What is the Average Salary in Bangladesh: Overview & Insights

average salary in Bangladesh

The average salary in Bangladesh for a worker is around 311,700 BDT per year, with salary ranges varying between the minimum average of about 79,260 BDT and a maximum average of 1,391,600 BDT.

There is a constant change in workforce characteristics in Bangladeshi society which developed a multicultural and growing economy. Another significant aspect of a country’s economic status is the amount of salary on average that citizens are getting.

If you are looking forward to outsourcing your business to Bangladesh you should know the economy and salary structure of Bangladesh.

In this article, we will discuss the factors affecting the salary of an employee in Bangladesh along with the pros and cons of outsourcing your business to Bangladesh.

What is The Average Salary in Bangladesh?

The average hourly wage in Bangladesh is 150 BDT (1.26 USD) per hour.

The average salary in Bangladesh for a worker is around 26,100 BDT (218.54 USD) per month. Salary variations span from 6,580 BDT (the lowest average) to 116,000 BDT (the highest average, with actual maximum salaries possibly exceeding this figure).

According to data from worldsalaries.com, the average yearly salary in Bangladesh for a worker is around 311,700 BDT (2609.93 USD), with salary ranges varying between the minimum average of about 79,260 BDT and a maximum average of 1,391,600 BDT.

Median Wage

The median salary in Bangladesh is 24,100 BDT (201.79 USD) per month which means that half of the Bangladeshi population earns less than 24,100 BDT, and the remaining half of the population earns more than that.

Minimum Wage

According to data from wageindicator.org, the minimum wage in Bangladesh is 8000 BDT (66.99 USD) which accumulates to the minimum yearly 96,000 BDT (803.83 USD)

Factors Affecting Salaries in Bangladesh

1. Education

Educational qualifications play an important role in influencing the salary level in Bangladesh.

Workers possessing a certificate or diploma typically earn approximately 17% higher salaries compared to individuals with only a high school diploma.

According to salaryexplorer.com, those holding a Bachelor’s degree command salaries around 24% higher than those with certificates or diplomas.

Professionals with a Master’s degree generally earn roughly 29% more than individuals with a Bachelor’s degree.

Finally, those with PhDs typically earn about 23% more than those with a Master’s degree.

2. Profession

The salaries in Bangladesh vary according to the profession,

Certain positions or roles command higher salaries due to factors such as job complexity, level of responsibility, and demand for specialized skills.

Profession Average Salary (Yearly)
Architect
384,200 BDT
Accountant
22,57,00 BDT
Graphic Designer
196,800 BDT
Teacher
243,000 BDT
Bank Process Manager
394,300 BDT
Dentist
745,000 BDT
Attorney
614,600 BDT
Pilot
545,300 BDT
Journalist
371,100 BDT

Source:  worldsalaries.com

3. Experience

Experience plays a crucial role in determining salary levels in Bangladesh. Typically, individuals with more years of experience command higher salaries due to their accumulated knowledge and skills.

Employees who possess 2-5 years of experience typically earn approximately 32% more than their colleagues with less experience.

Professionals who have accumulated 5 or more years of experience tend to earn roughly 36% more than their junior counterparts.

Furthermore, individuals with 10 or more years of experience typically command a salary approximately 21% higher than those with 5 years of work experience.

Finally, professionals boasting 15 years or more of experience typically enjoy a salary around 14% higher than those with a decade of experience.

4. City

The average salary in Bangladesh varies according to different locations, urban areas tend to pay more than rural areas.

City Average Salary (Monthly)
Dhaka
29,700 BDT
Chittagong
28,700 BDT
Chandpur
24,000 BDT
Jamalpur
24,600 BDT
Rajshahi
28,400 BDT

Source: salaryexplorer.com

Cost of Living in Bangladesh

According to numbeo.com, the estimated monthly costs in Bangladesh are:

  • Monthly costs for a family of four are approximately 147,141.60 BDT (1,232.05 USD) without rent.
  • A single person spends around 42,444.00 BDT (355.39 USD) without rent.
  • A ticket for one-way transport costs 50 BDT (0.42 USD)
  • 1 Liter of gasoline costs 125.20 BDT (1.05 USD)
  • A meal at an inexpensive restaurant costs 200 BDT (1.67 USD)
  • A three-course meal for 2 people at a mid-range restaurant costs 1,300 BDT (10.89 USD)
  • Single-bedroom apartment in the city center costs 10,947.85 BDT (91.67 USD)
  • Single-bedroom apartment outside the city center costs 6,051.04 BDT (50.67 USD)
  • Triple-bedroom apartment in the city center costs 26,760.24 BDT (224.07 USD)
  • Triple-bedroom apartment outside the city center costs 15,955.13 BDT (133.60 USD)
  • Basic utilities like electricity, heating, cooling, water, and garbage for an 85m2 apartment cost 3,582.34 BDT (30.0 USD)
  • The monthly plan for a mobile phone with calls and 10GB+ data costs 645.33 BDT (5.40 USD)

Is Bangladesh a Good Outsourcing Hub?

