Average Human Resources Officer Salary in Ethiopia for 2026
A human resources officer in Ethiopia earns about 65,760 ETB a year. That's 38% below the national average of 106,600 ETB.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Ethiopia sit around 30,700 ETB a year, while the very top stretches to 105,080 ETB. Everything on this page is in Ethiopian birr (ETB, symbol Br), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Ethiopia, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does a human resources officer make in Ethiopia?
A typical human resources officer working in Ethiopia brings home around 5,480 ETB a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 30,700 ETB, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 105,080 ETB for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior human resources officer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.
How human resources officer pay ranges in Ethiopia
A good way to think about salary in Ethiopia is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all human resources officers in Ethiopia earn less than 69,040 ETB a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 46,720 ETB (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 95,760 ETB (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of human resources officers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 30,700 ETB. The highest stretch to 105,080 ETB, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
Human resources officer pay by experience in Ethiopia
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a human resources officer in Ethiopia, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical human resources officer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years34,480 ETB
- 2-5 Years+30% from previous44,780 ETB
- 5-10 Years+52% from previous67,900 ETB
- 10-15 Years+21% from previous82,160 ETB
- 15-20 Years+8% from previous88,480 ETB
- 20+ Years+9% from previous96,500 ETB
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 52%. That is the point at which a human resources officer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
Human resources officer pay by education in Ethiopia
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving human resources officer pay in Ethiopia. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average human resources officer salary in Ethiopia broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Certificate or Diploma38,700 ETB
- Bachelor's Degree+101% from previous77,640 ETB
Human resources officer gender pay gap in Ethiopia
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Ethiopia is no exception. Male human resources officers in Ethiopia earn an average of 69,400 ETB a year, while female human resources officers earn around 59,940 ETB. That works out to a 16% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
Human Resources Officer gender pay gap
14%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Ethiopia.
Pay raises for a human resources officer in Ethiopia
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in Ethiopia sees a raise of about 6% every 29 months, which works out to roughly 2% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in Ethiopia, the national average raise is around 4% every 29 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Ethiopia:
- Banking
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel
- Construction
- Education
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Human resources officer bonus rates in Ethiopia
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
15% of human resources officers in Ethiopia reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a human resources officer a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 85% of human resources officers reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Ethiopia
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
Human resources officer: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Ethiopia is about 15% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
13%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Ethiopia on average.
Human resources officer salary by city in Ethiopia
Human resources officer pay is not even across Ethiopia. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Adis Abeba
- Gonder
- Mekele
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adis Abeba | City | 69,240 ETB | 75,980 ETB | 31,040-113,220 ETB |
| Gonder | City | 58,720 ETB | 66,820 ETB | 27,620-94,940 ETB |
| Mekele | City | 54,560 ETB | 58,800 ETB | 24,200-88,480 ETB |
Human Resources Officer in Ethiopia: FAQs
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How much does a human resources officer make per month in Ethiopia?
A human resources officer in Ethiopia earns about 5,480 ETB a month before tax, based on an annual average of 65,760 ETB.
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What's the salary range for a human resources officer in Ethiopia?
Entry-level human resources officers in Ethiopia start near 30,700 ETB. Top-end pay reaches around 105,080 ETB. The middle 50% of earners sit between 46,720 and 95,760 ETB.
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Is the median human resources officer salary in Ethiopia higher or lower than the average?
The median is 69,040 ETB, higher than the average of 65,760 ETB. Half of human resources officers in Ethiopia earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for human resources officers in Ethiopia?
Men working as a human resources officer in Ethiopia earn around 16% more than women on average (69,400 vs 59,940 ETB a year).
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Do human resources officers in Ethiopia get bonuses?
About 15% of human resources officers in Ethiopia reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.
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Do human resources officers earn more in the public or private sector in Ethiopia?
In Ethiopia, the public sector pays a human resources officer about 15% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do human resources officers in Ethiopia get a pay raise?
A human resources officer in Ethiopia sees a raise of around 6% every 29 months, equivalent to roughly 2% a year.