Average Principal Cost Engineer Salary in Kandahar, Afghanistan for 2025
In this article, we will look at the average Principal Cost Engineer salary for 2025 in Kandahar 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 Afghan afghani. To keep things simple, we are using the AFN currency code instead of the currency symbol ؋.
How Much Does a Principal Cost Engineer Make in Kandahar?
A Principal Cost Engineer working in Kandahar will typically earn around 917,200 AFN per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 478,100 AFN to the highest average salary of 1,405,700 AFN.
These are average salaries for a Principal Cost Engineer in Kandahar and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Principal Cost Engineer to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.
Principal Cost Engineer 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 Principal Cost Engineer Salaries in Kandahar
So we've looked at the average salaries a Principal Cost Engineer will earn in Kandahar. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.
Salary ranges
We already know that a Principal Cost Engineer can earn between 478,100 AFN and 1,405,700 AFN on average in Kandahar. 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 Principal Cost Engineer in Kandahar is 879,700 AFN. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.
What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 879,700 AFN, and 50% of the population earn more than 879,700 AFN.
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 Principal Cost Engineer salary in Kandahar, 25% of the population are earning less than 608,500 AFN while 75% of the population earn more than 608,500 AFN.
75% of the population earn less than 1,094,000 AFN, and 25% of the population earn more than 1,094,000 AFN.
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.
Principal Cost Engineer Salary by Experience Level in Kandahar
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 Principal Cost Engineer 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 Principal Cost Engineer in Kandahar that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 539,700 AFN.
- 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Principal Cost Engineer salary would increase to 727,400 AFN.
- 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Principal Cost Engineer, the average salary would be 942,700 AFN.
- 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 1,141,000 AFN.
- 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Principal Cost Engineer with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 1,249,900 AFN.
- 20+ Years Experience. For a Principal Cost Engineer with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 1,306,100 AFN.
Average Salary by Experience Chart
| 0-2 Years | - | 539,700 AFN |
| 2-5 Years | +34% | 727,400 AFN |
| 5-10 Years | +30% | 942,700 AFN |
| 10-15 Years | +21% | 1,141,000 AFN |
| 15-20 Years | +9% | 1,249,900 AFN |
| 20+ Years | +5% | 1,306,100 AFN |
Principal Cost Engineer Salary by Education Level in Kandahar
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 Principal Cost Engineer in Kandahar based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.
- Bachelor's Degree. A Principal Cost Engineer in Kandahar with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 762,400 AFN.
- Master's Degree. A Principal Cost Engineer in Kandahar with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 1,058,300 AFN.
Average Salary by Education Chart
| Bachelor's Degree | - | 762,400 AFN |
| Master's Degree | +39% | 1,058,300 AFN |
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 Afghanistan is around 389,000 to 1,170,000 AFN 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.
Principal Cost Engineer 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 Kandahar, a male principal cost engineer will earn an average of 934,900 AFN, while a female principal cost engineer will earn around 819,000 AFN.
This means that a male principal cost engineer earns approximately 14% more than a female principal cost engineer for performing the same job.
Average Salary by Gender Chart in Kandahar
| Male | - | 934,900 AFN |
| Female | -14% | 819,000 AFN |
Principal Cost Engineer Average Pay Raise in Kandahar
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 Principal Cost Engineer in Kandahar is around 7% every 30 months.
The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Afghanistan is around 4% every 29 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 = ( 7 ÷ 30 ) × 12 = 3%
What this means is that a Principal Cost Engineer in Kandahar can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 3% every 12 months.
Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Kandahar for 2025
In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Afghanistan.
You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.
| Banking | - | 1% |
| Energy | - | 2% |
| Information Technology | - | 3% |
| Healthcare | - | 4% |
| Travel | - | 5% |
| Construction | - | 6% |
| Education | - | 7% |
Principal Cost Engineer Bonus and Incentive Rates in Kandahar
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 Principal Cost Engineer is a low bonus based job, with 13% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.
