Average Program Manager Salary in East Timor for 2026
A program manager in East Timor earns about 42,320 USD a year. That's 65% above the national average of 25,720 USD.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in East Timor sit around 17,740 USD a year, while the very top stretches to 65,940 USD. Everything on this page is in United States dollar (USD, symbol $), 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 East Timor, 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 a program manager make in East Timor?
A typical program manager working in East Timor brings home around 3,526 USD a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 17,740 USD, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 65,940 USD 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 program manager 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. For a cross-country comparison, see the program manager salary in United States or Palau, both of which pay in the same currency.
How program manager pay ranges in East Timor
A good way to think about salary in East Timor is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all program managers in East Timor earn less than 45,560 USD 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 28,720 USD (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 57,440 USD (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of program managers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 17,740 USD. The highest stretch to 65,940 USD, 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.
Program manager pay by experience in East Timor
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a program manager in East Timor, 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 program manager salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years21,560 USD
- 2-5 Years+25% from previous26,860 USD
- 5-10 Years+57% from previous42,040 USD
- 10-15 Years+24% from previous52,180 USD
- 15-20 Years+7% from previous55,840 USD
- 20+ Years+7% from previous60,020 USD
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 57%. That is the point at which a program manager 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.
Program manager pay by education in East Timor
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving program manager pay in East Timor. 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 program manager salary in East Timor broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- High School26,080 USD
- Certificate or Diploma+22% from previous31,940 USD
- Bachelor's Degree+35% from previous42,960 USD
- Master's Degree+37% from previous58,860 USD
Program manager gender pay gap in East Timor
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and East Timor is no exception. Male program managers in East Timor earn an average of 45,060 USD a year, while female program managers earn around 37,800 USD. That works out to a 19% 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.
Program Manager gender pay gap
16%
Men earn this much more than women on average in East Timor.
Pay raises for a program manager in East Timor
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 East Timor sees a raise of about 10% every 27 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 East Timor, the national average raise is around 5% every 28 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in East Timor:
- Banking
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel
- Construction
- Education2%
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
Program manager bonus rates in East Timor
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.
67% of program managers in East Timor reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a program manager a moderate-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 5% to 9% of base salary. The remaining 33% of program managers reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in East Timor
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
Program manager: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in East Timor is about 4% 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
4%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in East Timor on average.
Program Manager in East Timor: FAQs
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How much does a program manager make per month in East Timor?
A program manager in East Timor earns about 3,526 USD a month before tax, based on an annual average of 42,320 USD.
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What's the salary range for a program manager in East Timor?
Entry-level program managers in East Timor start near 17,740 USD. Top-end pay reaches around 65,940 USD. The middle 50% of earners sit between 28,720 and 57,440 USD.
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Is the median program manager salary in East Timor higher or lower than the average?
The median is 45,560 USD, higher than the average of 42,320 USD. Half of program managers in East Timor earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for program managers in East Timor?
Men working as a program manager in East Timor earn around 19% more than women on average (45,060 vs 37,800 USD a year).
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Do program managers in East Timor get bonuses?
About 67% of program managers in East Timor reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 5% to 9% of base salary.
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Do program managers earn more in the public or private sector in East Timor?
In East Timor, the public sector pays a program manager about 4% 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 program managers in East Timor get a pay raise?
A program manager in East Timor sees a raise of around 10% every 27 months, equivalent to roughly 4% a year.