The average clinical psychologist salary in South Africa is R43,956.00 per month. A clinical psychologist’s salary in South Africa may include bonuses. A clinical psychologist’s annual bonus ranges from R4,000.00 to R199,000.00.
Even though bonuses are highly dependent on the employer, some may offer performance bonuses while others will not. According to Salary Explorer, 83% of clinical psychologists in South Africa received bonuses, while 17% did not receive any bonuses in 2021.
A clinical psychologist’s salary is determined by a variety of factors. Below, we look at the factors that influence a clinical psychologist’s salary in South Africa.
Factors that influence the salary of a Clinical Psychologist
City of employment
The salaries of clinical psychologists are influenced by the city in which they work. In terms of per capita income, major South African cities are the highest-paying cities for clinical psychologists. Peri-Urban cities have the lowest representation of high-paying cities for clinical psychologists.
Here are the top cities in South Africa for Clinical Psychologists.
| # | City | Monthly Average Salary |
| 1 | Cape Town, Western Cape | R52,061.00 |
| 2 | Bloemfontein, Free State | R40,463.00 |
| 3 | Johannesburg, Gauteng | R29,425.00 |
| 4 | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal | R26,522.00 |
| 5 | Bedfordview, Gauteng | R24,505.00 |
Employer
The employer for whom a clinical psychologist works has a significant impact on the salary. The KZN Department of Health and the City of Cape Town are two of the most popular employers for clinical psychologists, with annual salaries averaging R391,500.00 and R603,540.00, respectively.
Education Level
Clinical psychologists are among the highest-paid professionals in South Africa, and their pay is directly related to their level of education. Clinical psychologists with a PhD hold the highest number of job positions in the field. A PhD is held by 55% of employed clinical psychologists in South Africa.
Clinical psychologists with a master’s degree are the second highest paid when it comes to those that have a degree, accounting for 30% of the workforce. Bachelor’s degree holders are the least represented in the field, accounting for 15% of all clinical psychologists in South Africa.
Clinical psychologists can also raise their pay by staying in the field for a longer period of time. Below, we look at clinical psychologists’ salaries based on their level of experience.
Salary of a Clinical Psychologist is based on the level of experience
Average Clinical Psychologist salary with 0 – 1 year of working experience in 2024
A Clinical Psychologist with 0 to 1 year of experience can expect to earn R292,000.00 per year on average. Clinical Psychologists with 0 years of experience earn the lowest salaries in this category, with an average monthly salary of R22,000.00.
Clinical Psychologists with one year of experience earn the highest salaries in this category, with an average monthly salary of R24,500.00. The average salary of a Clinical Psychologist with one year of experience is 11.3% higher than the salary of a Clinical Psychologist with no work experience.
Average Clinical Psychologist salary with 3 – 4 years of working experience in 2024
A Clinical Psychologist with 3 to 4 years of experience can expect to earn R302,000.00 per year on average. The salary represents a 3.4% raise over the average salary of Clinical Psychologists with 0 to 1 year of experience.
Clinical Psychologists with 3 years of experience earn the lowest monthly salary in this category of R25,000.00. Clinical Psychologists with 4 years of experience are the highest paid in this category, with an average monthly salary of R26,100.00.
Average Clinical Psychologist salary with 5 – 9 years of working experience in 2024
A Clinical Psychologist with 5 to 9 years of experience can expect to earn R455,000.00 per year on average. The salary represents a 50% increase over the average salary of Clinical Psychologists with 3 to 4 years of experience.
Clinical Psychologists with 9 years of experience earn the most money in this category. Clinical Psychologists with 9 years of experience earn an average monthly salary of R38,200.00.
Clinical Psychologists with 5 years of experience earn the least in this category. Clinical Psychologists with 5 years of experience earn an average monthly salary of R28,900.00.
Average Clinical Psychologist salary with 10 – 19 years of work experience in 2024
A Clinical Psychologist with 10 to 19 years of experience can expect to earn R706,000.00 per year on average. The salary represents a 56% increase over the average salary of Clinical Psychologists with 5 to 9 years of experience.
Clinical psychologists with 10 years of experience earn an average monthly salary of R43,500.00, which is the lowest salary in this category.
Clinical Psychologists with 19 years of experience earn an average of R68,300.00 per year, which is the highest salary in this category.
Clinical Psychologists with more than 20 years of experience can earn more than R800,000.00 per year. When they have more than 20 years of work experience, their salaries do not rise significantly. A clinical psychologist with 20+ years of working experience can earn more than R1,000,000.00 per year after bonuses are added to their base salary.
Conclusion
Clinical psychologists are among the highest-paid professionals in South Africa, with annual earnings of more than R1 million. Obtaining such a payday requires years of hard work and a high level of education. As a result, earning the highest salary as a Clinical Psychologist takes time.
