Career Guide · Salary Guide 2026

South Africa Salary Guide 2026

Average monthly salaries across major industries in South Africa, broken down by experience level. Use this to benchmark your earnings or negotiate your next offer.

About This Guide

Salary figures are monthly gross (before tax) estimates based on publicly available market data for South Africa in 2026. Actual salaries vary by province, company size, qualifications, and experience. Johannesburg and Cape Town typically pay 10–20% more than other provinces for equivalent roles.

Junior

0–3 years

Mid-level

3–7 years

Senior

7+ years

Information Technology

RoleJuniorMid-levelSenior
Junior Software DeveloperR15,000 – R25,000R25,000 – R45,000R45,000 – R80,000+
Data AnalystR18,000 – R28,000R28,000 – R50,000R50,000 – R85,000+
UX/UI DesignerR15,000 – R22,000R22,000 – R40,000R40,000 – R70,000+
IT Project ManagerR25,000 – R35,000R35,000 – R60,000R60,000 – R100,000+
Cybersecurity AnalystR20,000 – R30,000R30,000 – R55,000R55,000 – R90,000+

Finance & Accounting

RoleJuniorMid-levelSenior
BookkeeperR12,000 – R18,000R18,000 – R30,000R30,000 – R45,000
Accountant (CA)R25,000 – R40,000R40,000 – R65,000R65,000 – R120,000+
Financial ManagerR35,000 – R55,000R55,000 – R90,000R90,000 – R150,000+
Internal AuditorR18,000 – R30,000R30,000 – R55,000R55,000 – R90,000+
Payroll AdministratorR12,000 – R18,000R18,000 – R30,000R30,000 – R45,000

Healthcare

RoleJuniorMid-levelSenior
Registered NurseR18,000 – R25,000R25,000 – R40,000R40,000 – R60,000+
General Practitioner (GP)R45,000 – R60,000R60,000 – R90,000R90,000 – R150,000+
PharmacistR28,000 – R40,000R40,000 – R60,000R60,000 – R90,000+
PhysiotherapistR20,000 – R30,000R30,000 – R50,000R50,000 – R75,000+
Community Health WorkerR4,000 – R7,000R7,000 – R12,000R12,000 – R18,000

Education

RoleJuniorMid-levelSenior
Foundation Phase TeacherR15,000 – R22,000R22,000 – R35,000R35,000 – R50,000
High School TeacherR18,000 – R28,000R28,000 – R42,000R42,000 – R60,000+
University LecturerR25,000 – R40,000R40,000 – R65,000R65,000 – R100,000+
Assistant TeacherR3,500 – R5,000R5,000 – R9,000R9,000 – R15,000
School PrincipalR35,000 – R50,000R50,000 – R75,000R75,000 – R100,000+

Engineering & Construction

RoleJuniorMid-levelSenior
Civil EngineerR25,000 – R40,000R40,000 – R70,000R70,000 – R120,000+
Electrical EngineerR25,000 – R42,000R42,000 – R75,000R75,000 – R130,000+
Mechanical EngineerR22,000 – R38,000R38,000 – R65,000R65,000 – R110,000+
Quantity SurveyorR20,000 – R32,000R32,000 – R55,000R55,000 – R90,000+
Artisan / ElectricianR12,000 – R18,000R18,000 – R30,000R30,000 – R50,000+

Sales & Marketing

RoleJuniorMid-levelSenior
Sales RepresentativeR10,000 – R18,000R18,000 – R35,000R35,000 – R60,000+
Marketing ManagerR25,000 – R40,000R40,000 – R70,000R70,000 – R120,000+
Digital Marketing SpecialistR15,000 – R22,000R22,000 – R40,000R40,000 – R70,000+
Brand ManagerR25,000 – R38,000R38,000 – R65,000R65,000 – R100,000+
Customer Service AgentR8,000 – R14,000R14,000 – R22,000R22,000 – R35,000

National Minimum Wage 2026

South Africa's National Minimum Wage (NMW) is updated annually. For 2025/2026, the minimum wage is R28.79 per hour for most workers. Domestic workers and farm workers were brought in line with the general minimum wage.

Always verify the latest NMW on the Department of Employment and Labour website at www.labour.gov.za.

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