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Engineering Average Salaries in South Africa 2024

How much money does a person working in Engineering make in South Africa?


Average Monthly Salary
26,400 ZAR
( 317,000 ZAR yearly)

LOW
8,340
ZAR
AVERAGE
26,400
ZAR
HIGH
55,600
ZAR
All salary figures displayed here are per month except when noted otherwise.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

A person working in Engineering in South Africa typically earns around 26,400 ZAR. Salaries range from 8,340 ZAR (lowest average) to 55,600 ZAR (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).


Salary Variance

The provided figure represents the median compensation that encompasses housing, transportation, and other perks. The salaries within the Engineering domain in South Africa exhibit significant discrepancies across various professions. In case you seek information about the remuneration of a specific position, please refer to the salaries listed below for respective job titles.

Salaries for specific jobs

Job TitleAverage Salary
Engineering
3D Printing Engineer25,700 ZAR
Acoustics Engineer27,800 ZAR
Assembly Engineering Technician22,200 ZAR
Assistant Chief Engineer32,300 ZAR
Associate Engineer25,900 ZAR
AutoCAD Drafter17,100 ZAR
Autocad Operator18,100 ZAR
Automation Engineer31,000 ZAR
Automation Engineer29,800 ZAR
Avionic System Support Engineer27,700 ZAR
Biochemical Engineer26,300 ZAR
BMS Engineer27,800 ZAR
Bridge and Lock Tender15,600 ZAR
Broadcast Engineer29,500 ZAR
CAD Design Engineer28,500 ZAR
CAD Designer17,300 ZAR
CAE Engineer27,300 ZAR
Ceramics Engineer26,400 ZAR
Chemical Engineer29,500 ZAR
Civil Drafter18,700 ZAR
Civil Engineer29,900 ZAR
Civil Site Engineer30,400 ZAR
Civil Technician18,000 ZAR
Cognitive Engineer26,200 ZAR
Commissioning Engineer29,200 ZAR
Communications Engineer32,600 ZAR
Condition Monitoring Engineer24,900 ZAR
Contract Associate Engineer26,800 ZAR
Contract Engineer26,800 ZAR
Control Systems Engineer28,000 ZAR
Controls Engineer27,800 ZAR
Controls Software Engineer25,200 ZAR
Corrosion Engineer26,400 ZAR
Design Engineer29,700 ZAR
Director of Engineering58,300 ZAR
Drafter18,400 ZAR
Drafting Manager33,800 ZAR
Drilling Engineer28,200 ZAR
Drilling Foreman8,980 ZAR
Electrical Draughtsman15,200 ZAR
Electrical Engineer32,000 ZAR
Electrical Engineering Manager41,800 ZAR
Electromechanical Engineering Technologist29,700 ZAR
Electromechanical Equipment Assembler14,500 ZAR
Energy Engineer31,300 ZAR
Engine Assembler12,600 ZAR
Engineer30,800 ZAR
Engineering Account Manager31,300 ZAR
Engineering Chief Designer33,100 ZAR
Engineering Consultant38,000 ZAR
Engineering Key Account Manager43,400 ZAR
Engineering Lab Technician26,000 ZAR
Engineering Manager38,400 ZAR
Engineering Planning Manager39,300 ZAR
Engineering Production Manager50,000 ZAR
Engineering Project Analyst32,100 ZAR
Engineering Project Coordinator 32,000 ZAR
Engineering Project Director57,100 ZAR
Engineering Project Leader35,900 ZAR
Engineering Project Manager41,200 ZAR
Engineering Research and Development Manager45,100 ZAR
Engineering Safety Coordinator22,400 ZAR
Engineering Sales Manager40,500 ZAR
Engineering Technician22,800 ZAR
Engineering Technologist21,600 ZAR
Environmental Engineer28,600 ZAR
Equipment Engineer26,700 ZAR
Equipment Engineering Manager38,500 ZAR
Estimator24,600 ZAR
Fabrication Specialist20,200 ZAR
Fabricator13,000 ZAR
Facade Engineer26,600 ZAR
Fiber Analyst16,600 ZAR
Field Engineer30,400 ZAR
Field Engineering Manager49,500 ZAR
Fire Engineer29,400 ZAR
Fitter and Turner9,410 ZAR
Forestry Strategic Planner34,800 ZAR
Generation Engineer30,600 ZAR
Genetic Engineer30,400 ZAR
Geological Engineer30,800 ZAR
Geotechnical Engineer31,200 ZAR
Heavy Equipment Mechanic14,900 ZAR
Highway Engineer29,300 ZAR
HSE Professional28,000 ZAR
Human Machine Interface Engineer25,900 ZAR
HVAC Engineer31,300 ZAR
HVAC Supervisor25,100 ZAR
Industrial Engineer28,300 ZAR
Industrial Engineering Technologist27,400 ZAR
