Average Salary in Tunisia

Table of Contents

How much money does a Tunisian earn from his or her employment?

An individual working in Tunisia normally takes roughly 3,910 TND per month, according to the country’s official currency. Salaries start at 990 TND and go up from there.

This salary includes the salary of the working class, the middle class, and everyone else up to Tunisian Ministers.

There are jobs available for many people in Tunisia’s huge petroleum industry, but these jobs also pay very well compared to other jobs offered by the government or private employment fields.

When it comes to what you can expect when you’re employed by a non-governmental firm, expect no less than 2,000 per month on average. If you work at a private research company or lab that provides services for pharmaceutical firms then you could potentially see earnings that reach 3,000 per month.

Tunisia’s Salary Structure

Salary Scale

Salaries in Tunisia start at 990 TND per month and go up from there. Employees are paid for at least 20 days, including Sundays and public holidays. Most employees get two weeks of paid vacation (26 days total) per year.

There are also 13 public holidays in Tunisia each year. Many companies pay their employees extra during the month of Ramadan.

Salary on a Median Basis

The median monthly salary is 3,830 TND, which implies that half of the population (50%) earns less than 3,830 TND and the other half earns more than 3,830 TND.

The median salary is calculated as the difference between the two extremes of the distribution of income. The median salary is calculated by checking what salary gives half of the employees a higher earning than that salary, and also checks what salary lies below the other 50%.

Percentiles

In the country, 25% of the population earns less than 2,170 TND, while 75% of the populace earns more than 2,170 TND. Furthermore, 75% of the population earns less than 10,400 TND, while 25% earns more than 10,400 TND.

What’s the difference between the median and average pay?

You are doing well if your wage is greater than the average and median. If you make less than both, there is space for development.

The median is the value fully in the middle of a data set. If you put all your wages in order from lowest to highest, the median would be the middle number.

Salary by Experience

How does a person’s pay increase?

A person’s pay goes up as they gain more experience. When someone first begins a job, their salary can be very low or it might not even be enough to afford the basic necessities. As the individual gets more work under their belt, their value becomes clearer to potential employers.

The more experience someone has in an industry, the higher the chances are that they will get paid for what they are worth.

In Tunisia, the average salary is 3,910 TND a month. There are some people that get paid more than the average and there are others that get paid less than average. When people start off in a job, they usually make the least amount of money. As time goes on and they gain more experience or get a promotion, their pay will increase.

Salary By Education

How does your education affect your pay?

People with a high school diploma make about 2/3 of what those who have a bachelor’s degree make, and people with a Master’s or Doctorate degree can expect to earn up to twice as much as those without.

As the educational requirements grow from high school diplomas through graduate degrees, so do salaries for each job position.

Employers are willing to pay more money for employees whom they see as being better educated and having more potential. This is why it is important that you find a field that interests you enough that you would try going back to school for at least a bachelor’s degree.

Tunisian workers with bachelor’s degrees or higher, earning wages by occupation.

Gender Salary Comparison in Tunisia

On average, men workers in Tunisia earn 16% more than their female colleagues across all industries in the country. Women are underrepresented in many of Tunisia’s major industries.

For example, they represent only 12% of workers in the petroleum industry, while women make up 27% of the workforce in education and health care.

Tunisia’s Annual Salary Increment Percentage

How much are Tunisian salary increases? How frequently do workers receive raises?

Tunisian employees may expect an 8% raise every 19 months. The first salary increase begins after a worker has been employed for 18 months.

It is at this time that the employer determines whether or not annual increments will be given to the employee. If the worker receives an 8% raise every 19 months, then he/she can expect another 2% within his/her first year of employment—for a total of 10%.

Annual Industry Increment Rate

Banking – 4%
Education – 1%
Construction – 6%
Travel – 3%
Finance – 3%
Accommodation – 5%
Industry – 4%
Tourism – 2%
Media and Entertainment – 1%

Companies in booming sectors tend to provide greater and more frequent increases. There are exceptions, but in general, a company’s status is directly linked to the country’s or region’s economic situation. These statistics fluctuate.

