoughtful and professional, and it may even lead to better terms.

What to Do:

• Thank the hiring manager and ask how much time you have to respond.

• Use that time to compare the offer against market benchmarks and your personal needs.

• If the offer falls short, prepare a well-researched counteroffer that highlights your skills and contributions.

Just because a number is attached to a job posting doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. With the right approach, you can turn an average offer into a great one. Know your worth, do your research, and never be afraid to negotiate — respectfully and strategically.

CONCEPT CORNER

Lifestyle Creep

Lifestyle Creep is the gradual increase in your spending as your income rises. Instead of saving or investing the extra money, you upgrade your lifestyle—nicer clothes, fancier meals, pricier gadgets, bigger house, more rent, often without realizing it. Over time, this makes it hard to build wealth because your expenses keep growing along with your income. You earn more, but you don’t feel richer, because you’re spending more too. Learn More.

MONEY254 #MONEYTOK

3 Ways to Generate Ksh20K in Monthly Passive Income

Imagine earning Ksh20,000 every month without lifting a finger. This is possible through passive income investments. For example, putting Ksh2 million into a low-risk option like a Money Market Fund earning 12% per year can generate this amount. While returns are steady and the money stays liquid, they’re modest and may lose value to inflation.

Medium to high-risk options like CMA-regulated special funds or stocks offer higher returns—about 20%—meaning you'd only need Ksh1.15 million to earn the same income. You can also invest in real estate, such as a Ksh3 million apartment earning Ksh25,000 monthly in rent. While returns here can be steady and long-term, they come with maintenance costs and potential vacancies. Click on the link in our bio to read more on this and other personal finance tips.

@money254hq

𝟑 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐊𝐬𝐡𝟐𝟎𝐊 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 #money254 #money #trendingvideo #fyppp #fyppppp #fypシ゚ #moneytips #investing #moneyman... See more

That's it for the eighteenth Wallet Wellness edition of 2025! We hope these financial tips have added some energy to your weekly hustle. Stay tuned for more practical insights in our next edition of "Wallet Wellness" next week and watch out for Money Weekly.

Also, don’t forget to download the Money254 App on the Google Play Store, and remember that we can help you compare over 300 loans, savings accounts, current accounts, and more if you’re thinking about your next product.

Cheers to your wallet's well-being!

Money254 editorial team.