> Source: https://coursetojob.com/countries/zambia/ — updated 2026-09-26 · language: en > Markdown version of this CourseToJob page for AI agents. The HTML page is canonical. Data licence CC BY 4.0: cite the page URL and the original statistical source. Sub-Saharan Africa # Graduate jobs and salaries in Zambia Updated September 26, 2026 Data years: 2024 [How we use data](https://coursetojob.com/methodology/) Quick answer In Zambia, employees with tertiary education earned a median of ZMW 7,500 a month in 2024 (PPP$ 991) — +200% compared with all employees. Their unemployment rate was 7.7%, against 4.2% for all adults aged 25 and over (2024). Sources: ILOSTAT (ILO) - **+200%** degree premium: tertiary-educated vs all employees (2024) - **ZMW 7,500** median monthly pay with tertiary education (2024) - **7.7%** unemployment, tertiary-educated adults 25+ (all adults: 4.2%, 2024) - **41.6%** unemployment, tertiary-educated 15–24 year olds (2024) ## Do graduates earn more in Zambia? **Median monthly earnings by education level, Zambia, 2024Employees, median monthly earnings. PPP$ adjusts for price differences between countries.** | Education level | Local currency a month | PPP$ a month | vs all employees | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Less than basic education | ZMW 1,000 | 132 | -60% | | Basic education | ZMW 1,200 | 159 | -52% | | Intermediate education | ZMW 3,000 | 396 | +20% | | Advanced (tertiary) education | ZMW 7,500 | 991 | +200% | | Short-cycle tertiary | ZMW 7,000 | 925 | +180% | | Bachelor's or equivalent | ZMW 8,500 | 1,123 | +240% | | Master's or equivalent | ZMW 15,000 | 1,982 | +501% | | All levels | ZMW 2,500 | 330 | — | The degree premium ranks 12 of 128 countries with data. That is above the Sub-Saharan Africa median of +151%. ### Earnings over time (PPP$ a month) Advanced (tertiary) educationAll levels PPP$ values are in current international dollars, so part of the rise reflects inflation. ## Which occupations pay the most in Zambia? Median monthly earnings by occupation group in 2024, from highest to lowest. Examples link to our career profiles. | Occupation group | Local currency a month | PPP$ a month | vs all employees | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Managers [Construction manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/construction-manager/), [Marketing manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/marketing-manager/), [Project manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/project-manager/), [Supply chain manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/supply-chain-manager/) | ZMW 8,890 | 1,175 | +256% | | Professionals [Software developer](https://coursetojob.com/careers/software-developer/), [Web developer](https://coursetojob.com/careers/web-developer/), [Data scientist](https://coursetojob.com/careers/data-scientist/), [Data analyst](https://coursetojob.com/careers/data-analyst/) | ZMW 8,000 | 1,057 | +220% | | Technicians and associate professionals [IT support technician](https://coursetojob.com/careers/it-support-technician/), [Paramedic](https://coursetojob.com/careers/paramedic/), [Biomedical scientist](https://coursetojob.com/careers/biomedical-scientist/), [Paralegal](https://coursetojob.com/careers/paralegal/) | ZMW 7,064 | 934 | +183% | | Clerical support workers | ZMW 4,542 | 600 | +82% | | Plant and machine operators and assemblers | ZMW 3,149 | 416 | +26% | | Craft and related trades workers | ZMW 3,000 | 396 | +20% | | Service and sales workers [Police officer](https://coursetojob.com/careers/police-officer/) | ZMW 2,200 | 291 | -12% | | Elementary occupations | ZMW 1,200 | 159 | -52% | | Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers | ZMW 1,000 | 132 | -60% | | All occupations | ZMW 2,500 | 330 | — | ## Are graduates less likely to be unemployed in Zambia? **Unemployment rate by education level, 2024** | Education level | Adults 25+ | Young people 15–24 | | --- | --- | --- | | Less than basic education | 1.7% | 7.1% | | Basic education | 2.6% | 6.7% | | Intermediate education | 7.4% | 