What is the average salary in Uganda?

Median cash earnings were UGX 200,000 a month, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics' 2021 National Labour Force Survey — the most recent such survey published. Earnings vary by gender and location: UGX 250,000 for men and urban workers versus UGX 140,000 for women and UGX 200,000 for rural workers.

What is the minimum wage in Uganda?

Officially UGX 6,000 a month — but this figure was set in 1984 and has never been revised since, so it isn't a meaningful or enforced wage floor in practice. A 2019 bill to update it was not signed into law.

How much annual leave am I entitled to in Uganda?

7 days of paid leave for every continuous 4-month period of service, which works out to about 21 days a year, plus a paid day off for each public holiday, under the Employment Act, 2006.

What notice period applies when leaving a job in Uganda?

The Employment Act sets minimum notice at 2 weeks (6 months-1 year of service), 1 month (1-5 years), 2 months (5-10 years), and 3 months (10+ years).

How long can a probation period last in Uganda?

A maximum of 6 months, extendable once by written agreement to a total of 12 months. An employer cannot place the same employee on probation more than once.

🇺🇬 UgandaTax Year 2026

Uganda Salary & Employment Guide

Q: How often are employees paid in Uganda?

Monthly pay is standard practice. Employers must give a written, itemised pay statement with every payment, and any wages owed on termination must be paid within 7 days.

Beyond a PAYE calculation, it helps to know what's typical to earn in Uganda, what the Employment Act actually guarantees around leave and notice, and what salaries need to cover in Kampala. This guide draws on Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) survey data and the gazetted text of the Employment Act, 2006.

Updated 2026-07-21Calculate Uganda Pay

Key Income Statistics

Average Monthly Earnings

USh200,000per month (median cash earnings, main job)

Median cash earnings for the national workforce; UBOS also reports a combined cash-plus-in-kind average of UGX 250,000/month. Figures split by gender (male UGX 250,000, female UGX 140,000) and location (urban UGX 250,000, rural UGX 200,000). No newer national labour force survey has been published since 2021.

Source: Uganda Bureau of Statistics — National Labour Force Survey 2021 · 2021

National Minimum Wage

USh6,000per month (statutory floor)

This figure is not a typo — Uganda's statutory minimum wage has not been revised since 1984 and is not practically enforced. A 2019 Minimum Wage Bill was not signed into law; as of this writing the government has floated sector-specific wage councils instead of a single updated national minimum.

Source: Minimum Wages Advisory Boards and Wages Councils Act (Cap. 221) · Set in 1984, never revised

Highest-Paying Sectors in Uganda

Oil and gas

Driven by development of the Albertine Graben oil fields.

Financial services and banking

Telecommunications

Information and communications technology (ICT)

International NGOs and development sector

Tax Architecture

Uganda's Tax System Explained

Uganda taxes employment income through PAYE, administered by the Uganda Revenue Authority, with progressive bands and a tax-free threshold on the first slice of monthly income. Employees also contribute 5% of gross salary to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), a mandatory retirement savings scheme, matched by a 10% employer contribution.

Calculate Uganda Net Pay

Workplace & Payroll Rules

Employment Law Essentials

Under the Employment Act, 2006, employees get 7 days of paid leave for each continuous 4-month period served (about 21 days a year), plus a paid day off for public holidays. Notice periods scale with tenure: 2 weeks (6 months-1 year), 1 month (1-5 years), 2 months (5-10 years), and 3 months (10+ years). Probationary contracts are capped at 6 months, extendable once to a maximum of 12 months. A 2025 amendment, assented to but not yet in force as of this writing, will lengthen the notice pay owed during probation from 7 days to 1 month.

Source: Employment Act, 2006 (Cap. 226), Sections 54, 58 & 67

Payroll Cycle & Frequency

The Employment Act doesn't mandate monthly pay specifically, but sets defaults by pay cycle — fortnightly or monthly employees are paid at the end of that period, and all wages owed on termination must be settled within 7 days. Employers must give a written, itemised pay statement with every payment.

Cost of Living Reality

What Salaries Cover in Uganda

Rent in Kampala varies sharply by area: a one-bedroom apartment in the city centre averages roughly UGX 1.9 million a month, versus around UGX 700,000 outside the centre. Crowdsourced estimates put Kampala's overall cost of living at roughly 31% above the Uganda national average.

Source: Numbeo — Cost of Living in Kampala (crowdsourced)