Average Salary Increase Rates by Level of Experience in Tunisia

The average yearly salary increase rate for an employee with no experience is around 2.86%, while the average yearly salary increase rate for an experienced professional is around 5.8%

Tunisian workers with junior-level experience earn around 3-4% increase in salary each year, workers with mid-level experience earn around 4%-5% increase in salary and senior-level employees earn around 10% – 15% increase in their annual salaries.

Tunisian Bonus and Incentives Rates

How frequently and how much are bonuses given?

In Tunisia, 52% of polled employees indicated they had not received any rewards or incentives in the preceding year, while 48% stated they had.

The average incentive provided was 9% of the base salary. Workers in the private sector were slightly more likely than those in the public sector to have received a bonus (54% versus 51%).

Among those with incentives, the average size of their bonus was equal to 10% of salary.

However, there is considerable variation by firm size: workers at firms with over 100 employees reported an average incentive worth 15% of base salary as compared to 9% for those at firms with less than 30 employees.

Bonus Types

Individualized Performance Bonuses

These are a type of role-centred reward system where individual employees are rewarded for their performance and output. With an Individualized Performance Bonus, each employee is assigned a specific target that must be met by the end of the time period.

This performance metric is chosen by the employee’s manager to match both his or her skills and interests, as well as those of the team he or she works on.

At the end of the time period (which should be between one and six months), managers will review how each person performed against his or her goal and distribute bonuses accordingly.

Performance-based pay

Performance-based salary is an employee compensation system that ties workers’ base pay to their individual performance ratings. Performance-based pay is largely used in the private sector but can be employed by public employers as well.

A key advantage of performance-based pay is its ability to foster workgroups where each member pulls his or her own weight without requiring many directions from supervisors.

Goal-based Rewards

These are a type of reward system designed to inspire the player to complete a goal, rather than perform a task.

The primary purpose of Goal-based Rewards is to promote deeper engagement from players by making their rewards aspirational, inspiring them to work toward their goals, and giving them something they can look forward to achieving when they achieve or surpass those goals.

Holiday/Year-End Bonuses

These are bonuses paid to employees for their work over the year. Sometimes they are referred to as Holiday Bonuses, Year-End Bonuses, or S13 Bonus.

The bonuses are typically given around the major holidays in December or January.

The purpose of Holiday/Year-End Bonuses is to compensate the employee for their hard work and dedication throughout the months prior by giving them a lump sum of cash that can be spent on goods or saved for future expenses.

Bonus Rates by Career Field

What qualifies a job for huge bonuses and high pay?

It’s safe to say that jobs, where huge amounts of risk are taken on a daily basis, qualify more than any other profession. These types of jobs would include pilots, soldiers, racing car drivers, etc., all ranking extremely high in compensation throughout history.

In Tunisia, workers earn bonuses and pay increases if their job is considered risky, due to the lower risk of losing a worker’s skill set.

In contrast, jobs that involve more mental abilities or tasks, such as a surgeon who operates on a patient every day and therefore experiences zero risk of skill degradation over time, tend not to pay as well.

This makes sense intuitively because if there isn’t any risk involved in your occupation, you shouldn’t expect a bonus for its completion. Employees in these types of jobs can use this to negotiate for further salary increases based on skill level and responsibility.

Seniority Bonus Comparison in Tunisia

Senior workers in Tunisia receive different bonuses based on their seniority; however, the amount of bonuses varies across different sectors. The average bonus for workers in the industry is TND 10 (USD 5) per month while it decreases to 8 (USD 4) per month for workers in the finance and insurance sector.

However, Tunisian employees working in large enterprises receive a much larger bonus; an individual who has spent 20 years or more working at one company can receive up to five times his salary as a standard bonus every year.

This means that he could potentially earn four months’ salary as an incentive to stay with the same employer.

Furthermore, this policy does not apply only to the private sector but also applies to state-owned companies which are supposed to pay 25% of a worker’s basic salary as a bonus.

