Salary guide · Uganda
Government salary scales in Uganda: U1 to U8 for 2026/27
The general public service salary structure for 2026/27 from the Ministry of Public Service: what each scale from U8 to U1 pays a month, and how to read the scale on an advert.
Every government advert names a salary scale, from U8 for support staff to U1 for the most senior posts. Circular Standing Instruction No. 6 of 2026 sets the pay for each scale from 1 July 2026. This table follows Schedule 2, the general structure for the public service. Teachers, health workers, police and prisons staff have their own schedules.
| Scale and band | Posts in this row | 2026/27 per month |
|---|---|---|
| U1S | Permanent Secretary | 15,400,000 |
| U1SE | Director, Commissioner, Chief Administrative Officer | 12,750,000 |
| U1E | Assistant Commissioner | 6,500,000 |
| U2 | Principal Officer, all cadres | 4,500,000 |
| U3 (science) | Senior Officer, scientist other than medical personnel | 4,250,000 |
| U3 Upper | Senior Officer, professional cadre | 979,805 to 1,131,209 |
| U3 Lower | Senior Officer, administrative cadre | 902,612 to 990,589 |
| U4 (science) | Graduate scientist other than medical personnel | 4,000,000 |
| U4 Upper | Graduate, professional cadre | 798,667 to 940,366 |
| U4 Lower | Graduate, administrative cadre | 601,341 to 798,535 |
| U5 (science) | Scientist other than medical personnel | 2,200,000 |
| U5 Upper | Non-graduate technical cadre | 472,079 to 598,822 |
| U5 Lower | Promotional level for analogous staff | 447,080 to 479,759 |
| U6 Upper | Promotional level for analogous staff | 416,617 to 436,677 |
| U6 Lower | Promotional level for analogous staff | 386,972 to 424,253 |
| U7 Upper | Entry level for analogous cadre | 316,393 to 377,781 |
| U7 Lower | Entry level without additional training | 268,143 to 289,361 |
| U8 Upper | Support staff with UCE and additional requirements | 209,859 to 237,069 |
| U8 Lower | Support staff with UCE | 187,660 to 213,832 |
A range means the scale has several salary points. Some posts have their own rate inside a scale: plant operators, coxswains and asphalt mixer operators at U8 Upper and bitumen attendants and fumigators at U8 Lower are on UGX 1,100,000; plant, boiler, cemetery, tar sprayer and hydrological attendants at U8 Lower on UGX 1,000,000; rotary drill operators, ferry masters, marine welders and able seafarers at U7 Lower on UGX 2,500,000.
How to read the scale on an advert
District adverts print the scale next to each post. Lyantonde District's advert of March 2026 lists a Senior Assistant Secretary at U3, a Human Resource Officer at U4L, an Assistant Records Officer at U5, a Pool Stenographer at U6 and a Driver at U8. U4L means U4 Lower.
Science posts carry SC after the scale and are paid more: a graduate scientist at U4 is on UGX 4,000,000, while a graduate in the administrative cadre at U4 Lower is on UGX 601,341 to 798,535.
What changed for 2026/27
The circular appropriates UGX 9,708,926,074,002 for the 2026/27 wage bill, UGX 1,087,922,490,025 more than in 2025/26, and sets aside UGX 736.9 billion for salary enhancement.
Principal Officers in the professional and administrative cadres, scale U2, now receive UGX 4,500,000 at every point, against UGX 1,201,688 to 1,527,241 in 2025/26. Assistant Commissioners in the professional and administrative cadres and Deputy Chief Administrative Officers moved to UGX 6,500,000. Most other general scales did not change.
From the scale to the amount you receive
PAYE starts above UGX 335,000 a month, so the regular U7 Lower and U8 points have no PAYE. Public servants on pensionable terms are outside NSSF. Local Service Tax is charged by monthly pay band and is usually taken from July to October.
Use the take-home pay calculator to see the deductions for any scale.
Sources
Checked 12 October 2026. Each figure keeps the period and scope of its source.
Related jobs and guidance
Government jobs in Uganda (1 open) · Application guidance · Government salary scales · Take-home pay calculator