Instrument Engineer28,500 ZAR
Instrument Technician15,400 ZAR
Instrumentation and Control Engineer27,800 ZAR
Instrumentation Designer23,800 ZAR
Instrumentation Engineer28,400 ZAR
Instrumentation Manager27,800 ZAR
Irrigation Engineer28,600 ZAR
Licensed Aircraft Engineer30,100 ZAR
Locomotive Engineer29,000 ZAR
Maintenance Engineer27,600 ZAR
Maintenance Fitter10,100 ZAR
Maintenance Manager28,300 ZAR
Manufacturing Engineer28,400 ZAR
Marine Engineer29,700 ZAR
Materials Engineer29,000 ZAR
Materials Researcher25,800 ZAR
Materials Technician21,300 ZAR
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer32,200 ZAR
Mechanical Design Engineer30,200 ZAR
Mechanical Designer24,500 ZAR
Mechanical Engineer31,500 ZAR
Mechanical Engineering Manager41,500 ZAR
Mechanical Inspector26,700 ZAR
Mechatronics Engineer29,600 ZAR
Mining Engineer28,000 ZAR
Nanotechnology Engineer31,700 ZAR
Natural Language Processing Engineer33,000 ZAR
Oil and Petrochemical Engineer32,300 ZAR
Optical Engineer28,500 ZAR
Optical Instrument Assembler14,900 ZAR
PCB Assembler10,000 ZAR
Photonics Engineer32,800 ZAR
Photonics Technician26,800 ZAR
Pipeline Engineer25,500 ZAR
Piping Designer15,200 ZAR
Piping Engineer25,600 ZAR
Planning Engineer28,900 ZAR
Pressure Vessel Inspector13,000 ZAR
Principal Cost Engineer29,700 ZAR
Principal Engineer29,200 ZAR
Principal Support Engineer29,300 ZAR
Process Engineer29,400 ZAR
Process Operator17,400 ZAR
Product Development Engineer30,900 ZAR
Product Development Technician21,300 ZAR
Product Engineer30,900 ZAR
Product Safety Engineer26,200 ZAR
Production Engineer28,400 ZAR
Project Engineer31,500 ZAR
Proposal Manager36,800 ZAR
Purchasing Engineer27,600 ZAR
Quality Assurance Engineer29,500 ZAR
Rail Engineer30,000 ZAR
Regional Field Engineer32,700 ZAR
Remote Sensing Engineer28,000 ZAR
Robotics Engineer32,900 ZAR
Robotics Technician23,800 ZAR
Safety Engineer29,800 ZAR
Safety Inspector23,400 ZAR
Safety Manager32,400 ZAR
Safety Officer15,100 ZAR
Sales Engineer29,900 ZAR
Scheduling Engineer27,500 ZAR
Security Engineer30,600 ZAR
Service Engineer29,200 ZAR
Smart Home Engineer31,200 ZAR
Solar Engineer31,200 ZAR
Staff Engineer28,900 ZAR
Static Equipment Engineer28,200 ZAR
Stationary Engineer26,900 ZAR
Stress Engineer27,600 ZAR
Structural Analysis Engineer29,100 ZAR
Structural Designer24,200 ZAR
Structural Engineer29,100 ZAR
Structural Technician19,100 ZAR
Subsea Engineer37,300 ZAR
Supply Chain Specialist27,100 ZAR
Surveyor20,900 ZAR
Technical Affairs Officer14,500 ZAR
Technical Assistant14,500 ZAR
Technical Engineer23,900 ZAR
Technical Support Engineer24,900 ZAR
Tender Engineer26,300 ZAR
Test Development Engineer29,100 ZAR
Test Engineer28,900 ZAR
Transportation Engineer28,300 ZAR
Urban Engineer29,900 ZAR
Validation Engineer24,900 ZAR
Verification Engineer26,400 ZAR
Wastewater Engineer27,500 ZAR
Wind Energy Engineer28,700 ZAR
Wind Energy Operations Manager37,500 ZAR
Wireless Engineer31,600 ZAR
Work Planner20,800 ZAR


Engineering Jobs Pay Scale and Salaries in South Africa

Median and salary distribution South Africa Engineering monthly
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Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
26,700 ZAR or more
10% of people earn
22,100 to 26,700 ZAR
20% of people earn
11,900 ZAR or less
65% of people earn
11,900 to 22,100 ZAR
Minimum Salary
8,340 ZAR
Median
23,200 ZAR
Maximum
55,600 ZAR




Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range

All salary figures displayed here are per month except when noted otherwise.
  • Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary

    Salaries in Engineering in South Africa range from 8,340 ZAR (starting average salary) to 55,600 ZAR (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher). To clarify, the number presented is not the legally mandated minimum wage. Rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that involved thousands of participants and professionals from across the entire country.