Bangladesh is gradually, steadily marking out its place on the global outsourcing scene, thanks to its cost-effective labor, skillful workforce, and an ever-emerging digital infrastructure. But like any option, it comes with both opportunities and challenges. Let’s break it down:

Pros

  • Affordable Labor: Businesses can significantly cut costs without sacrificing quality.
  • Skilled Workforce: Young professionals excel in IT, customer support, and technical roles.
  • Expanding IT Sector: Initiatives like “Digital Bangladesh” are driving tech growth and outsourcing opportunities.
  • English Proficiency: Many workers are fluent in English, ideal for client-facing roles.
  • Time Zone Advantage: Perfect for near-round-the-clock operations with Europe and Asia.

Cons

  • Infrastructure Limitations: Electricity and internet reliability can still be inconsistent in some areas.
  • Building Reputation: Bangladesh is growing but hasn’t yet matched the global credibility of hubs like India or the Philippines.
  • Regulatory Complexity: Foreign businesses may find local laws and compliance requirements challenging.
  • Specialization Needs: Advanced expertise in fields like high-tech R&D is still emerging.

Bangladesh is brimming with potential for outsourcing. Its cost benefits, skilled workforce, and government support make it a compelling choice for businesses looking to expand. While some problems like infrastructure and legal frameworks definitely need to be addressed, companies that are ready to nurture partnerships are discovering a promising and evolving outsourcing hub. With continued investment in development, Bangladesh is on its way to standing tall among the global leaders.

Manage your outsourced team’s productivity, effortlessly with Time Champ

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Top 5 Industries that Commonly Outsource to Bangladesh

Here’s a list of leading businesses that commonly outsource their businesses to Bangladesh.

1. Garment Manufacturing

The garment industry in Bangladesh is a big deal globally, bringing in a lot of money through exports. Because labor costs are low and there are plenty of skilled workers, Bangladesh attracts contracts from big international clothing brands and retailers. Here’s why they like working with Bangladesh.

  • Cost-effective: Labor costs are lower here compared to many other places, saving companies money.
  • Efficient: Bangladesh’s garment manufacturing setup is well-organized, making it easy to get orders done on time.
  • Skilled: The workers here know their stuff when it comes to making clothes, from sewing and cutting to checking quality.
  • Flexible: Bangladesh can handle big orders, so it’s great for companies that need to make a lot of clothes.

2. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)

BPO started in 2009 in Bangladesh and has grown consistently, in Bangladesh, BPO covers customer support, back-office work, and data entry. Outsourcing to Bangladesh has its perks:

  • Cost efficiency: Companies cut costs by outsourcing tasks to Bangladesh.
  • Language Proficiency: Workers in Bangladesh are good at English making communication easier and smoother with clients.
  • Operational Effectiveness: Bangladesh’s BPO sector works efficiently and provides reliable service.
  • Flexibility: Companies can adjust outsourcing easily.

3. Information Technology (IT) Services

Bangladesh’s IT sector has seen rapid growth recently, offering services like software development, web development, and IT support. Outsourcing IT projects to Bangladesh comes with several advantages including:

  • Skilled workforce: Bangladesh boasts numerous skilled IT professionals proficient in programming languages and software development frameworks.
  • Cost-effectiveness: Companies get affordable IT solutions here without compromising quality.
  • Innovation: Bangladesh’s IT firms are known for their innovative solutions and advanced technology services.
  • Reliability: With an emphasis on quality and customer contentment, the IT industry in Bangladesh delivers consistent and effective service.
  • Scalability: Whether it’s for startups or big companies, Bangladesh’s IT firms can handle projects of any size and complexity.
  • Compliance: Bangladesh’s BPO industry follows standards to keep data safe and meet quality requirements for clients.

4. E-commerce and Digital Marketing

The e-commerce and digital marketing industry in Bangladesh is growing quickly because more people are using the internet and getting better at using digital tools. Hiring companies to do tasks in this area in Bangladesh has lots of benefits:

  • Proficiency in digital skills: People in Bangladesh are good at lots of digital marketing stuff like making websites, doing SEO, using social media for marketing, and creating content.
  • Cost-effectiveness: Companies can get digital marketing help in Bangladesh that’s affordable and fits their business goals and who they want to reach.
  • Market insights: Professionals in Bangladesh know a lot about how local people shop online, what’s popular, and what people like. This helps companies make better marketing plans.
  • Creative talent: Bangladesh has lots of creative people who can make cool stuff like catchy ads, graphics, and videos for digital marketing campaigns.
  • Multi-channel presence: Hiring Bangladeshi people for digital marketing means companies can be seen all over the internet, on different websites and on social media. This makes more people know about them and buy their stuff.

