Average Live In Carer Salary in Colombo, Sri Lanka for 2026

In this article, we will look at the average Live In Carer salary for 2026 in Colombo and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Sri Lankan rupee. To keep things simple, we are using the LKR currency code instead of the currency symbol Rs රු.

How Much Does a Live In Carer Make in Colombo?

A Live In Carer working in Colombo will typically earn around 457,300 LKR per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 209,700 LKR to the highest average salary of 725,700 LKR.

Average Annual Salary457,300 LKR
Average Monthly Salary38,108 LKR
Average Lowest Salary209,700 LKR
Lowest Monthly Salary17,475 LKR
Average Highest Salary725,700 LKR
Highest Monthly Salary60,475 LKR

These are average salaries for a Live In Carer in Colombo and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Live In Carer to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Live In Carer salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Live In Carer Salaries in Colombo

So we've looked at the average salaries a Live In Carer will earn in Colombo. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Live In Carer can earn between 209,700 LKR and 725,700 LKR on average in Colombo. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Live In Carer in Colombo is 492,700 LKR. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 492,700 LKR, and 50% of the population earn more than 492,700 LKR.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Live In Carer salary in Colombo, 25% of the population are earning less than 315,900 LKR while 75% of the population earn more than 315,900 LKR.

75% of the population earn less than 659,200 LKR, and 25% of the population earn more than 659,200 LKR.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Live In Carer Salary by Experience Level in Colombo

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average Live In Carer salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Live In Carer in Colombo that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 238,900 LKR.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Live In Carer salary would increase to 317,700 LKR.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Live In Carer, the average salary would be 472,100 LKR.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 575,100 LKR.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Live In Carer with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 626,800 LKR.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Live In Carer with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 679,200 LKR.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years-
238,900 LKR
2-5 Years+34%
317,700 LKR
5-10 Years+48%
472,100 LKR
10-15 Years+22%
575,100 LKR
15-20 Years+9%
626,800 LKR
20+ Years+8%
679,200 LKR

Live In Carer Salary by Education Level in Colombo

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Live In Carer in Colombo based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Live In Carer in Colombo with a high school education can earn an average salary of 273,300 LKR.
  • Certificate or Diploma. A Live In Carer in Colombo with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 428,400 LKR.
  • Bachelor's Degree. A Live In Carer in Colombo with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 718,000 LKR.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School-
273,300 LKR
Certificate or Diploma+57%
428,400 LKR
Bachelor's Degree+68%
718,000 LKR

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in Sri Lanka is around 449,000 to 1,350,000 LKR and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Live In Carer Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Colombo, a male live in carer will earn an average of 382,600 LKR, while a female live in carer will earn around 447,700 LKR.

This means that a male live in carer earns approximately 15% less than a female live in carer for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Colombo

Male-
382,600 LKR
Female+15%
447,700 LKR

Live In Carer Average Pay Raise in Colombo

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Live In Carer in Colombo is around 11% every 17 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Sri Lanka is around 9% every 17 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 11 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that a Live In Carer in Colombo can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Colombo for 2026

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Sri Lanka.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking-
6%
Energy-
3%
Information Technology-
9%
Healthcare-
6%
Travel-
3%
Construction-
9%
Education-
6%

Live In Carer Bonus and Incentive Rates in Colombo

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Live In Carer is a low bonus based job, with 31% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

69% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus-
31%
No Bonus-
69%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in Sri Lanka earn approximately 8% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector-
1,109,200 LKR
Private Sector-8%
1,031,200 LKR

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Live In Carer

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Live In Carer in Colombo.

Job TitleCategorySalary
Activity AssistantCare Giving and Child Care398,300 LKR
Advice WorkerCare Giving and Child Care433,400 LKR
Care ManagerCare Giving and Child Care1,405,700 LKR
Care WorkerCare Giving and Child Care377,200 LKR
Child Care Assistant DirectorCare Giving and Child Care1,035,500 LKR
Child Care SpecialistCare Giving and Child Care1,594,500 LKR
Child Care TeacherCare Giving and Child Care489,600 LKR
Child Development Center AssistantCare Giving and Child Care629,800 LKR
Child Development SpecialistCare Giving and Child Care1,537,500 LKR
Child Life SpecialistCare Giving and Child Care1,537,500 LKR
Child Protection OfficerCare Giving and Child Care518,900 LKR
Child PsychotherapistCare Giving and Child Care1,716,600 LKR
Child Support OfficerCare Giving and Child Care455,400 LKR
Clinical Care CoordinatorCare Giving and Child Care524,300 LKR
Clinical OfficerCare Giving and Child Care459,300 LKR
CustodianCare Giving and Child Care736,700 LKR
Day Care DirectorCare Giving and Child Care1,930,500 LKR
Elderly Care GiverCare Giving and Child Care375,200 LKR
Group Home ManagerCare Giving and Child Care1,908,800 LKR
Kids Activity AssistantCare Giving and Child Care385,300 LKR
NannyCare Giving and Child Care447,300 LKR
Nursery NurseCare Giving and Child Care466,300 LKR
Nursery TeacherCare Giving and Child Care401,300 LKR
Nursing Home AdministratorCare Giving and Child Care605,700 LKR
Personal AssistantCare Giving and Child Care361,500 LKR
Physical Health and Wellness SpecialistCare Giving and Child Care1,693,600 LKR
Preschool Education CoordinatorCare Giving and Child Care695,400 LKR
Primary TherapistCare Giving and Child Care1,184,700 LKR
Psychiatric AideCare Giving and Child Care555,800 LKR
Rehabilitation CounselorCare Giving and Child Care1,440,700 LKR
Support WorkerCare Giving and Child Care389,200 LKR

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