Updated 17 October 2026
Most nurses in Kenya work for county governments, so there is no single national nurse salary. Each County Public Service Board sets out the scale for a post when it advertises. This page uses the scales one county actually advertised in July 2025 to show what nurses are paid at each entry grade. It explains the job groups and lets you work out take-home pay with a calculator already set to those figures.
Nurse Salary Scales by Grade
The figures below are monthly basic salaries taken from the Narok County Public Service Board’s July 2025 health vacancy notice. Each scale runs from the first salary point to the last; nurses move up one point at a time with each annual increment.
To see which facilities near you are contracted by SHA, use our SHA accredited hospitals finder.
| Post and grade | Basic salary scale (KES per month) |
|---|---|
| Enrolled Nurse III, CPSB 12 (Job Group G) | 23,700 to 31,450 |
| Registered Nurse III, CPSB 11 (Job Group H) | 26,900 to 35,380 |
| Nursing Officer, CPSB 09 (Job Group K) | 39,700 to 52,960 |
| Nursing Specialist, CPSB 08 (Job Group L) | 44,400 to 61,110 |
Official scales from the Narok County Public Service Board vacancy notice, July 2025. Other counties may pay different scales, and later county increments are not included.
What the Grades Mean
An Enrolled Nurse holds a certificate in enrolled community health nursing and enters at Job Group G. A Registered Nurse with a diploma in community health nursing enters at Job Group H. A Nursing Officer post at Job Group K asks for a bachelor’s degree in nursing. A Nursing Specialist post at Job Group L asks for at least three years as a Registered Nurse I plus a higher diploma in a specialty such as peri-operative or nephrology nursing. In the Narok notice, all of these posts require registration with the Nursing Council of Kenya and a valid practising licence.
Employers can confirm a nurse’s current licence through the official Nursing Council licence check and other registers.
Notice that the scales overlap. The top of Job Group G (KES 31,450) is above the bottom of Job Group H (KES 26,900). A long-serving enrolled nurse can therefore earn more basic pay than a newly employed registered nurse.
Allowances Nurses Receive
Basic pay is only part of a nurse’s gross salary. County nurses are also paid allowances, such as house and commuter allowances, with the types and rates set by grade and through collective bargaining. Nurses employed by the national Ministry of Health are covered by the Ministry’s first collective bargaining agreement with the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives, signed in August 2024 for the period July 2021 to June 2025. Because allowance rates differ by county and grade, use your own payslip for the gross figure where you can.
Nurse Take-Home Pay Calculator
Pick a grade to load its starting or top basic salary, then add your allowances to the amount to see your full take-home pay. The calculator deducts NSSF, SHIF at 2.75%, the Affordable Housing Levy at 1.5% and PAYE after personal relief.
Deductions such as union dues, Sacco savings, loans and pension contributions are not included. Many health workers save with a health-sector Sacco; the Afya Sacco loan calculator shows what a loan would cost. To compare offers from private hospitals, the net salary calculator on jobinkenya.co.ke works from any gross figure.
Finding Nursing Jobs
County boards, mission hospitals and private hospitals advertise nursing posts throughout the year. Current openings are listed under healthcare jobs on jobinkenya.co.ke, and the free CV builder lays out your registration, licence and clinical rotations the way Kenyan recruiters expect. If you are still choosing a course, the KUCCPS cluster points calculator shows which nursing degrees your grades qualify for.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a diploma nurse earn in Kenya?
A Registered Nurse III at Job Group H starts on a basic salary of KES 26,900 a month on the July 2025 Narok scale, rising to KES 35,380, before allowances.
How much does a degree nurse earn?
A Nursing Officer at Job Group K starts on KES 39,700 basic and can reach KES 52,960 on the same scale, before allowances.
Why does my county pay differently?
Counties hire their own staff and some have their own CBAs, increments and allowance rates. The figures here are one county’s advertised scales, which makes them a reliable example but not a rule for every county.
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