Medical Doctors’ Salaries in Nigeria (2024): See What They Earn

The medical profession is regarded among the best and most profitable professions for all the right reasons. The pride of being a medical doctor is one of the thousand reasons students try their very best to be enrolled in medical school.

Apart from the fact that the profession has attracted lots of parents and students with its level of complexity and delicacy and high competition getting into medical school, the profession is one of those few fields where you are almost guaranteed a job after school; and with mouth-watering basic salaries and bonuses. You still wonder why lots of young people desire to be a doctor.


medical doctors salary in nigeria

The medical profession is one of the noble and most coveted professions in Nigeria and it is easy to see why. Pride and respect apart, the end of the month take home of Medical Doctors is scintillating. Although they no longer rate among the best-paying professions in Nigeria, they still stand right there among the most respected and well-paying professions in the country.

Do you want to know how much Medical Doctors earn in Nigeria? Great! You are on the right page. In this post, we will take a look at how much medical doctors earn in the country. We will consider the average salaries of doctors who work in government hospitals and teaching hospitals. We will also have a glance through how much doctors in private hospitals earn.

Doctors’ Salary: How Much Do Doctors Earn in Nigeria?   

If you are still in the school of thought that all medical doctors are earning big, you may need to reconsider your stand. Although the medical profession remains among the best-paying professions in Nigeria, not all medical doctors are enjoying the trend as most people think. Generally, private hospitals and clinics don’t pay Medical Doctors as much as the Federal or State Government. With the number of medical professionals increasing by the day, Medical Doctors have found their chances at Government hospitals significantly limited, leaving them to settle for private hospitals and clinics.


The salary structure for Medical Doctors is regulated by two bodies – Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) which is for hospitals and Consolidated University Academic structure (CONAUSS) for medical Doctors in the academic sector. Let us now take a quick look at how much medical doctors earn after completing medical school.

Housemanship Salary in Nigeria

This is the first phase after graduating from medical school. The house job is a compulsory one-year service where newly inducted medical doctors have the opportunity to work on a professional level with other medical doctors. The great news is, they start earning from this point. How much hospitals pay house officers or interns differs.

On average, house officers are paid anything from N160,000, depending on the hospital. House officers working in a Federal hospital or teaching hospital usually earn more than those in a State hospital. Medical school graduates have found their chances for internship placement limited in recent times due to the large chunk of medical doctors being inducted every year from various medical schools. The stiff competition for a house job slot has led some hospitals to conduct paper tests for prospective medical doctors so they can streamline the number of candidates.

NYSC Doctors’ Salary in Nigeria

Medical doctors are expected to go for the compulsory National Youth Service Corps scheme after their house job. Here, medical doctors are posted to local hospitals or teaching hospitals in the state where they are deployed. Just like during a house job, the stipend medical doctors receive varies heavily and depends on some factors including the location, the state, and whether the hospital is Federal, State-owned, or private. On average, hospitals pay medical doctors anything from N50,000 during NYSC. Some others even work for free, settling for just the Federal Government monthly allowance.


Post-NYSC Doctor’s Salaries in Nigeria

Salaries for medical Doctors after NYSC varies. Although regulated by CONMESS and CONAUSS, there is still a considerable difference between the salaries of Doctors in Government hospitals and private clinics. The salaries vary depending on the level of experience and qualification.

Post-NYSC doctors are started on a salary of anything from N220,000, depending on whether they are employed by the Federal government or state government. This salary is the same for post-NYSC doctors who are employed as medical officers or those who are just starting their residency program (registrars).

Private hospitals pay anything from N120,000 for resident doctors while Government hospitals pay anything from N190, 000, for junior resident doctors. Also, Consultants generally earn anything from N600,000 per month. Here is a breakdown of how much medical doctors earn per level of experience.

Salaries of Medical Doctors in Government Hospitals/Teaching Hospitals

  • Medical officers: From N180,000
  • Resident Doctors: From N220, 000 (registrars)
  • Resident Doctors: From N260,000 (senior registrars)
  • Consultants: From N450,000 (for fresh consultants. Senior consultants earn more)

Salaries of Medical Doctors in Private Hospitals

  • Medical Officers: From N60,000
  • Resident Doctors: From N120, 000
  • Consultants: From N400, 000

PRICES LAST UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 9, 2023.

Check Salaries of Other Professionals in Nigeria




8 Comments

  1. mendel
  2. Joy Ehiremen
  3. Yahaya
  4. Vicky
  5. Isaac
  6. Gab
  7. Nsikak

Leave a Reply