22.8% | | Advanced (tertiary) education | 7.7% | 41.6% | | All levels | 4.2% | 10.8% | Unemployment among tertiary-educated adults is the 100 lowest of 130 countries with data. The Sub-Saharan Africa median is 8.3%. ### Unemployment over time, adults 25+ Advanced (tertiary) educationAll levels ## Studying and working in Zambia Rules on student visas, work after graduation and recognition of qualifications change often. Use the official sources below and check the date on any advice you read. [Guide: how to choose a country to study in](https://coursetojob.com/guides/study-abroad/) · [Guide: getting your degree recognised abroad](https://coursetojob.com/guides/degree-recognition-abroad/) ## Country context - **Population:** 21.9M (2025) - **GDP per person (PPP):** $4,379 (2025) - **Tertiary enrolment (gross):** 4.0% (2012) ## Questions about graduate jobs in Zambia **Do graduates earn more than non-graduates in Zambia?** According to the International Labour Organization, employees in Zambia with tertiary education earned a median of ZMW 7,500 a month in 2024, compared with ZMW 2,500 for all employees — +200%. The degree premium ranks 12 of 128 countries with data. **What is the unemployment rate for graduates in Zambia?** In 2024, the unemployment rate for adults aged 25 and over with tertiary education in Zambia was 7.7%, compared with 4.2% for all adults. Among young people aged 15–24 with tertiary education it was 41.6%. **Which jobs pay the most in Zambia?** The best-paid occupation group in Zambia in 2024 was “Managers”, with median monthly earnings of ZMW 8,890 (PPP$ 1,175). Professionals, the group that includes most graduate careers, earned a median of ZMW 8,000. ## Compare with other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa [Compare Zambia side by side](https://coursetojob.com/compare/?c=ZM,TD,BF) - **[Chad](https://coursetojob.com/countries/chad/)** — +167% more for tertiary-educated employees (2022) Sub-Saharan Africa - **[Burkina Faso](https://coursetojob.com/countries/burkina-faso/)** — +250% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) Sub-Saharan Africa - **[Mali](https://coursetojob.com/countries/mali/)** — +161% more for tertiary-educated employees (2024) Sub-Saharan Africa - **[Senegal](https://coursetojob.com/countries/senegal/)** — +212% more for tertiary-educated employees (2024) Sub-Saharan Africa - **[Niger](https://coursetojob.com/countries/niger/)** — +346% more for tertiary-educated employees (2022) Sub-Saharan Africa - **[Guinea](https://coursetojob.com/countries/guinea/)** — +16% more for tertiary-educated employees (2019) Sub-Saharan Africa ## Sources 1. [ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by education](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — LFS - Labour Force Survey, 2024 2. [ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by occupation](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — LFS - Labour Force Survey, 2024 3. [ILOSTAT — Unemployment rate by age and education](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — LFS - Labour Force Survey, 2024 4. [World Bank — World Development Indicators](https://data.worldbank.org/country/zm) — Population, GDP per person (PPP) and tertiary enrolment **How to cite this page:** CourseToJob (2026). Zambia: graduate salaries, jobs and unemployment. https://coursetojob.com/countries/zambia/ (accessed September 26, 2026) [Report a data or content issue](mailto:hello@elitedigitalagency.io?subject=Data%20issue%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fcoursetojob.com%2Fcountries%2Fzambia%2F) ## Key facts - **Region:** Sub-Saharan Africa - **Currency:** ZMW - **Degree premium:** +200% (2024) - **Unemployment, tertiary:** 7.7% (2024) - **Degree premium rank:** 12 of 128 **On this page** 1. Do graduates earn more in Zambia? 2. Which occupations pay the most in Zambia? 3. Are graduates less likely to be unemployed in Zambia? 4. Studying and working in Zambia Machine-readable: [JSON](https://coursetojob.com/api/v1/countries/zm.json) · [Markdown](https://coursetojob.com/countries/zambia.md)