Average Product Development Engineer Salary in Malawi for 2026
In this article, we will look at the average Product Development Engineer salary for 2026 in Malawi 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 Malawian kwacha. To keep things simple, we are using the MWK currency code instead of the currency symbol MK.
How Much Does a Product Development Engineer Make in Malawi?
A Product Development Engineer working in Malawi will typically earn around 1,846,200 MWK per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 903,500 MWK to the highest average salary of 2,878,300 MWK.
These are average salaries for a Product Development Engineer in Malawi and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Product Development Engineer to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.
Product Development 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 Product Development Engineer Salaries in Malawi
So we've looked at the average salaries a Product Development Engineer will earn in Malawi. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.
Salary ranges
We already know that a Product Development Engineer can earn between 903,500 MWK and 2,878,300 MWK on average in Malawi. 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 Product Development Engineer in Malawi is 1,882,700 MWK. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.
What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 1,882,700 MWK, and 50% of the population earn more than 1,882,700 MWK.
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 Product Development Engineer salary in Malawi, 25% of the population are earning less than 1,249,900 MWK while 75% of the population earn more than 1,249,900 MWK.
75% of the population earn less than 2,423,000 MWK, and 25% of the population earn more than 2,423,000 MWK.
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.
Product Development Engineer Salary by Experience Level in Malawi
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 Product Development 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 Product Development Engineer in Malawi that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 1,070,600 MWK.
- 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Product Development Engineer salary would increase to 1,380,400 MWK.
- 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Product Development Engineer, the average salary would be 1,896,700 MWK.
- 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 2,352,500 MWK.
- 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Product Development Engineer with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 2,519,500 MWK.
- 20+ Years Experience. For a Product Development Engineer with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 2,688,800 MWK.
Average Salary by Experience Chart
| 0-2 Years | - | 1,070,600 MWK |
| 2-5 Years | +29% | 1,380,400 MWK |
| 5-10 Years | +38% | 1,896,700 MWK |
| 10-15 Years | +24% | 2,352,500 MWK |
| 15-20 Years | +7% | 2,519,500 MWK |
| 20+ Years | +7% | 2,688,800 MWK |
Product Development Engineer Salary by Education Level in Malawi
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 Product Development Engineer in Malawi 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 Product Development Engineer in Malawi with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 1,333,900 MWK.
- Master's Degree. A Product Development Engineer in Malawi with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 2,146,100 MWK.
Average Salary by Education Chart
| Bachelor's Degree | - | 1,333,900 MWK |
| Master's Degree | +60% | 2,146,100 MWK |
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 Malawi is around 822,000 to 2,470,000 MWK 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.
Product Development 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 Malawi, a male product development engineer will earn an average of 1,921,500 MWK, while a female product development engineer will earn around 1,716,600 MWK.
This means that a male product development engineer earns approximately 12% more than a female product development engineer for performing the same job.
Average Salary by Gender Chart in Malawi
| Male | - | 1,921,500 MWK |
| Female | -12% | 1,716,600 MWK |
Product Development Engineer Average Pay Raise in Malawi
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 Product Development Engineer in Malawi is around 7% every 29 months.
The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Malawi 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 ÷ 29 ) × 12 = 3%
What this means is that a Product Development Engineer in Malawi can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 3% every 12 months.
Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Malawi for 2026
In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Malawi.
You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.
| Banking | - | 3% |
| Energy | - | 6% |
| Information Technology | - | 9% |
| Healthcare | - | 3% |
| Travel | - | 6% |
| Construction | - | 9% |
| Education | - | 3% |
Product Development Engineer Bonus and Incentive Rates in Malawi
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 Product Development Engineer is a low bonus based job, with 38% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.
