A person working in Information Technology in South Africa typically earns around 31,300 ZAR per month. Salaries range from 16,200 ZAR (lowest average) to 51,000 ZAR (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Salaries vary drastically between different Information Technology careers. If you are interested in the salary of a particular job, see below for salaries for specific job titles.
Job Title | Average Salary |
2nd Line Systems Engineer | 30,700 ZAR |
ABAP Developer | 27,700 ZAR |
Advertising Account Planner | 28,800 ZAR |
Android Developer | 32,300 ZAR |
Angular Developer | 29,600 ZAR |
Application Consultant | 39,000 ZAR |
Applications System Specialist | 27,500 ZAR |
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Specialist | 39,800 ZAR |
Artificial Intelligence Developer | 39,800 ZAR |
AS400 Programmer | 33,400 ZAR |
Assistant Information Technology Manager | 37,300 ZAR |
Assistant Service Delivery Manager | 37,200 ZAR |
Avaloq Developer | 30,100 ZAR |
BizTalk Developer | 34,200 ZAR |
Blockchain Associate | 30,700 ZAR |
Blockchain Developer | 28,700 ZAR |
Build and Release Engineer | 30,000 ZAR |
Business Intelligence Analyst | 34,800 ZAR |
Business Intelligence Developer | 32,500 ZAR |
Business Objects Developer | 28,300 ZAR |
Business Process Consultant | 32,200 ZAR |
Business Systems Analyst | 28,300 ZAR |
C# Developer | 34,900 ZAR |
C++ Developer | 35,200 ZAR |
Capacity Planning Manager | 42,100 ZAR |
Change Administrator | 27,800 ZAR |
Chief Information Security Officer | 45,000 ZAR |
Client Delivery Manager | 39,800 ZAR |
CMS Developer | 25,500 ZAR |
Computer Animator | 27,500 ZAR |
Computer Hardware Engineer | 25,500 ZAR |
Computer Networks Architect | 31,800 ZAR |
Computer Operator | 21,500 ZAR |
Computer Technician | 24,700 ZAR |
Copy Editor | 26,400 ZAR |
CRM Application Administrator | 28,500 ZAR |
Cross Platform Security Manager | 41,800 ZAR |
Curam Developer | 26,900 ZAR |
Data Analyst | 28,300 ZAR |
Data Architect | 30,300 ZAR |
Data Center Technician | 27,500 ZAR |
Data Entry Supervisor | 19,600 ZAR |
Data Manager | 40,500 ZAR |
Data Modeling Analyst | 30,300 ZAR |
Data Quality Analyst | 31,700 ZAR |
Data Security Analyst | 30,000 ZAR |
Data Security Manager | 42,800 ZAR |
Data Warehousing Manager | 39,800 ZAR |
Data Warehousing Specialist | 28,800 ZAR |
Database Administration Manager | 37,500 ZAR |
Database Administrator | 30,900 ZAR |
Database Analyst | 32,100 ZAR |
Database Developer | 31,300 ZAR |
Database Report Writer | 29,000 ZAR |
Delivery Manager | 32,500 ZAR |
Developer / Programmer | 32,700 ZAR |
Development Manager | 43,900 ZAR |
Director of Application Development | 45,300 ZAR |
Director of Technology | 54,700 ZAR |
Disaster Recovery Analyst | 29,500 ZAR |
Documentation Specialist | 27,600 ZAR |
E-Commerce Manager | 38,700 ZAR |
E-Commerce Marketing Analyst | 37,100 ZAR |
E-Commerce Marketing Manager | 40,500 ZAR |
E-Commerce Sales Manager | 42,200 ZAR |
E-Commerce Strategy Manager | 44,700 ZAR |
Enterprise Architecture Manager | 39,900 ZAR |
Enterprise Infrastructure Architect | 40,000 ZAR |
Enterprise Infrastructure Manager | 48,900 ZAR |
ERP / CRM Technical Consultant | 31,900 ZAR |
ERP Analyst | 33,200 ZAR |
ERP Project Manager | 42,800 ZAR |
Ethical Hacker | 28,300 ZAR |
Financial Systems Manager | 46,500 ZAR |
Flash Developer | 28,100 ZAR |
Front End Developer | 27,900 ZAR |
Full Stack Developer | 32,900 ZAR |
Functional Analyst | 33,800 ZAR |
Game Developer | 29,600 ZAR |
GIS Analyst | 27,400 ZAR |
GIS Developer | 32,000 ZAR |
Global BI Analyst | 32,600 ZAR |
Graphical User Interface ( GUI ) Programmer | 28,600 ZAR |
Graphics Programmer | 29,000 ZAR |
Graphics Web Designer | 25,500 ZAR |
Hardware Design Engineer | 29,200 ZAR |
Hardware Engineering Manager | 46,200 ZAR |
Hardware Technician | 23,400 ZAR |
Head of Development | 43,900 ZAR |
Help Desk Analyst | 31,000 ZAR |
Help Desk Manager | 34,700 ZAR |
Help Desk Support | 21,200 ZAR |
Helpdesk Manager | 36,800 ZAR |
Imaging Programmer | 28,600 ZAR |
Informatics Optimization Specialist | 31,800 ZAR |
Information Assurance Analyst | 32,300 ZAR |
Information Program Director | 44,800 ZAR |
Information Security Administrator | 34,700 ZAR |
Information Security Analyst | 37,200 ZAR |
Information Security Engineer | 29,900 ZAR |
Information Security Manager | 45,200 ZAR |
Information Security Specialist | 37,200 ZAR |
Information Services Consultant | 36,600 ZAR |
Information Technology Administrator | 25,100 ZAR |
Information Technology Asset Manager | 40,700 ZAR |