87% 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 | - | 13% |
| No Bonus | - | 87% |
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 Afghanistan earn approximately 11% more than private sector employees in the same role.
| Public Sector | - | 971,200 AFN |
| Private Sector | -11% | 878,900 AFN |
Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Principal Cost Engineer
In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Principal Cost Engineer in Kandahar.
| Job Title | Category | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Acoustics Engineer | Engineering | 832,000 AFN |
| Assembly Engineering Technician | Engineering | 665,300 AFN |
| Assistant Chief Engineer | Engineering | 970,200 AFN |
| Associate Engineer | Engineering | 773,400 AFN |
| AutoCAD Drafter | Engineering | 514,300 AFN |
| Autocad Operator | Engineering | 541,700 AFN |
| Automation Engineer | Engineering | 894,500 AFN |
| Automation Engineer | Engineering | 931,700 AFN |
| Avionic System Support Engineer | Engineering | 830,500 AFN |
| BMS Engineer | Engineering | 836,800 AFN |
| Biochemical Engineer | Engineering | 786,600 AFN |
| Bridge and Lock Tender | Engineering | 466,900 AFN |
| Broadcast Engineer | Engineering | 887,100 AFN |
| CAD Design Engineer | Engineering | 854,300 AFN |
| CAD Designer | Engineering | 518,900 AFN |
| CAE Engineer | Engineering | 816,900 AFN |
| Ceramics Engineer | Engineering | 791,600 AFN |
| Chemical Engineer | Engineering | 884,700 AFN |
| Civil Drafter | Engineering | 563,000 AFN |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | 899,100 AFN |
| Civil Site Engineer | Engineering | 913,400 AFN |
| Civil Technician | Engineering | 539,800 AFN |
| Commissioning Engineer | Engineering | 877,300 AFN |
| Communications Engineer | Engineering | 979,600 AFN |
| Condition Monitoring Engineer | Engineering | 747,400 AFN |
| Contract Associate Engineer | Engineering | 802,400 AFN |
| Contract Engineer | Engineering | 805,900 AFN |
| Control Systems Engineer | Engineering | 840,100 AFN |
| Controls Engineer | Engineering | 832,300 AFN |
| Controls Software Engineer | Engineering | 754,900 AFN |
| Corrosion Engineer | Engineering | 790,600 AFN |
| Design Engineer | Engineering | 889,400 AFN |
| Director of Engineering | Engineering | 1,751,700 AFN |
| Drafter | Engineering | 552,400 AFN |
| Drafting Manager | Engineering | 1,015,500 AFN |
| Drilling Engineer | Engineering | 848,200 AFN |
| Drilling Foreman | Engineering | 271,300 AFN |
| Electrical Draughtsman | Engineering | 454,900 AFN |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | 958,700 AFN |
| Electrical Engineering Manager | Engineering | 1,259,300 AFN |
| Electromechanical Engineering Technologist | Engineering | 890,100 AFN |
| Electromechanical Equipment Assembler | Engineering | 433,800 AFN |
| Energy Engineer | Engineering | 939,000 AFN |
| Engine Assembler | Engineering | 377,200 AFN |
| Engineer | Engineering | 923,000 AFN |
| Engineering Account Manager | Engineering | 939,000 AFN |
| Engineering Chief Designer | Engineering | 995,000 AFN |
| Engineering Consultant | Engineering | 1,141,600 AFN |
| Engineering Key Account Manager | Engineering | 1,296,900 AFN |
| Engineering Lab Technician | Engineering | 778,900 AFN |
| Engineering Manager | Engineering | 1,149,200 AFN |
| Engineering Planning Manager | Engineering | 1,181,200 AFN |