62% 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 3% to 6%.
| Received Bonus | - | 38% |
| No Bonus | - | 62% |
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 Malawi earn approximately 14% more than private sector employees in the same role.
| Public Sector | - | 2,136,200 MWK |
| Private Sector | -14% | 1,870,400 MWK |
Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Product Development Engineer
In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Product Development Engineer in Malawi.
| Job Title | Category | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Acoustics Engineer | Engineering | 1,632,100 MWK |
| Assembly Engineering Technician | Engineering | 1,345,400 MWK |
| Assistant Chief Engineer | Engineering | 2,015,600 MWK |
| Associate Engineer | Engineering | 1,632,100 MWK |
| AutoCAD Drafter | Engineering | 1,054,900 MWK |
| Autocad Operator | Engineering | 1,097,500 MWK |
| Automation Engineer | Engineering | 1,921,500 MWK |
| Automation Engineer | Engineering | 1,942,700 MWK |
| Avionic System Support Engineer | Engineering | 1,621,400 MWK |
| BMS Engineer | Engineering | 1,703,200 MWK |
| Biochemical Engineer | Engineering | 1,728,900 MWK |
| Bridge and Lock Tender | Engineering | 1,000,700 MWK |
| Broadcast Engineer | Engineering | 1,703,200 MWK |
| CAD Design Engineer | Engineering | 1,908,800 MWK |
| CAD Designer | Engineering | 1,074,200 MWK |
| CAE Engineer | Engineering | 1,716,600 MWK |
| Ceramics Engineer | Engineering | 1,693,600 MWK |
| Chemical Engineer | Engineering | 1,728,900 MWK |
| Civil Drafter | Engineering | 1,067,300 MWK |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | 1,788,300 MWK |
| Civil Site Engineer | Engineering | 1,765,300 MWK |
| Civil Technician | Engineering | 1,074,200 MWK |
| Commissioning Engineer | Engineering | 1,811,000 MWK |
| Communications Engineer | Engineering | 1,930,500 MWK |
| Condition Monitoring Engineer | Engineering | 1,560,800 MWK |
| Contract Associate Engineer | Engineering | 1,765,300 MWK |
| Contract Engineer | Engineering | 1,645,600 MWK |
| Control Systems Engineer | Engineering | 1,678,300 MWK |
| Controls Engineer | Engineering | 1,800,200 MWK |
| Controls Software Engineer | Engineering | 1,560,800 MWK |
| Corrosion Engineer | Engineering | 1,594,500 MWK |
| Design Engineer | Engineering | 1,825,000 MWK |
| Director of Engineering | Engineering | 3,648,200 MWK |
| Drafter | Engineering | 1,088,800 MWK |
| Drafting Manager | Engineering | 2,065,400 MWK |
| Drilling Engineer | Engineering | 1,777,700 MWK |
| Drilling Foreman | Engineering | 535,900 MWK |
| Electrical Draughtsman | Engineering | 862,400 MWK |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | 1,870,400 MWK |
| Electrical Engineering Manager | Engineering | 2,519,500 MWK |
| Electromechanical Engineering Technologist | Engineering | 1,980,600 MWK |
| Electromechanical Equipment Assembler | Engineering | 902,100 MWK |
| Energy Engineer | Engineering | 1,811,000 MWK |
| Engine Assembler | Engineering | 830,500 MWK |
| Engineer | Engineering | 1,908,800 MWK |
| Engineering Account Manager | Engineering | 2,038,500 MWK |
| Engineering Chief Designer | Engineering | 2,026,800 MWK |
| Engineering Consultant | Engineering | 2,411,500 MWK |
| Engineering Key Account Manager | Engineering | 2,460,900 MWK |
| Engineering Lab Technician | Engineering | 1,693,600 MWK |
| Engineering Manager | Engineering | 2,557,100 MWK |
| Engineering Planning Manager | Engineering | 2,374,400 MWK |
| Engineering Production Manager | Engineering | 3,253,900 MWK |
| Engineering Project Analyst | Engineering | 2,065,400 MWK |