Information Technology Consultant | 36,600 ZAR |
Information Technology Coordinator | 25,400 ZAR |
Information Technology Director | 51,100 ZAR |
Information Technology Infrastructure Engineer | 27,900 ZAR |
Information Technology Manager | 54,000 ZAR |
Information Technology Operations Manager | 48,300 ZAR |
Information Technology Product Manager | 46,100 ZAR |
Information Technology Project Administrator | 25,100 ZAR |
Information Technology Project Coordinator | 33,200 ZAR |
Information Technology Project Leader | 38,400 ZAR |
Information Technology Project Manager | 49,300 ZAR |
Information Technology Quality Assurance Manager | 37,800 ZAR |
Information Technology Quality Assurance Team Lead (QA) | 34,800 ZAR |
Information Technology Quality Specialist | 31,800 ZAR |
Information Technology Support | 20,100 ZAR |
Information Technology Team Leader | 38,900 ZAR |
Information Technology Trainer | 32,800 ZAR |
Information Technology Training Analyst | 31,000 ZAR |
Interface Design Manager | 39,700 ZAR |
Interface Designer | 25,600 ZAR |
IOS Developer | 34,200 ZAR |
Java Developer | 35,400 ZAR |
Javascript Developer | 31,800 ZAR |
Lead Developer | 35,100 ZAR |
Linux Administrator | 31,400 ZAR |
Lotus Domino Administrator | 31,800 ZAR |
Lotus Notes Developer | 30,200 ZAR |
Mail Server Administrator | 28,600 ZAR |
Major Incident Manager | 36,400 ZAR |
Managed Service Specialist | 31,200 ZAR |
Microsystems Engineer | 30,400 ZAR |
Mobile Developer | 30,800 ZAR |
Multimedia Developer | 28,700 ZAR |
Multimedia Services Manager | 36,100 ZAR |
Network Administration Team Lead | 36,300 ZAR |
Network Administrator | 28,800 ZAR |
Network Analyst | 30,500 ZAR |
Network and Infrastructure Manager | 47,900 ZAR |
Network Engineer | 29,300 ZAR |
Network Engineering Manager | 38,200 ZAR |
Network Security Systems Manager | 40,800 ZAR |
Network Specialist | 32,300 ZAR |
Network Technician | 25,600 ZAR |
Nodejs Developer | 32,800 ZAR |
NT Systems Administrator | 28,200 ZAR |
Numerical Control Programmer | 25,900 ZAR |
Online Banking Manager | 52,200 ZAR |
Online Banking Specialist | 39,000 ZAR |
OPS Manager | 44,200 ZAR |
Oracle Database Administrator | 30,300 ZAR |
Oracle Developer | 32,400 ZAR |
Perl Developer | 27,800 ZAR |
PHP Developer | 29,100 ZAR |
Python Developer | 33,900 ZAR |
Records Manager | 27,500 ZAR |
Remedy Developer | 24,800 ZAR |
Reporting Analyst | 30,000 ZAR |
Ruby Developer | 28,600 ZAR |
Salesforce Administrator | 31,200 ZAR |
Salesforce Developer | 25,800 ZAR |
SAP Consultant | 32,700 ZAR |
SAS Programmer | 29,600 ZAR |
Scrum Master | 24,400 ZAR |
SEO Associate | 26,400 ZAR |
SEO Manager | 37,700 ZAR |
Service Delivery Manager | 41,800 ZAR |
Service Level Manager | 40,300 ZAR |
Service Support Lead | 31,400 ZAR |
SharePoint Administrator | 30,700 ZAR |
Sharepoint Consultant | 30,900 ZAR |
Sharepoint Developer | 32,100 ZAR |
Shift Leader | 32,500 ZAR |
SOA Analyst | 29,600 ZAR |
SOC Engineer | 29,800 ZAR |
Software Analyst | 30,800 ZAR |
Software Architect | 30,400 ZAR |
Software Development Manager | 39,500 ZAR |
Software Engineer | 30,800 ZAR |
Software QA Engineer | 27,500 ZAR |
Software Sales | 28,500 ZAR |
Software Specialist | 26,500 ZAR |
Software Support Engineer | 24,400 ZAR |
Software Test Engineer | 26,000 ZAR |
Solutions Architect | 42,800 ZAR |
Storage Engineer | 26,600 ZAR |
Supervisor | 22,500 ZAR |
Support Analyst | 27,000 ZAR |
Support Specialist | 33,400 ZAR |
System Administrator | 28,200 ZAR |
Systems Analyst | 30,100 ZAR |
Systems Architect | 30,900 ZAR |
Systems Consultant | 36,700 ZAR |
Systems Engineer | 24,800 ZAR |
Systems Integrator | 29,900 ZAR |
Technical Analyst | 27,400 ZAR |
Technical Consultant | 34,600 ZAR |
Technical Manager | 34,200 ZAR |
Technical Project Manager | 41,300 ZAR |
Technical Sales | 30,600 ZAR |
Technical Trainer | 32,300 ZAR |
Technical Writer | 28,200 ZAR |
Technology Business Analyst | 31,400 ZAR |
Technology Director | 54,900 ZAR |
Technology Specialist | 37,100 ZAR |
Teradata Developer | 26,200 ZAR |
Test Analyst | 31,100 ZAR |
Tester | 26,600 ZAR |
Testing Manager | 42,400 ZAR |
TIBCO Developer | 27,500 ZAR |
UNIX Administrator | 31,500 ZAR |
Usability Engineer | 28,800 ZAR |
User Experience Consultant | 33,500 ZAR |
User Experience Design Expert | 31,600 ZAR |
User Experience Designer | 27,100 ZAR |
User Experience Researcher | 31,800 ZAR |
User Interface Designer | 28,900 ZAR |
VB Developer | 25,400 ZAR |
VB.NET Developer | 33,500 ZAR |
Video Game Designer | 26,300 ZAR |
Visual Information Specialist | 27,900 ZAR |
