The average Data Scientist salary in South Africa is R49,600.00 per month. Data Scientists in the 10th percentile earn the least in South Africa, with an annual income of R215,000.00. The top paid Data Scientists are in the 90th percentile, with an annual salary of R701,000.00.
A Data Scientist’s income is determined by several factors, including:
- The number of years in the trade,
- The level of education,
- City where one is employed, and
- The employer.
The salary of a data scientist is heavily influenced by one’s level of education. A bachelor’s degree, for example, offers a Data Scientist an average monthly salary of R33,900.00. A Data Scientist with a master’s degree makes an average salary of R46,600.00 per month, boosting one’s pay by 38%.
A Data Scientist’s salary can be influenced more if they have a PhD in Data Science. Data Scientists with a PhD earn an average monthly salary of R76,400.00, This is a 64% increase over Data Scientists with a master’s degree.
South African cities do not pay the same salary for a Data Scientist; instead, each city has a distinct rate. Cities in urban areas have the highest salary levels for Data Scientists in South Africa. To assist with the best performing cities in South Africa for Data Scientists, we have provided a table below that shows the highest paying cities for Data Scientists according to data Indeed.
| # | City | Average Monthly Salary |
| 1 | Johannesburg North, Gauteng | R71,450.00 |
| 2 | Cape Town, Western Cape | R69,875.00 |
| 3 | Pretoria, Gauteng | R64,526.00 |
| 4 | Sandton, Gauteng | R56,077.00 |
| 5 | Johannesburg, Gauteng | R55,960.00 |
| 6 | Gauteng | R53,956.00 |
| 7 | Centurion, Gauteng | R51,522.00 |
| 8 | Johannesburg South, Gauteng | R50,029.00 |
| 9 | Midrand, Gauteng | R44,422.00 |
A Data Scientist’s salary is also heavily influenced by the company for which he or she works. Here are some of the best paying employers for Data Scientists in South Africa.
| # | Employer Name | Average Yearly Salary |
| 1 | First National Bank | R625,000.00 |
| 2 | Standard Bank | R429,945.00 |
| 3 | Absa | R506,056.00 |
| 4 | Nedbank | R484,000.00 |
| 5 | Telesure | R410,803.00 |
| 6 | City of Cape Town | R69,981.00 |
The last factor that determines the salary of a Data Scientist in South Africa is their level of experience in the field. Below we look at the salary of a Data Scientist based on their level of experience.
Average Data Scientist salary with 0 – 2 years of work experience in 2024
A Data Scientist with 0 to 2 years of experience earns R28,800.00 a month on average. Data Scientists with 0 years of experience earn the least money, earning R24,300.00 each month.
A Data Scientist’s income rises in direct proportion to their years of experience. A Data Scientist with 2 years of experience earns the most in this group. Data Scientists with 2 years of experience earn an average monthly salary of R31,000.00.
Average Data Scientist salary with 3 – 5 years of work experience in 2024
A Data Scientist with 3 to 5 years of experience can expect to earn R37,100.00 per month on average. The salary is a 29% increase above the average salary of Data Scientists with 0 to 2 years of experience.
Data Scientists with a master’s degree can earn more than the industry average. A Data analyst with a master’s degree and 5 years of experience earns an average monthly salary of R43,900.00.
Data Scientists with 3 years’ experience earn the least in this group. Data Scientists with 3 years’ experience earn an average monthly income of R32,000.00.
Average Data Scientist salary with 6 – 10 years of work experience in 2024
A Data Scientist with 6 to 10 years of experience can expect to earn R51,100.00 per month on average. The salary is 38% higher than the average wage for Data Scientists with 3 to 5 years of experience.
Data Scientists with 6 years of experience and a bachelor’s degree earn R46,000.00 per month, which is the lowest salary in this category.
Average Data Scientist salary with 11 – 15 years of work experience in 2024
A Data Scientist with 11 to 15 years of experience earns an average monthly income of R63,400.00. The salary is a 24% raise over the average salary of Data Scientists with 6 to 10 years of experience.
PhD-level data scientists get the highest salary in this group. Data Scientists with a PhD and 15 years of experience earn an average monthly salary of R65,500.00.
The lowest paid Data Scientists in this category are those with 11 years of experience and earn an average monthly income of R58,300.00.
Average Data Scientist salary with 16 – 20 years of work experience in 2024
A Data Scientist with 16 to 20 years of experience earns R67,900.00 per month on average. The salary reflects a 7% increase above the salary of a Data Scientist with 11 to 15 years of experience.
The salary of Data Scientists with 20+ years of experience only increases by 7%. Those with PhDs can earn higher than the average salary of Data Scientists with 20+ years of R72,400.00 per month.
Conclusion
Data Scientists can earn more than R1,000,000.00 per year, with bonuses also playing a part. Obtaining a postgraduate degree is useful for Data Scientists because it increases their compensation significantly.