| Engineering Production Manager | Engineering | 1,500,800 AFN |
| Engineering Project Analyst | Engineering | 965,000 AFN |
| Engineering Project Coordinator | Engineering | 960,900 AFN |
| Engineering Project Director | Engineering | 1,716,600 AFN |
| Engineering Project Leader | Engineering | 1,078,200 AFN |
| Engineering Project Manager | Engineering | 1,235,600 AFN |
| Engineering Research and Development Manager | Engineering | 1,357,900 AFN |
| Engineering Safety Coordinator | Engineering | 672,600 AFN |
| Engineering Sales Manager | Engineering | 1,212,800 AFN |
| Engineering Technician | Engineering | 684,900 AFN |
| Engineering Technologist | Engineering | 648,200 AFN |
| Environmental Engineer | Engineering | 858,400 AFN |
| Equipment Engineer | Engineering | 800,500 AFN |
| Equipment Engineering Manager | Engineering | 1,155,400 AFN |
| Estimator | Engineering | 737,000 AFN |
| Fabrication Specialist | Engineering | 605,700 AFN |
| Fabricator | Engineering | 388,100 AFN |
| Facade Engineer | Engineering | 800,500 AFN |
| Fiber Analyst | Engineering | 498,500 AFN |
| Field Engineer | Engineering | 913,400 AFN |
| Field Engineering Manager | Engineering | 1,487,200 AFN |
| Fire Engineer | Engineering | 882,400 AFN |
| Fitter and Turner | Engineering | 283,400 AFN |
| Forestry Strategic Planner | Engineering | 1,041,900 AFN |
| Generation Engineer | Engineering | 917,700 AFN |
| Genetic Engineer | Engineering | 915,100 AFN |
| Geological Engineer | Engineering | 923,000 AFN |
| Geotechnical Engineer | Engineering | 934,900 AFN |
| HSE Professional | Engineering | 838,100 AFN |
| HVAC Engineer | Engineering | 938,700 AFN |
| HVAC Supervisor | Engineering | 751,700 AFN |
| Heavy Equipment Mechanic | Engineering | 447,300 AFN |
| Highway Engineer | Engineering | 878,900 AFN |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | 851,200 AFN |
| Industrial Engineering Technologist | Engineering | 819,000 AFN |
| Instrument Engineer | Engineering | 854,300 AFN |
| Instrument Technician | Engineering | 464,400 AFN |
| Instrumentation Designer | Engineering | 714,600 AFN |
| Instrumentation Engineer | Engineering | 852,900 AFN |
| Instrumentation Manager | Engineering | 836,800 AFN |
| Instrumentation and Control Engineer | Engineering | 832,300 AFN |
| Irrigation Engineer | Engineering | 858,400 AFN |
| Licensed Aircraft Engineer | Engineering | 903,500 AFN |
| Locomotive Engineer | Engineering | 870,700 AFN |
| Maintenance Engineer | Engineering | 829,000 AFN |
| Maintenance Fitter | Engineering | 301,700 AFN |
| Maintenance Manager | Engineering | 849,200 AFN |
| Manufacturing Engineer | Engineering | 852,900 AFN |
| Marine Engineer | Engineering | 889,400 AFN |
| Materials Engineer | Engineering | 868,400 AFN |
| Materials Researcher | Engineering | 772,900 AFN |
| Materials Technician | Engineering | 639,100 AFN |
| Mechanical Design Engineer | Engineering | 906,000 AFN |
| Mechanical Designer | Engineering | 736,700 AFN |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | 945,400 AFN |
| Mechanical Engineering Manager | Engineering | 1,249,900 AFN |
| Mechanical Inspector | Engineering | 802,400 AFN |
| Mechanical and Electrical Engineer | Engineering | 965,800 AFN |
| Mechatronics Engineer | Engineering | 888,400 AFN |
| Mining Engineer | Engineering | 840,100 AFN |
| Oil and Petrochemical Engineer | Engineering | 970,600 AFN |
| Optical Engineer | Engineering | 854,300 AFN |