5. Pharmaceutical Research and Development (R&D)

Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry is well-known for its skills in making generic drugs and doing research. Getting pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) done in Bangladesh has lots of benefits:

  • Cost-Effectiveness: Companies spend less on research and development in Bangladesh compared to richer countries.
  • Scientific Expertise: Bangladesh has smart scientists, researchers, and pharmaceutical experts who can do top-notch research.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry sticks to international rules, making sure R&D projects are safe and high-quality.
  • Access to Emerging Markets: Companies that do R&D in Bangladesh can learn about new markets and how to make products for them.
  • Collaboration Opportunities: Bangladesh lets its companies team up with local research centers and universities, which helps make new ideas and improve the pharmaceutical industry.

Outsourcing to Bangladesh is a good option, but managing the outsourced employee’s productivity can be tricky, fortunately, Time Champ can help you track and manage your outsourced team’s productivity with ease.

With Time Champ’s employee monitoring and productivity tracking software, you can upgrade the monitoring game of your business to the next level and boost your employee productivity.

Time Champ is an employee time and productivity tracking software that can track all the activities of both remote and hybrid working employees and generates timely reports based on your employee performance.

Keep your outsourced team focused and efficient with Time Champ’s powerful tracking tools.

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How Time Champ’s Features Help You Manage Your Outsourced Employees

Here are some of the key features of Time Champ that help you manage your outsourced team.

1. Employee Monitoring

With Time Champ’s employee monitoring feature, you can monitor all the activities of your employees, all the websites and apps visited by your employees, and how long they stayed on each app.

You can take screenshots and screen recordings for proof of work and review your employees activity logs, including their active time and idle time periods. Managers can review and approve manual time entries from the employees.

This helps you closely monitor each and every activity of your employees.

2. Employee Productivity

Using the employee productivity  feature you can set labels as productive, non-productive, and neutral based on your company protocols. Time Champ will generate productivity metrics like productivity breakdown based on the work hours, categorized reports based on your employee activity and amount of time spent on each app, and a comprehensive overview of your workforce’s productivity with the help of the heatmaps feature.

3. Attendance and Timesheet Management

You can get daily attendance reports as your employee’s login, no need to go through the hassle of manual entries anymore. You can also receive detailed timesheet reports of your employees by syncing the attendance report data, this integration allows you to track work hours, overtime, and break durations with precision. With all this data readily available, payroll processing becomes faster, error-free, and compliant with company policies.

With this feature, you can say goodbye to errors and delays, and handle attendance and payroll effortlessly with automated tracking.

4. Task and Project Management

With the help of Time Champ’s project management feature, you can assign projects and tasks to your teams, monitor their progress, and track the days are left to complete a specific project or task.

This will give you an idea of how productive your employees are and how long it will take to reach their goals and organizational goals.

You can also allocate resources for your employees without any errors through the project management feature.

Conclusion

In summary, what we have here is a clear indication not only of the general state of the country’s economy but also of its important place in the world. Although the salary in Bangladesh is lower compared to some of the other countries, many businesses tend to outsource their work there because they can get the job done for a very cheaper cost but ensure good quality. This reveals that Bangladesh displays strong competent manpower and it is gaining more relevance in the global market for outsourcing.

As outsourcing grows in Bangladesh, the country is also concentrating on skill development, and infrastructure development, encouraging a business environment to keep the progress going.

Before outsourcing, take a close look at the pros and cons of each country, practical decisions lead to better results. Choosing the right partner can make all the difference in optimizing your operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

The average yearly salary in Bangladesh is approximately 311,700 BDT (2,609.93 USD), with monthly variations averaging 26,100 BDT (218.54 USD). Salary ranges can span from as low as 6,580 BDT to as high as 116,000 BDT per month. These figures reflect both urban and rural disparities and include workers across various sectors.

Labor laws in Bangladesh mandate minimum wages, working hours, overtime pay, and compensation for workplace injuries. The government periodically reviews minimum wages, particularly in labor-intensive industries like garments.

Employees earning higher salaries (above 15,00,000 BDT annually) are subject to a 25% tax bracket. However, investment in tax-saving instruments, such as government bonds or provident funds, can reduce taxable income.

In addition to base salaries, employees may receive:

  • Transport Allowances
  • Health Insurance
  • Performance Bonuses
  • Provident Funds
  • Festival Bonuses
  • E-commerce: Driven by digital adoption.
  • Renewable Energy: The government invests in green energy projects.
  • Pharmaceuticals: Growing demand for skilled researchers and sales professionals.

Female workforce participation in Bangladesh is growing, particularly in sectors like RMG (Ready-Made Garments), healthcare, and education. Salaries for women in these sectors are gradually increasing, but disparities still exist compared to male counterparts.

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