Popular Careers Pay

Administration / Reception / Secretarial

Administrative Assistant – 2,120 TND
Office Manager – 3,380 TND
Receptionist – 1,980 TND
Secretary – 1,710 TND

Human Resources

Human Resources Manager – 5,820 TND
Human Resources Officer – 2,280 TND

Legal

Attorney – 7,880 TND
Legal Assistant – 2,160 TNDNotary Public – 3,130 TND

Psychology

Clinical Psychologist – 10,580 TND
Counseling Psychologist – 9,510 TND
Criminal Psychology Psychologist – 8,370 TND
Educational Psychology Psychologist – 7,220 TND
Forensic Psychologist (Crime) – 11,850 TND
Industrial-Organizational Psychologist (HRCI Certified) – 9,740 TND
Organizational Development Psychologist – 8,580 TND

Medical

General Practitioner – 7,550 TND
Nurse / Registered Nurse / Registered Midwife – 3,480 TND
Pharmacist – 4,120 TND
Psychiatric Nursing (HRCI Certified) – 5,880 TND
Public Health and General Nursing (HRCI Certified) – 4,830 TND
Physiotherapy (eligible for free services in Tunisia) – 6,920 TND* [see footnote]
Surgery / Intensive Care Unit (ICU) / Anesthesia / Operating Theatre Nurse (HRCI Certified) – 5,880 TND
Veterinarian (doctors of veterinary medicine; HRCI certified) – 8,580 TND

Architecture

Architect – 6,650 TND
Construction Engineer – 5,420 TND

Engineering

Chemical Engineering – 7,550 TND
Civil Engineering (eligible for free services in Tunisia) – 4,830 TND
Construction (eligible for free services in Tunisia) – 4,830 TND
Geological Engineer (HRCI certified) – 6,650 TND
Mechanical Engineering- 6,650 TND
Petroleum Engineering (HRCI certified) – 8,370 TND

Teaching

Elementary School Teacher – 5,470 TND
High School / Preparatory Teachers (secondary education) – 4,830 TND
Secondary Education in French Language and Literature – 6,200 TND
Teacher of Special Needs Children/Education for Mentally Retarded children- 3,250 TND

Sales and Marketing

Marketing / Sales Manager – 7,550 TND
Public Relations and Customer Care – 6,650 TND
Sales Representative – 4,120 TND

Social Work and Human Services (HRCI certified)

Marriage Officer / Celebrant in Tunisia- 3,870 TND
Probation Officer / Parole officer / Youth worker- 4,220 TND
Psychiatric Social Worker (HRCI certified) – 5,850 TND
Teacher of Students with Special Needs – 4,830 TND
Tourist Guide Skills Tested by Tunisian Ministry of Tourism – 1,730 TND

Average Hourly Wage in Tunisia

Tunisia’s average hourly salary is 23 TND. This indicates that the typical Tunisian earns about 23 TND per hour worked. This calculation takes into account that Tunisia’s population is 10.6 million people and the employment rate is 41%.

The hourly wage calculation takes into account that there are about 8.2 million workers in Tunisia, with an average wage per worker of 23 TND.

The hourly wage calculation also takes into account that there are about 1.4 million self-employed individuals or employers with an average income of 23 TND per hour worked.

Government vs. Private Sector Salary Comparison in Tunisia

No one can deny the fact that there is a huge gap between the salaries of public employees and those working in the private sector.

There seems to be an endless debate on this topic, but we still think that there needs to be more awareness and information about it.

Public sectors earn more than those who work in private sectors because the value of a job is often measured by an individual’s expertise, knowledge and experience. In return for that, public employees earn more money as their jobs are considered highly professional.

However, not many people would give up a stable source of income to join the chaotic working environment of the private sector. And this is one of the major factors leading to such a gap between these two sectors’ salaries.

Newly qualified employees are also the easiest target for recruiters in the private sector, who can easily lure them with higher salaries.

A sudden increase in salary is not to be taken lightly as it could have many consequences on an individual’s financial status. And if this happens before a person manages to attain his/her financial goals, there will definitely be dire consequences such as debt and the inability to manage expenses during hard times.

However, those employed in the public sector enjoy some additional benefits such as annual leave and health insurance, which is offered by an increasing number of employers in the private sector as well.