Average Research Assistant Salary in Zambia for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Research Assistant salary for 2024 in Zambia 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 Research Assistant Make in Zambia?

A Research Assistant working in Zambia will typically earn around 49,820 ZMW per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 25,160 ZMW to the highest average salary of 73,980 ZMW.

Average Annual Salary
49,820 ZMW
Average Monthly Salary
4,151 ZMW

Lowest Annual Salary
25,160 ZMW
Lowest Monthly Salary
2,096 ZMW

Highest Annual Salary
73,980 ZMW
Highest Monthly Salary
6,165 ZMW

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

Research Assistant 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 Research Assistant Salaries in Zambia

So we've looked at the average salaries a Research Assistant will earn in Zambia. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Research Assistant can earn between 25,160 ZMW and 73,980 ZMW on average in Zambia. 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 Research Assistant in Zambia is 47,120 ZMW. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 47,120 ZMW, and 50% of the population earn more than 47,120 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 Research Assistant salary in Zambia, 25% of the population are earning less than 31,040 ZMW while 75% of the population earn more than 31,040 ZMW.

75% of the population earn less than 57,900 ZMW, and 25% of the population earn more than 57,900 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.

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.

Research Assistant Salary by Experience Level in Zambia

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 research assistant 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 Research Assistant in Zambia that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 30,700 ZMW.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Research Assistant salary would increase to 38,140 ZMW.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Research Assistant, the average salary would be 53,600 ZMW.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 60,160 ZMW.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Research Assistant with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 66,680 ZMW.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Research Assistant with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 69,240 ZMW.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
30,700 ZMW
2-5 Years +23%
38,140 ZMW
5-10 Years +42%
53,600 ZMW
10-15 Years +17%
60,160 ZMW
15-20 Years +10%
66,680 ZMW
20+ Years +6%
69,240 ZMW

Research Assistant Salary by Education Level in Zambia

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 Research Assistant in Zambia 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 Research Assistant in Zambia with a high school education can earn an average salary of 35,260 ZMW.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Research Assistant in Zambia with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 41,180 ZMW.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Research Assistant in Zambia with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 54,180 ZMW.

  • Master's Degree. A Research Assistant in Zambia with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 69,240 ZMW.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
35,260 ZMW
Certificate or Diploma +13%
41,180 ZMW
Bachelor's Degree +31%
54,180 ZMW
Master's Degree +32%
69,240 ZMW

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 Zambia is around 30,000 to 90,000 ZMW 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.

Research Assistant 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 Zambia, a male research assistant will earn an average of 52,180 ZMW, while a female research assistant will earn around 45,620 ZMW.

This means that a male research assistant earns approximately 14% more than a female research assistant for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Zambia

Male
52,180 ZMW
Female -14%
45,620 ZMW

Research Assistant Average Pay Raise in Zambia

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 Research Assistant in Zambia is around 9% every 26 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 = ( 9 ÷ 26 ) × 12  = 4%

What this means is that a Research Assistant in Zambia can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 4% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Zambia for 2024

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.

Banking
8%
Energy
7%
Information Technology
6%
Healthcare
5%
Travel
4%
Construction
3%
Education
2%

Research Assistant Bonus and Incentive Rates in Zambia

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 Research Assistant is a low bonus based job, with 34% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

66% 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 5%.

Received Bonus
34%
No Bonus
66%

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

Public Sector
80,180 ZMW
Private Sector -21%
66,260 ZMW

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Research Assistant

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Research Assistant in Zambia.

Job Title Category Salary
Assistant Business Development Manager Business Planning 95,760 ZMW
Assistant Merchandise Planner Business Planning 55,820 ZMW
Business Advisor Business Planning 89,980 ZMW
Business Analyst Business Planning 87,020 ZMW
Business Consultant Business Planning 85,760 ZMW
Business Continuity Associate Business Planning 56,060 ZMW
Business Developer Business Planning 59,000 ZMW
Business Development Analyst Business Planning 66,020 ZMW
Business Development Associate Business Planning 48,140 ZMW
Business Development Coordinator Business Planning 50,580 ZMW
Business Development Director Business Planning 128,900 ZMW
Business Development Engineer Business Planning 67,120 ZMW
Business Development Executive Business Planning 93,780 ZMW
Business Development Manager Business Planning 115,260 ZMW
Business Development Specialist Business Planning 85,760 ZMW
Business Manager Business Planning 103,600 ZMW
Business Operations Specialist Business Planning 85,700 ZMW
Business Process Writer Business Planning 53,840 ZMW
Business Systems Analyst Business Planning 90,620 ZMW
Capacity Planner Business Planning 60,920 ZMW
Capacity Planning Supervisor Business Planning 87,020 ZMW
Change Communications Analyst Business Planning 83,900 ZMW
Change Control Analyst Business Planning 83,420 ZMW
Change Impact Analyst Business Planning 88,260 ZMW
Contracts Executive Business Planning 91,320 ZMW
Corporate Strategy Analyst Business Planning 92,400 ZMW
Cost Control Engineer Business Planning 56,460 ZMW
Cost Controller Business Planning 66,180 ZMW
Cost Estimator Business Planning 58,800 ZMW
Data Executive Business Planning 45,720 ZMW
Data Manager Business Planning 67,020 ZMW
Data Processing Manager Business Planning 79,240 ZMW
Development Researcher Business Planning 68,360 ZMW
Director of Business Development Business Planning 128,900 ZMW
Director of Production Planning Business Planning 112,420 ZMW
Due Diligence Analyst Business Planning 94,380 ZMW
Estimating Manager Business Planning 93,340 ZMW
General Manager Business Planning 109,520 ZMW
Incident Handler Business Planning 62,100 ZMW
Incident Specialist Business Planning 78,160 ZMW
Lean Consultant Business Planning 67,020 ZMW
Manager Business Planning 117,100 ZMW
Marketing and Business Development Manager Business Planning 107,820 ZMW
Materials Planner Business Planning 39,800 ZMW
Merchandise Assistant Business Planning 36,580 ZMW
Merchandise Controller Business Planning 40,140 ZMW
Merchandise Planner Business Planning 38,780 ZMW
Operations Analyst Business Planning 77,100 ZMW
Operations Manager Business Planning 88,020 ZMW
Operations Research Analyst Business Planning 54,460 ZMW
Planning and Reporting Manager Business Planning 95,600 ZMW
Planning Director Business Planning 115,520 ZMW
Project Administrator Business Planning 57,620 ZMW
Project Manager Business Planning 95,860 ZMW
Project Planner Business Planning 54,700 ZMW
Research Engineer Business Planning 57,360 ZMW
Research Officer Business Planning 44,780 ZMW
Risk Management Specialist Business Planning 85,020 ZMW
Scholarship Coordinator Business Planning 43,220 ZMW
Store Planner Business Planning 46,400 ZMW
Strategy Director Business Planning 115,260 ZMW
Top Research and Development Executive Business Planning 128,900 ZMW

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Zambia, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Lusaka 50,560 ZMW

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