Web Applications Manager | 37,800 ZAR |
Web Content Specialist | 32,900 ZAR |
Web Designer | 28,200 ZAR |
Web Developer | 28,700 ZAR |
Web Editor | 26,600 ZAR |
Web Project Manager | 34,500 ZAR |
Web Promotions Specialist | 31,700 ZAR |
Web Security Administrator | 32,900 ZAR |
Web Security Manager | 47,600 ZAR |
Web Support Analyst | 22,700 ZAR |
Web Writer | 25,900 ZAR |
Webmaster | 27,200 ZAR |
Windows System Administrator | 28,300 ZAR |
Wireless Consultant | 35,900 ZAR |
Writer and Documentor | 27,900 ZAR |
Information Technology salaries in South Africa range from 16,200 ZAR per month (minimum average salary) to 51,000 ZAR per month (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).
The median salary is 30,000 ZAR per month, which means that half (50%) of people working in Information Technology are earning less than 30,000 ZAR while the other half are earning more than 30,000 ZAR. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of people working in Information Technology are earning less than 20,800 ZAR while 75% of them are earning more than 20,800 ZAR. Also from the diagram, 75% of people working in Information Technology are earning less than 38,900 ZAR while 25% are earning more than 38,900 ZAR.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher the wage.
Generally speaking, employees having experience from two to five years earn on average 32% more than freshers and juniors across all industries and disciplines.
Professionals with experience of more than five years tend to earn on average 36% more than those with five years or less of work experience.
As you hit the ten years mark, the salary increases by 21% and an additional 14% for those who have crossed the 15 years mark.
Those figures are presented as guidelines only. The numbers become more significant if you consider one job title at a time.
It is well known that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We compared the salaries of professionals at the same level but with different college degrees levels across many jobs, below are our findings.
Workers with a certificate or diploma earn on average 17% more than their peers who only reached the high school level.
Employees who earned a Bachelor's Degree earn 24% more than those who only managed to attain a cerificate or diploma.
Professionals who attained a Master's Degree are awarded salaries that are 29% more than those with a Bachelor's Degree.
Finally, PhD holders earn 23% more than Master's Degree holders on average while doing the same job.
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in South Africa costs anywhere from 156,000 Rand(s) to 467,000 Rand(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support this tactic. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
The decision really depends on your situation and experience among many other factors. Putting all variables aside, if you can afford the costs of higher education then the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male employees in South Africa who work in Information Technology earn 8% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 32,600 ZAR | |
Female | -7% | 30,300 ZAR |
Information Technology professionals in South Africa are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 9% every 17 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 18 months.
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency
Banking | 3% | |
Energy | 6% | |
Information Technology | 9% | |
Healthcare | 3% | |
Travel | 6% | |
Construction | 9% | |
Education | 3% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in South Africa for the year 2021. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
Information Technology is considered to be a moderate bonus-based field due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
50% of surveyed staff in Information Technology reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 50% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 5% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 50% | |
No Bonus | 50% |
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
The average salary for Information Technology is 0% more than that of All Jobs.
City | Average Salary |
Bloemfontein | 30,400 ZAR |
Cape Town | 36,400 ZAR |
Durban | 34,800 ZAR |
Johannesburg | 33,500 ZAR |
Port Elizabeth | 31,600 ZAR |
Pretoria | 32,800 ZAR |
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in South Africa earn 7% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 30,200 ZAR | |
Public Sector | +7% | 32,300 ZAR |