Nigeria’s oil and gas sector once again proved to be the country’s highest-paying industry in 2024, offering lucrative packages across technical, operational, and corporate roles. Despite market volatility, companies prioritized talent retention, paying premiums for drilling specialists, production managers, and supply chain leaders.
Survey Methodology
This benchmark report is built on data from 2,700 professionals across multinational operators, indigenous producers, drilling contractors, EPC firms, refineries, and service companies.
• Data collection: HR-verified payroll submissions and confidential professional surveys.
• Role coverage: 12 job fields, with five or more representative titles each, covering Senior, Lead, Project Lead, Manager, and specialist positions.
• Segmentation: Lagos HQ, Port Harcourt/Warri onshore operations, and offshore/deepwater assignments, with 20–30 percent offshore premiums applied.
• Statistical rigor: Outliers beyond ±2 standard deviations removed.
• External validation: Cross-checked against PayScale, Glassdoor, and NUPRC 2023 operational data for alignment with industry norms.
2024 Salary Results (Median / 90th Percentile, NGN per year)
Upstream Exploration
Lead Geoscientist ₦18M / ₦33M | Senior Reservoir Engineer ₦16M / ₦32M | Petroleum Engineer ₦15M / ₦30M | Geophysics Operations Manager ₦17M / ₦34M | Project Lead – Exploration ₦15M / ₦29M
Drilling & Well Services
Drilling Engineer ₦16M / ₦28M | Senior Drilling Engineer ₦18M / ₦33M | Drilling Consultant ₦20M / ₦42M | Drilling Superintendent ₦17M / ₦32M | Lead Directional Driller ₦17M / ₦31M
Testing & Completions
Senior Well Test Engineer ₦14M / ₦26M | Completion Engineer ₦14M / ₦26M | Project Lead – Drilling ₦15M / ₦28M | Wellsite Supervisor ₦13M / ₦24M | Operations Geologist ₦13M / ₦25M
HSSE (Health, Safety, Security & Environment)
HSE Manager ₦9M / ₦17M | Senior HSSE Coordinator ₦8M / ₦15M | Senior Environmental Specialist ₦9M / ₦16M | Safety Engineer ₦8M / ₦15M | Project Lead – HSSE Programs ₦10M / ₦18M
Maintenance & Reliability
Lead Shutdown Maintenance Project Coordinator ₦13M / ₦24M | Maintenance Lead ₦12M / ₦21M | Senior Rotating Equipment Engineer ₦13M / ₦22M | Reliability Engineer ₦10M / ₦18M | Project Lead – Maintenance Planning ₦11M / ₦20M
Projects & Construction
Project Manager ₦14M / ₦26M | Senior Project Engineer ₦13M / ₦22M | Project Lead – Construction ₦14M / ₦23M | Construction Manager ₦15M / ₦26M | QA/QC Lead Inspector ₦8M / ₦15M
Refining & Downstream
Production Unit Superintendent ₦16M / ₦28M | Production Unit Manager ₦15M / ₦25M | Lead Process Engineer ₦12M / ₦20M | Project Lead – Refining Ops ₦13M / ₦21M | Refinery Operations Manager ₦14M / ₦24M
Supply Chain & Logistics
Head, Supply Chain Management ₦16M / ₦30M | Lead Procurement Specialist ₦9M / ₦17M | Senior Logistics Coordinator ₦7M / ₦13M | Project Lead – Supply Chain ₦8M / ₦16M | Materials Manager ₦9M / ₦17M | Contract Analyst ₦8M / ₦15M
Finance & Commercial
Finance Manager ₦11M / ₦20M | Senior Management Accountant ₦9M / ₦16M | Project Lead – Commercial ₦10M / ₦18M | Commercial Analyst ₦7M / ₦14M | Business Development Lead ₦11M / ₦20M
IT & Digital
Digital Transformation Manager ₦13M / ₦24M | IT Manager ₦11M / ₦18M | Project Lead – Digital ₦12M / ₦19M | Cybersecurity Specialist ₦10M / ₦17M | Senior Automation Engineer ₦10M / ₦17M
HR & Administration
HR Manager ₦8M / ₦16M | Senior Talent Acquisition Lead ₦7M / ₦14M | Project Lead – HR ₦7M / ₦13M | Learning & Development Specialist ₦6M / ₦12M | HR Officer ₦5M / ₦10M
Industrial & Subsea
Senior Industrial Engineer ₦11M / ₦19M | Transformation Manager ₦12M / ₦21M | Senior Subsea Controls Engineer ₦13M / ₦23M | Process Improvement Lead ₦11M / ₦20M | Operations Excellence Manager ₦13M / ₦22M
Corporate Affairs & ESG
Corporate Relations Adviser ₦9M / ₦18M | Public Relations Officer ₦7M / ₦14M | Sustainability Officer ₦8M / ₦16M | Stakeholder Engagement Manager ₦10M / ₦19M | ESG Reporting Lead ₦11M / ₦21M
Additional Titles
Offshore Installation Manager ₦19M / ₦40M | Contracts Engineer ₦10M / ₦19M | Marine Operations Supervisor ₦11M / ₦21M | Production Engineer ₦13M / ₦25M | Subsurface Manager ₦20M / ₦40M
Key 2024 Insights
• Widest Gap: Drilling consultants and subsurface managers show the largest spread, with top earners more than double the median.
• Lowest Salary: HR Officers (₦5M median) anchor the lower end of the scale.
• Highest Salary: Drilling Consultants and Subsurface Managers hit ₦40M at the 90th percentile.
• Emerging Roles: ESG reporting leads, sustainability officers, and corporate relations advisers are now part of core hiring plans.
• Risk Premium: Offshore installation managers and senior subsea engineers continue to attract 20–30 percent premiums over onshore equivalents.
Data at a Glance
Industry Outlook
Stakeholder engagement, regulatory compliance, and digital transformation are expected to keep upward pressure on salaries into 2025. Gas expansion projects and refinery upgrades will require senior project engineers, supply chain leaders, and HSSE managers to deliver safely and on time — and employers are already aligning pay scales to secure scarce talent.
