Average International Cooperation Specialist Salary in Lesotho for 2026
An international cooperation specialist in Lesotho earns about 245,300 LSL a year. That's 77% above the national average of 138,800 LSL.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Lesotho sit around 112,660 LSL a year, while the very top stretches to 389,200 LSL. Everything on this page is in Lesotho loti (LSL, symbol L), 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 Lesotho, 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 an international cooperation specialist make in Lesotho?
A typical international cooperation specialist working in Lesotho brings home around 20,441 LSL a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 112,660 LSL, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 389,200 LSL 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 international cooperation specialist 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 international cooperation specialist pay ranges in Lesotho
A good way to think about salary in Lesotho is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all international cooperation specialists in Lesotho earn less than 263,900 LSL 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 169,000 LSL (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 351,200 LSL (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of international cooperation specialists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 112,660 LSL. The highest stretch to 389,200 LSL, 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.
International cooperation specialist pay by experience in Lesotho
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an international cooperation specialist in Lesotho, 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 international cooperation specialist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years125,700 LSL
- 2-5 Years+37% from previous172,200 LSL
- 5-10 Years+47% from previous253,400 LSL
- 10-15 Years+22% from previous308,900 LSL
- 15-20 Years+8% from previous335,100 LSL
- 20+ Years+8% from previous361,500 LSL
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 47%. That is the point at which a international cooperation specialist 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.
International cooperation specialist pay by education in Lesotho
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving international cooperation specialist pay in Lesotho. 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 international cooperation specialist salary in Lesotho broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- High School158,700 LSL
- Certificate or Diploma+17% from previous185,100 LSL
- Bachelor's Degree+44% from previous267,100 LSL
- Master's Degree+32% from previous352,000 LSL
International cooperation specialist gender pay gap in Lesotho
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Lesotho is no exception. Male international cooperation specialists in Lesotho earn an average of 266,000 LSL a year, while female international cooperation specialists earn around 221,500 LSL. That works out to a 20% 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.
International Cooperation Specialist gender pay gap
17%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Lesotho.
Pay raises for an international cooperation specialist in Lesotho
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 Lesotho sees a raise of about 10% every 29 months, which works out to roughly 4% 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 Lesotho, the national average raise is around 5% every 28 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Lesotho:
- 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
International cooperation specialist bonus rates in Lesotho
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.
18% of international cooperation specialists in Lesotho reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an international cooperation specialist 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 82% of international cooperation specialists reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Lesotho
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
International cooperation specialist: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Lesotho is about 13% 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
11%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Lesotho on average.
International Cooperation Specialist in Lesotho: FAQs
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How much does an international cooperation specialist make per month in Lesotho?
An international cooperation specialist in Lesotho earns about 20,441 LSL a month before tax, based on an annual average of 245,300 LSL.
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What's the salary range for an international cooperation specialist in Lesotho?
Entry-level international cooperation specialists in Lesotho start near 112,660 LSL. Top-end pay reaches around 389,200 LSL. The middle 50% of earners sit between 169,000 and 351,200 LSL.
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Is the median international cooperation specialist salary in Lesotho higher or lower than the average?
The median is 263,900 LSL, higher than the average of 245,300 LSL. Half of international cooperation specialists in Lesotho earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for international cooperation specialists in Lesotho?
Men working as an international cooperation specialist in Lesotho earn around 20% more than women on average (266,000 vs 221,500 LSL a year).
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Do international cooperation specialists in Lesotho get bonuses?
About 18% of international cooperation specialists in Lesotho reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.
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Do international cooperation specialists earn more in the public or private sector in Lesotho?
In Lesotho, the public sector pays an international cooperation specialist about 13% 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 international cooperation specialists in Lesotho get a pay raise?
An international cooperation specialist in Lesotho sees a raise of around 10% every 29 months, equivalent to roughly 4% a year.