Nurse salary in Kenya, grade by grade
A newly posted Registered Nurse III sits in job group H, basic 28,620 a month. With house, commuter, nursing service and risk allowances that is about Ksh 70,120 gross, and Ksh 51,670 after NSSF, SHIF, the Housing Levy and PAYE.
Rules as of October 2026. Updated .
Can you afford it?
Left at the end of the monthKsh 24,749 to 27,749living in Umoja
This works, with room to save.
| Take-home payAfter PAYE, SHIF, NSSF and the Housing Levy. | Ksh 51,670 |
|---|---|
| Rent (bedsitter)The usual range in this estate. | Ksh 7,000 to 10,000 |
| Power tokens | Ksh 1,258 |
| Water | Ksh 500 |
| Data and airtime | Ksh 1,300 |
| Cooking gas | Ksh 1,235 |
| FoodCooking at home, plus lunch at a kibanda on work days. | Ksh 6,996 |
| Matatu faresTwo rides a work day at the rush-hour fare, about Ksh 128 a ride. | Ksh 5,632 |
| Left over | Ksh 24,749 to 27,749 |
On this pay you can cover: 1 bedroom in South B (up to Ksh 35,000); 1 bedroom in South C (up to Ksh 35,000); 2 bedroom in Umoja (up to Ksh 30,000).
One person, cooking at home. Rents are the usual range for the estate, not one listing.
Play a nurse in Nairobi: Ksh 51,670 a month after deductions, rent in Umoja, night shifts on the ward. See how far it goes.
Play free GrindLife is a free life game on real Nairobi streets. Every job pays what its real scale pays.Nurse pay scale 2026
Nurses in public hospitals are paid on the county and national job groups. Basic is the smaller part: the nursing service allowance (about 20,000) and the risk allowances from the September 2026 deal (5,000 plus 8,000) add more than the house allowance does.
Ksh a month. Basic from county board adverts; the gross adds house, commuter, nursing service and risk allowances, so it is an estimate until Nairobi publishes its house allowance for job group H.
| Grade | Published basic | Gross in Nairobi | Take-home | Gross is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse III | Job group H: 28,620 | 70,120 | 51,670 | an estimate |
| Registered Nurse II | Job group J: 34,420 to 46,120 | 78,000 | 56,620 | an estimate |
| Nursing Officer in Charge | Job groups M to P: 50,610 to 90,200 (2025) | 125,000 | 86,862 | an estimate |
The payslip at each grade
Ksh a month at the first point of each grade, after NSSF, SHIF, the Housing Levy and PAYE. Union dues and loans are not taken off.
| RN III | RN II | In charge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | 70,120 | 78,000 | 125,000 |
| NSSF Tier I | 540 | 540 | 540 |
| NSSF Tier II | 3,667 | 4,140 | 5,940 |
| SHIF | 1,928 | 2,145 | 3,438 |
| Housing Levy | 1,052 | 1,170 | 1,875 |
| PAYE | 11,263 | 13,385 | 26,346 |
| Take-home | 51,670 | 56,620 | 86,862 |
How you move up
Promotion is by advert and interview, after about three years in grade. Private hospitals set their own pay and many pay less than the public scale.
- Registered Nurse III: Ksh 70,120 gross, Ksh 51,670 take-home.
- Registered Nurse II: Ksh 78,000 gross, Ksh 56,620 take-home. Needs 3 years in the grade below.
- Nursing Officer in Charge: Ksh 125,000 gross, Ksh 86,862 take-home. Needs 3 years in the grade below.
What a Registered Nurse III can rent in Nairobi
On Ksh 51,670 take-home, after bills, food and matatu fares, the most that fits at the top of the rent range: a 1 bedroom in South B (up to Ksh 35,000); a 1 bedroom in South C (up to Ksh 35,000); a 2 bedroom in Umoja (up to Ksh 30,000).
A bedsitter in Umoja leaves Ksh 24,749 to Ksh 27,749 a month.
Questions people ask
What job group is a newly employed nurse in Kenya?
Job group H, as a Registered Nurse III, with a diploma (KRCHN) and a Nursing Council licence. Basic is 28,620; with allowances about Ksh 70,120.
How much does a nurse earn at Kenyatta National Hospital?
GrindLife puts a staff nurse at a national referral hospital at about Ksh 70,120 gross, Ksh 51,670 take-home, built line by line from the public scale. A nursing officer in charge is about Ksh 125,000.
How much does a Registered Nurse III take home?
Ksh 51,670 a month from Ksh 70,120 gross. Ksh 18,450 comes off for NSSF, SHIF, the Housing Levy and PAYE.
Sources
- County public service board adverts for Registered Nurse III (job group H), 2026; Trans Nzoia CPSB job group J scale, 2025
- Nurses' risk allowance deal, September 2026, as reported by the Kenyan press
- Salaries and Remuneration Commission
- Nursing Council of Kenya (licensing)
- KNBS, Economic Survey 2026, Table 3.7 (average earnings by sector)
- KRA, Pay As You Earn guide, Jan 2025
- KNBS, 2023/24 Kenya Housing Survey (average Nairobi rent by unit, tenancy norms)