Software engineer salary in Nigeria: how to compare job offers

Compare the whole package, not the base

• Base pay, bonus, and any equity or stock — and when each is actually paid.
• What you take home after tax and mandatory deductions.
• Benefits: health cover, retirement contributions, leave, and equipment.
• Work arrangement: office, hybrid or remote, and what the commute costs you.
• Growth: who you will learn from, and what the next role looks like.
• Stability: how long the company has been going and how its last year went.

What is specific to Nigeria

• Check the currency of the offer. A salary paid in a foreign currency is worth a different amount as the naira moves.
• Compare benefits such as health cover, pension, and any transport or data allowance.
• Remote work for foreign employers is common. Ask how you will be paid and which payment channel and fees apply.
• Compare Lagos, Abuja and other cities on rent, commute and power costs.

Where to find the salary numbers

Use a salary-reporting site or ask people in the same role and city for current ranges, because the right number depends on the company, the city and your experience. Then put the offers into the same table.

Score the offers

Put each offer in a weighted decision matrix: list the factors above, give each a weight for how much it matters to you, score each offer, and see how close they are. If one offer fails a deal-breaker, remove it before scoring — see how to eliminate options one at a time. To research the employers themselves — reputation, reviews, benefits — name them in compare⁄io and it compares them with sources.