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Average Surgeon - Cardiothoracic Salary in Democratic Republic of the Congo for 2026

A cardiothoracic surgeon in Democratic Republic of the Congo earns about 23,280,700 CDF a year. That's 309% above the national average of 5,686,100 CDF.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Democratic Republic of the Congo sit around 11,653,500 CDF a year, while the very top stretches to 36,121,000 CDF. Everything on this page is in Congolese franc (CDF, symbol FC), 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, 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 cardiothoracic surgeon make in Democratic Republic of the Congo?

Average salary
23,280,700 CDF
1,940,058 CDF per month
Lowest reported
11,653,500 CDF
971,125 CDF per month
Highest reported
36,121,000 CDF
3,010,083 CDF per month

A typical cardiothoracic surgeon working in Democratic Republic of the Congo brings home around 1,940,058 CDF a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 11,653,500 CDF, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 36,121,000 CDF 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 cardiothoracic surgeon 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.


How cardiothoracic surgeon pay ranges in Democratic Republic of the Congo

A good way to think about salary in Democratic Republic of the Congo is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all cardiothoracic surgeons in Democratic Republic of the Congo earn less than 23,280,700 CDF 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 15,719,900 CDF (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 29,761,800 CDF (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of cardiothoracic surgeons sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 11,653,500 CDF. The highest stretch to 36,121,000 CDF, 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.

11,653,500
Low
23,280,700
Median
36,121,000
High
15,719,900
25th
29,761,800
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in CDF

Cardiothoracic surgeon pay by experience in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a cardiothoracic surgeon in Democratic Republic of the Congo, 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 cardiothoracic surgeon salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    13,919,600 CDF
  • 2-5 Years
    +33% from previous
    18,479,600 CDF
  • 5-10 Years
    +34% from previous
    24,718,600 CDF
  • 10-15 Years
    +19% from previous
    29,519,900 CDF
  • 15-20 Years
    +8% from previous
    31,800,300 CDF
  • 20+ Years
    +8% from previous
    34,198,600 CDF

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 34%. That is the point at which a cardiothoracic surgeon 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.


Cardiothoracic surgeon pay by education in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Education lifts pay across almost every role, but the size of the lift varies enormously. The biggest premiums show up in licensed professions like medicine, law and accounting, where extra years of formal study open up seniority that isn't available without the qualification. The smallest premiums show up in skilled trades and creative work, where practical experience often beats academic credentials.

As a rough cross-industry guide for Democratic Republic of the Congo: a post-secondary certificate or diploma adds around 17% over a high-school-only baseline. A bachelor's degree typically adds another 25% on top of that. A master's lifts pay a further 30%, and a PhD adds about 22% more in fields that value research-level qualifications. These are averages across many different professions, so the real number for your specific job could easily be twice as high or close to zero. The per-job pages below have the real numbers for individual roles.


Cardiothoracic surgeon gender pay gap in Democratic Republic of the Congo

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Democratic Republic of the Congo is no exception. Male cardiothoracic surgeons in Democratic Republic of the Congo earn an average of 24,000,900 CDF a year, while female cardiothoracic surgeons earn around 22,321,900 CDF. That works out to a 8% 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.

Surgeon - Cardiothoracic gender pay gap

7%

Men earn this much more than women on average in Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Men 24,000,900 CDF
Women 22,321,900 CDF

Pay raises for a cardiothoracic surgeon in Democratic Republic of the Congo

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 Democratic Republic of the Congo sees a raise of about 11% every 28 months, which works out to roughly 5% 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, the national average raise is around 5% every 28 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in Democratic Republic of the Congo:

  • Banking
  • Energy
    1%
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
    2%
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

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 Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Cardiothoracic surgeon bonus rates in Democratic Republic of the Congo

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.

69%

69% of cardiothoracic surgeons in Democratic Republic of the Congo reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a cardiothoracic surgeon 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 8% of base salary. The remaining 31% of cardiothoracic surgeons reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in Democratic Republic of the Congo

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

Cardiothoracic surgeon: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in Democratic Republic of the Congo is about 7% 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

7%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Democratic Republic of the Congo on average.

Public sector 5,868,200 CDF
Private sector 5,461,900 CDF

Cardiothoracic surgeon salary by city in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Cardiothoracic surgeon pay is not even across Democratic Republic of the Congo. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • Kananga
  • Kinshasa
    26,158,200 CDF
  • Lubumbashi
    24,958,800 CDF
  • Bukavu
    23,759,100 CDF
  • Mbuji-Mayi
    23,638,700 CDF
  • Tshikapa
    21,478,100 CDF
  • Kisangani
    2,290,300 CDF
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
KanangaCity2,135,998,900 CDF2,220,000,400 CDF1,024,798,300-3,348,001,800 CDF
KinshasaCity26,158,200 CDF24,599,500 CDF13,798,900-39,718,900 CDF
LubumbashiCity24,958,800 CDF24,000,900 CDF12,958,200-38,158,300 CDF
BukavuCity23,759,100 CDF22,321,900 CDF12,600,600-36,001,200 CDF
Mbuji-MayiCity23,638,700 CDF23,638,700 CDF11,794,200-36,601,600 CDF
TshikapaCity21,478,100 CDF19,799,400 CDF11,604,300-32,398,700 CDF
KisanganiCity2,290,300 CDF2,339,200 CDF1,124,200-3,577,600 CDF


Surgeon - Cardiothoracic in Democratic Republic of the Congo: FAQs

  • How much does a cardiothoracic surgeon make per month in Democratic Republic of the Congo?

    A cardiothoracic surgeon in Democratic Republic of the Congo earns about 1,940,058 CDF a month before tax, based on an annual average of 23,280,700 CDF.

  • What's the salary range for a cardiothoracic surgeon in Democratic Republic of the Congo?

    Entry-level cardiothoracic surgeons in Democratic Republic of the Congo start near 11,653,500 CDF. Top-end pay reaches around 36,121,000 CDF. The middle 50% of earners sit between 15,719,900 and 29,761,800 CDF.

  • Is the median cardiothoracic surgeon salary in Democratic Republic of the Congo higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 23,280,700 CDF, higher than the average of 23,280,700 CDF. Half of cardiothoracic surgeons in Democratic Republic of the Congo earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for cardiothoracic surgeons in Democratic Republic of the Congo?

    Men working as a cardiothoracic surgeon in Democratic Republic of the Congo earn around 8% more than women on average (24,000,900 vs 22,321,900 CDF a year).

  • Do cardiothoracic surgeons in Democratic Republic of the Congo get bonuses?

    About 69% of cardiothoracic surgeons in Democratic Republic of the Congo reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 5% to 8% of base salary.

  • Do cardiothoracic surgeons earn more in the public or private sector in Democratic Republic of the Congo?

    In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the public sector pays a cardiothoracic surgeon about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do cardiothoracic surgeons in Democratic Republic of the Congo get a pay raise?

    A cardiothoracic surgeon in Democratic Republic of the Congo sees a raise of around 11% every 28 months, equivalent to roughly 5% a year.