| Optical Instrument Assembler | Engineering | 447,300 AFN |
| PCB Assembler | Engineering | 301,800 AFN |
| Photonics Engineer | Engineering | 986,700 AFN |
| Photonics Technician | Engineering | 805,900 AFN |
| Pipeline Engineer | Engineering | 767,400 AFN |
| Piping Designer | Engineering | 455,400 AFN |
| Piping Engineer | Engineering | 767,500 AFN |
| Planning Engineer | Engineering | 864,700 AFN |
| Pressure Vessel Inspector | Engineering | 388,100 AFN |
| Principal Engineer | Engineering | 877,300 AFN |
| Principal Support Engineer | Engineering | 878,900 AFN |
| Process Engineer | Engineering | 879,800 AFN |
| Process Operator | Engineering | 520,900 AFN |
| Product Development Engineer | Engineering | 926,000 AFN |
| Product Development Technician | Engineering | 639,900 AFN |
| Product Engineer | Engineering | 927,000 AFN |
| Product Safety Engineer | Engineering | 788,000 AFN |
| Production Engineer | Engineering | 852,900 AFN |
| Project Engineer | Engineering | 942,700 AFN |
| Proposal Manager | Engineering | 1,102,100 AFN |
| Purchasing Engineer | Engineering | 828,400 AFN |
| Quality Assurance Engineer | Engineering | 884,700 AFN |
| Rail Engineer | Engineering | 899,900 AFN |
| Regional Field Engineer | Engineering | 978,900 AFN |
| Robotics Engineer | Engineering | 986,700 AFN |
| Robotics Technician | Engineering | 713,900 AFN |
| Safety Engineer | Engineering | 895,900 AFN |
| Safety Inspector | Engineering | 701,400 AFN |
| Safety Manager | Engineering | 974,600 AFN |
| Safety Officer | Engineering | 454,300 AFN |
| Sales Engineer | Engineering | 896,700 AFN |
| Scheduling Engineer | Engineering | 824,800 AFN |
| Service Engineer | Engineering | 874,900 AFN |
| Solar Engineer | Engineering | 934,900 AFN |
| Staff Engineer | Engineering | 866,900 AFN |
| Static Equipment Engineer | Engineering | 848,200 AFN |
| Stationary Engineer | Engineering | 808,000 AFN |
| Stress Engineer | Engineering | 825,900 AFN |
| Structural Analysis Engineer | Engineering | 875,000 AFN |
| Structural Designer | Engineering | 724,000 AFN |
| Structural Engineer | Engineering | 875,000 AFN |
| Structural Technician | Engineering | 573,500 AFN |
| Supply Chain Specialist | Engineering | 812,900 AFN |
| Surveyor | Engineering | 627,900 AFN |
| Technical Affairs Officer | Engineering | 433,400 AFN |
| Technical Assistant | Engineering | 433,800 AFN |
| Technical Engineer | Engineering | 717,900 AFN |
| Technical Support Engineer | Engineering | 747,400 AFN |
| Tender Engineer | Engineering | 786,600 AFN |
| Test Development Engineer | Engineering | 870,700 AFN |
| Test Engineer | Engineering | 864,700 AFN |
| Transportation Engineer | Engineering | 847,000 AFN |
| Validation Engineer | Engineering | 745,000 AFN |
| Verification Engineer | Engineering | 791,200 AFN |
| Wastewater Engineer | Engineering | 823,400 AFN |
| Wind Energy Engineer | Engineering | 860,300 AFN |
| Wind Energy Operations Manager | Engineering | 1,125,500 AFN |
| Work Planner | Engineering | 623,700 AFN |
Salary Comparison by City
If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Afghanistan, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.
| City | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Herat | 879,800 AFN |
| Jalalabad | 799,300 AFN |
| Kabul | 983,100 AFN |
| Kunduz | 767,500 AFN |
| Mazari Sharif | 874,900 AFN |
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