Average Manufacturing Operative Salary in Lusaka, Zambia for 2026

In this article, we will look at the average Manufacturing Operative salary for 2026 in Lusaka 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 Zambian kwacha. To keep things simple, we are using the ZMW currency code instead of the currency symbol ZK.

How Much Does a Manufacturing Operative Make in Lusaka?

A Manufacturing Operative working in Lusaka will typically earn around 38,180 ZMW per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 18,780 ZMW to the highest average salary of 57,080 ZMW.

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

Manufacturing Operative 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 Manufacturing Operative Salaries in Lusaka

So we've looked at the average salaries a Manufacturing Operative will earn in Lusaka. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Manufacturing Operative can earn between 18,780 ZMW and 57,080 ZMW on average in Lusaka. 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 Manufacturing Operative in Lusaka is 36,700 ZMW. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 36,700 ZMW, and 50% of the population earn more than 36,700 ZMW.

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 Manufacturing Operative salary in Lusaka, 25% of the population are earning less than 25,940 ZMW while 75% of the population earn more than 25,940 ZMW.

75% of the population earn less than 47,400 ZMW, and 25% of the population earn more than 47,400 ZMW.

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.

Manufacturing Operative Salary by Experience Level in Lusaka

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 Manufacturing Operative 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 Manufacturing Operative in Lusaka that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 21,640 ZMW.
• 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Manufacturing Operative salary would increase to 29,040 ZMW.
• 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Manufacturing Operative, the average salary would be 39,160 ZMW.
• 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 47,760 ZMW.
• 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Manufacturing Operative with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 50,020 ZMW.
• 20+ Years Experience. For a Manufacturing Operative with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 53,380 ZMW.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

Manufacturing Operative Salary by Education Level in Lusaka

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 Manufacturing Operative in Lusaka 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 Manufacturing Operative in Lusaka with a high school education can earn an average salary of 29,040 ZMW.
• Certificate or Diploma. A Manufacturing Operative in Lusaka with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 39,800 ZMW.
• Bachelor's Degree. A Manufacturing Operative in Lusaka with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 54,460 ZMW.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Manufacturing Operative 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 Lusaka, a male manufacturing operative will earn an average of 34,120 ZMW, while a female manufacturing operative will earn around 32,960 ZMW.

This means that a male manufacturing operative earns approximately 4% more than a female manufacturing operative for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Lusaka

Manufacturing Operative Average Pay Raise in Lusaka

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 Manufacturing Operative in Lusaka is around 6% every 29 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Zambia is around 5% every 28 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 = ( 6 ÷ 29 ) × 12  = 2%

What this means is that a Manufacturing Operative in Lusaka can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 2% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Lusaka for 2026

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

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

Manufacturing Operative Bonus and Incentive Rates in Lusaka

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 Manufacturing Operative is a low bonus based job, with 9% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

91% 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 1% to 3%.

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 Zambia earn approximately 21% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Manufacturing Operative

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Manufacturing Operative in Lusaka.