  • Median Salary

    The median income in the field of Engineering is 23,200 ZAR, implying that half of the workforce in South Africa earns less than this figure, and the other half earns more. It represents the central value of salaries. As a rule of thumb, you would prefer to be part of the group earning above the median wage, situated on the right-hand side of the salary distribution chart.

  • Percentiles and Salary Scale

    Two values that are highly correlated with the median are the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution diagram, it is possible to determine that 25% of individuals employed in Engineering in South Africa earn less than 17,400 ZAR, while 75% of them earn more. Additionally, the diagram reveals that 75% of individuals earn less than 28,700 ZAR, while 25% earn more than that.

  • Pay Scale Structure

    Data was regrouped into brackets to provide a better understanding of what salaries can be expected. This approach was deemed more accurate than relying solely on the average salary, as it offers greater insights into the distribution of salaries in the field of Engineering in South Africa. The analysis revealed that roughly 65% of all reported salaries fell within the range of 11,900 ZAR to 22,100 ZAR. Approximately 20% of salaries were below the 11,900 ZAR mark, while 10% ranged from 22,100 ZAR to 26,700 ZAR. Only 5% of individuals earned a gross salary of 26,700 ZAR or higher.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience

How does a person's salary progress over time?

Salary Comparison By Experience Level
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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 in Engineering in South Africa 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.


Change in salary based on experience varies drastically from one location to another and depends hugely on the career field as well. The data displayed here is the combined average of many different jobs. To view accurate figures, choose a specific job title.
On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark.
* Based on the average change in salary over time. Salary variations differ from person to person.


Salary Comparison By Education

How does the education level affect your salary?

Salary Comparison By Education
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Change in salary based on education varies drastically from one location to another and depends hugely on the career field as well. The data displayed here is the combined average of multiple jobs. To view accurate figures, choose a specific job title.

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 degree levels across many jobs in Engineering in South Africa, 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 certificate 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.


Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?

A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in South Africa costs anywhere from 156,000 ZAR to 469,000 ZAR and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.

Employees can't expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming they 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 to 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 the situation and experience among many other factors. Putting all variables aside, if a person can afford the costs of higher education then the return on investment is definitely worth it. Degree costs can be recovered roughly in a year or so.



Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Engineering / South Africa

Salary comparison by gender South Africa Engineering monthly
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Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? In the field of Engineering in South Africa, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 8%.

Male
27,600 ZAR
Female-7%
25,600 ZAR
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Comparison By Gender in South Africa for all Careers

Salary comparison by gender monthly South Africa
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Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Engineering / South Africa

How much are annual salary increments in South Africa for individuals working in Engineering? How often do employees get salary raises?

Professionals working in Engineering 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.

Annual Salary Increment Rate South Africa Engineering
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The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.

South Africa / All Professions

Annual Salary Increment Rate South Africa
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The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare 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.

How to calculate the salary increment percentage?

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

The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in South Africa is 5%.

Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs

World Average Annual Salary Increment
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Salary Packages and Schemes

Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.

Bonus and Incentive Rates / Engineering / South Africa

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate South Africa Engineering
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50% of surveyed staff in Engineering 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%

Types of Bonuses Considered

Individual Performance-Based Bonuses

The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.

Company Performance Bonuses

Occasionally, 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 Bonuses

Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.

Holiday / End of Year Bonuses

These types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.

Bonuses Are Not Commissions!

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.


What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?

The main two types of jobs

Revenue GeneratorsSupporting 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:
A graphics designer working for a graphics designing company.

Example:
A graphic designer in the marketing department of a hospital.


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.

Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.

Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level

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.

Hourly Average Wage / Engineering / South Africa


150 ZAR per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Engineering in South Africa is 150 ZAR.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.


Hourly Wage = Annual Salary / ( 52 x 5 x 8 )

About The Hourly Pay Rate

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 fixed 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.

What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?

The minimum pay rate per hour for people working in Engineering in South Africa is 48 ZAR. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Bloemfontein25,600 ZAR
Cape Town30,700 ZAR
Durban29,400 ZAR
Johannesburg28,300 ZAR
Port Elizabeth26,700 ZAR
Pretoria27,700 ZAR

Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison

Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in South Africa is 7% on average across all career fields.

Private Sector
30,400 ZAR
Public Sector+7%
32,400 ZAR
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide

What is considered to be a good and competitive salary in Engineering in South Africa?

A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 23,200 ZAR and 28,700 ZAR. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.

Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)

All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

Base / Basic Salary

The base salary for jobs in Engineering in South Africa ranges from 8,340 ZAR to 17,400 ZAR. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.


What is the difference between the median and the average salary?

Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn 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


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