Salary of programmers in Nigeria 2022: A computer programmer, otherwise called software developer, a programmer or coder, is a person who creates computer software, writes codes for computer programs and mobile application, debug and trouble shoot system software to ensure that the system is running smoothly and efficiently.
Programmers, otherwise known as software engineers or system programmers are tasked with designing and creating software programs, integrating systems, training end users, analyzing algorithm, modifying source code, writing system instructions, debugging and maintaining operating systems. They are usually employed by software companies, which could be governmental or private sector companies.
Recommended: Importance of digital marketing for businesses
Factors Affecting the Salary of Programmers in Nigeria
a. Experience: this is a very important criteria for programmers, as experience in the job, is extra credit and increases your chance of being employed. A computer programmer with less than two years experience might make around 164,000 naira per month, while one with higher experience would make higher. The payment of course increases as one gains more experience due to the number of years in the field.
Take for example, a programmer with around two to five years’ experience is likely to earn 218,000 naira per month, with five to ten years, a salary of 323,000 naira per month, with fifteen to twenty years’ experience, a programmer is likely to be paid a salary of 429,000 naira per month, and lastly, a programmer with twenty years plus experience is likely to be paid 465,000 naira per month.
b. Education: the education level for programmers differs, and the higher you go on the ladder, the more likely it is for the salary to increase. The levels are, Certificate/ diploma, Bachelors degree and Masters degree.
For certificate holders in programming, the average salary is 187,000 naira per month. For programmer with a bachelors degree, they are paid a salary of 293, 000 naira per month, and for master’s degree holder, the average programmer is 491,000 naira per month.
To have a successful career in programming, it is always advisable to pursue higher education as the return is always worth it, not only does it influence the salary, but it also adds class and titles.
c. Gender: Gender has a way of determining the salary of a person in the programming field. Despite the fight of feminists and talks as to how everyone should be equal regardless of gender, the programming world in Nigeria points otherwise.
Take for example, where a male programmer is paid 344,000 in naira, the female counterparts are paid 283,000 naira monthly. The implication of this is that male programmers earn more than female programmers with over twenty two percent.
Recommended: Best law apps for lawyers and law students
Salary Structure of Programmers/Developers in Nigeria 2022
The average programmer in Nigeria is paid very well compared to other professions. A Software engineer/Programmer’s salary per month ranges from 144,000 naira to 498,000 naira. This is so because programming is a career that is not widely engaged in, in Nigeria. The list would be made according to the top companies employing the services of a programmer.
In Andela, a software developer is paid 250,000 naira per month, In Appzone, they are paid 221,000 naira monthly, in Impetro technologies, a software developer is paid 2,000,000 naira per year, in Cyberspace network, software developers are paid 147,500 naira monthly, In Fintrak Software, they are paid 162,500 naira monthly, and in EHealth Africa, the monthly salary is 600,000 naira.
For more information about the actual salary of programmers in Nigeria, I encourage you to check out the YouTube video below. Trust me, you will love it!
Recommended: Advantages and Disadvantages of Being Intelligent
How to Increase your Salary as a Developer in Nigeria
One of the major advantages of being a programmer is the fact that it is not just a job but a skill that gives you the ability to make anything out of it. What this means is that, a developer is not restricted to making money from just one means. Take for example, while working for Company A as a frontend Developer, he/she can also work for Company B and still get paid.
Another effective way programmers can make more money in Nigeria is to share their knowledge through social media platforms. Trust me, there are lots of people around the world who are searching for Programmers to learn from and they are ready to pay any amount of money to learn.
Even by sharing the skill for free, you can still make a good amount of money on platforms like Facebook and YouTube. You can also write books and upload courses selling them at a very high price too.
This is one of the reasons why programming (Whether software or application programming) is still regarding as one of the most paying jobs in Nigeria currently.
Recommended: How to start a blog while in school and make money
How to Become An Employable Programmer in Nigeria
Earn a degree: A bachelor’s degree (usually four years), in programming enables students to diversify their skill by learning several programming languages.
Choose a focus: this stage is where specialization comes in, as Jack of all trade is indeed master of none. It is important to choose, whilst being an undergraduate what aspect of programming appeals to you, and lean towards their direction.
Continuous learning: Learning is a continuous process, and the programming industry keeps evolving. A programmer, who intends to remain relevant, needs to stay abreast with the latest innovation in the programming world, get back to class and if need be, get additional training to be well certified enough to build competency in the market.
It is also important to advance in degree, take for example, obtaining a Bachelor and Master’s degree in programming, as it influences the salary and chances of employment.
Recommended: Best education websites in Nigeria
Duties/Responsibilities of Programmer
a. Coding and debugging operating systems
b. Troubleshooting system errors
c. Designing computer structures
d. Managing operating systems.
e. Providing tech support.
f. Collaborating with business developers to produce software designs
g. Transforming software designs and specifications into high functioning code in the appropriate language.
h. Collaborate with technical writers to create documentation for user support
i. Testing codes periodically to ensure they produce the desirable results and performing debugging when necessary.
j. Reviewing existing programs
k. Fixing defects on the operating system
l. Developing in-house software
m. Writing codes and manipulating it into a language that computers understand.
n. Work closely with information technology staff, managers and users in their organization to develop, maintain and test computer programs.
o. Respond to notification by users
p. Identify malfunctioning code
q. Rewrite programs
The Future of Programming in Nigeria
The salary of programmers is this high because the market is not very competitive, yet. It is expected that in the nearest future, the average salaries of programmers will reduce. It doesn’t remove the fact that a significant proportion of programmers will not still be paid well.
Take for example, the legal profession in Nigeria is highly competitive, and we have lawyers complaining about how low they are being paid, but it doesn’t remove the fact that there are lawyers still being paid well in the same profession. The trick is being progressive.
As programmers, it is imperative for you to specialize in areas that will likely be lucrative in the nearest future. Identify growing trends and specialize in it, as people skilled in these areas are usually few and the demand for them is high. High demand means more pay.
Recommended: Salary of Lawyers in Nigeria
The lucrative skills in programming today are:
HTML and CSS: These skills have been around for a while and are not likely to go down any time soon, If you can do a good job at writing HTML, it would be a good way to earn money.
Javascript: Programmers with knowledge of Javascript are in high demand, and the demand rate is likely to increase over the years.
Python: This has been around and still trending. Due to its flexibility and speed, it is expected that it becomes one of the fastest growing languages in the nearest future.
AI: Short form for artificial intelligence, it is the future of programming. For this, it is necessary that you learn Python, R, Lisp, Prolog, or Java.
Augmented Reality (AR): This area has been quite static for a while now, simce the touch screen revolution. AR is successfully navigating the move from Sci- Fi to reality. For AR, it is required you learn ARKit Framework with Swift or Objective C.
Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka ACMC, is a Law Student and a Certified Mediator/Conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a Developer with knowledge in HTML, CSS, JS, PHP and React Native. Samuel is bent on changing the legal profession by building Web and Mobile Apps that will make legal research a lot easier.
Please I will really love to work with you for free for as long as possible, just to gain experience , am very good at html, css, bootstrap and getting more exposure to JavaScript. It will be really nice if you could have me