| Engineering Project Coordinator | Engineering | 2,076,600 MWK |
| Engineering Project Director | Engineering | 3,610,800 MWK |
| Engineering Project Leader | Engineering | 2,281,800 MWK |
| Engineering Project Manager | Engineering | 2,543,000 MWK |
| Engineering Research and Development Manager | Engineering | 2,976,900 MWK |
| Engineering Safety Coordinator | Engineering | 1,440,700 MWK |
| Engineering Sales Manager | Engineering | 2,495,600 MWK |
| Engineering Technician | Engineering | 1,417,600 MWK |
| Engineering Technologist | Engineering | 1,380,400 MWK |
| Environmental Engineer | Engineering | 1,825,000 MWK |
| Equipment Engineer | Engineering | 1,583,700 MWK |
| Equipment Engineering Manager | Engineering | 2,352,500 MWK |
| Estimator | Engineering | 1,547,500 MWK |
| Fabrication Specialist | Engineering | 1,283,600 MWK |
| Fabricator | Engineering | 772,700 MWK |
| Facade Engineer | Engineering | 1,693,600 MWK |
| Fiber Analyst | Engineering | 990,700 MWK |
| Field Engineer | Engineering | 1,908,800 MWK |
| Field Engineering Manager | Engineering | 2,893,600 MWK |
| Fire Engineer | Engineering | 1,846,200 MWK |
| Fitter and Turner | Engineering | 547,800 MWK |
| Forestry Strategic Planner | Engineering | 2,038,500 MWK |
| Generation Engineer | Engineering | 1,858,200 MWK |
| Genetic Engineer | Engineering | 1,882,700 MWK |
| Geological Engineer | Engineering | 1,908,800 MWK |
| Geotechnical Engineer | Engineering | 1,870,400 MWK |
| HSE Professional | Engineering | 1,728,900 MWK |
| HVAC Engineer | Engineering | 1,800,200 MWK |
| HVAC Supervisor | Engineering | 1,678,300 MWK |
| Heavy Equipment Mechanic | Engineering | 946,800 MWK |
| Highway Engineer | Engineering | 1,811,000 MWK |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | 1,678,300 MWK |
| Industrial Engineering Technologist | Engineering | 1,655,500 MWK |
| Instrument Engineer | Engineering | 1,751,700 MWK |
| Instrument Technician | Engineering | 1,021,800 MWK |
| Instrumentation Designer | Engineering | 1,510,400 MWK |
| Instrumentation Engineer | Engineering | 1,728,900 MWK |
| Instrumentation Manager | Engineering | 1,811,000 MWK |
| Instrumentation and Control Engineer | Engineering | 1,716,600 MWK |
| Irrigation Engineer | Engineering | 1,741,800 MWK |
| Licensed Aircraft Engineer | Engineering | 1,882,700 MWK |
| Locomotive Engineer | Engineering | 1,716,600 MWK |
| Maintenance Engineer | Engineering | 1,728,900 MWK |
| Maintenance Fitter | Engineering | 637,500 MWK |
| Maintenance Manager | Engineering | 1,765,300 MWK |
| Manufacturing Engineer | Engineering | 1,655,500 MWK |
| Marine Engineer | Engineering | 1,777,700 MWK |
| Materials Engineer | Engineering | 1,788,300 MWK |
| Materials Researcher | Engineering | 1,645,600 MWK |
| Materials Technician | Engineering | 1,333,900 MWK |
| Mechanical Design Engineer | Engineering | 1,825,000 MWK |
| Mechanical Designer | Engineering | 1,524,300 MWK |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | 1,800,200 MWK |
| Mechanical Engineering Manager | Engineering | 2,447,200 MWK |
| Mechanical Inspector | Engineering | 1,751,700 MWK |
| Mechanical and Electrical Engineer | Engineering | 1,882,700 MWK |
| Mechatronics Engineer | Engineering | 1,811,000 MWK |
| Mining Engineer | Engineering | 1,728,900 MWK |
| Oil and Petrochemical Engineer | Engineering | 2,015,600 MWK |
| Optical Engineer | Engineering | 1,765,300 MWK |
| Optical Instrument Assembler | Engineering | 854,300 MWK |
| PCB Assembler | Engineering | 643,400 MWK |
| Photonics Engineer | Engineering | 1,896,700 MWK |
| Photonics Technician | Engineering | 1,594,500 MWK |
| Pipeline Engineer | Engineering | 1,547,500 MWK |
| Piping Designer | Engineering | 948,900 MWK |
| Piping Engineer | Engineering | 1,645,600 MWK |
| Planning Engineer | Engineering | 1,716,600 MWK |
| Pressure Vessel Inspector | Engineering | 870,700 MWK |
| Principal Cost Engineer | Engineering | 1,788,300 MWK |
| Principal Engineer | Engineering | 1,800,200 MWK |
| Principal Support Engineer | Engineering | 1,846,200 MWK |
| Process Engineer | Engineering | 1,703,200 MWK |
| Process Operator | Engineering | 1,030,200 MWK |
| Product Development Technician | Engineering | 1,283,600 MWK |
| Product Engineer | Engineering | 1,896,700 MWK |
| Product Safety Engineer | Engineering | 1,632,100 MWK |
| Production Engineer | Engineering | 1,678,300 MWK |
| Project Engineer | Engineering | 1,800,200 MWK |
| Proposal Manager | Engineering | 2,352,500 MWK |
| Purchasing Engineer | Engineering | 1,570,900 MWK |
| Quality Assurance Engineer | Engineering | 1,728,900 MWK |
| Rail Engineer | Engineering | 1,811,000 MWK |
| Regional Field Engineer | Engineering | 1,908,800 MWK |
| Robotics Engineer | Engineering | 2,015,600 MWK |
| Robotics Technician | Engineering | 1,500,800 MWK |
| Safety Engineer | Engineering | 1,846,200 MWK |
| Safety Inspector | Engineering | 1,440,700 MWK |
| Safety Manager | Engineering | 2,052,200 MWK |
| Safety Officer | Engineering | 931,900 MWK |
| Sales Engineer | Engineering | 1,921,500 MWK |
| Scheduling Engineer | Engineering | 1,678,300 MWK |
| Service Engineer | Engineering | 1,942,700 MWK |
| Solar Engineer | Engineering | 1,921,500 MWK |
| Staff Engineer | Engineering | 1,811,000 MWK |
| Static Equipment Engineer | Engineering | 1,777,700 MWK |
| Stationary Engineer | Engineering | 1,537,500 MWK |
| Stress Engineer | Engineering | 1,716,600 MWK |
| Structural Analysis Engineer | Engineering | 1,693,600 MWK |
| Structural Designer | Engineering | 1,510,400 MWK |
| Structural Engineer | Engineering | 1,741,800 MWK |
| Structural Technician | Engineering | 1,172,800 MWK |
| Supply Chain Specialist | Engineering | 1,811,000 MWK |
| Surveyor | Engineering | 1,357,900 MWK |
| Technical Affairs Officer | Engineering | 934,900 MWK |
| Technical Assistant | Engineering | 923,000 MWK |
| Technical Engineer | Engineering | 1,570,900 MWK |
| Technical Support Engineer | Engineering | 1,560,800 MWK |
| Tender Engineer | Engineering | 1,621,400 MWK |
| Test Development Engineer | Engineering | 1,765,300 MWK |
| Test Engineer | Engineering | 1,811,000 MWK |
| Transportation Engineer | Engineering | 1,632,100 MWK |
| Validation Engineer | Engineering | 1,524,300 MWK |
| Verification Engineer | Engineering | 1,703,200 MWK |
| Wastewater Engineer | Engineering | 1,765,300 MWK |
| Wind Energy Engineer | Engineering | 1,835,700 MWK |
| Wind Energy Operations Manager | Engineering | 2,471,700 MWK |
| Work Planner | Engineering | 1,296,900 MWK |
Cite This Resource
Use the tool below to generate a reference for this page in common citation styles.
<a href="https://worldsalaries.com/average-product-development-engineer-salary-in-malawi/">Average Product Development Engineer Salary in Malawi for 2026</a>
"Average Product Development Engineer Salary in Malawi for 2026." World Salaries. Accessed February 12, 2026. https://worldsalaries.com/average-product-development-engineer-salary-in-malawi/.
"Average Product Development Engineer Salary in Malawi for 2026." World Salaries, https://worldsalaries.com/average-product-development-engineer-salary-in-malawi/. Accessed 12 February, 2026.
Average Product Development Engineer Salary in Malawi for 2026. World Salaries. Retrieved from https://worldsalaries.com/average-product-development-engineer-salary-in-malawi/.