Pay by Role
South Africa · City report

Salaries in Johannesburg, ZA

Average pay across 75 careers in Johannesburg, South Africa. Source figures are in ZAR.

Showing amounts in USD (USD default; source data is ZAR). FX as of Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:02:31 +0000. Convert currencies

Pay index (South Africa)
70
100 = national average
Cost of living
100
100 = US national average
Metro population
9,418,183

Average salary by job in Johannesburg

JobPer year
RadiologistHealthcare$77,051
SurgeonHealthcare$76,440
PsychiatristHealthcare$69,102
PhysicianHealthcare$64,821
DentistHealthcare$51,857
Cloud ArchitectTechnology$49,044
Investment BankerFinance & Business$47,148
Corporate AttorneyLegal$46,292
Data ScientistTechnology$44,519
AI EngineerTechnology$44,519
Site Reliability EngineerTechnology$43,662
Product ManagerTechnology$41,400
Software EngineerTechnology$40,666
Frontend DeveloperTechnology$40,666
Backend DeveloperTechnology$40,666
Full-Stack DeveloperTechnology$40,666
LawyerLegal$39,565
DevOps EngineerTechnology$38,220
Physician AssistantHealthcare$37,792
Data EngineerTechnology$37,731
Aerospace EngineerEngineering$37,180
Nurse PractitionerHealthcare$37,058
Financial AnalystFinance & Business$36,813
ActuaryFinance & Business$36,813
PharmacistHealthcare$36,018
OptometristHealthcare$35,529
Mechanical EngineerEngineering$35,285
Management ConsultantFinance & Business$32,655
Sales ManagerFinance & Business$32,166
AccountantFinance & Business$30,698
UX DesignerTechnology$30,637
VeterinarianHealthcare$30,454
Electrical EngineerEngineering$30,087
Chemical EngineerEngineering$30,087
Financial AdvisorFinance & Business$29,353
Database AdministratorTechnology$28,680
Project ManagerFinance & Business$28,374
Biomedical EngineerEngineering$27,946
QA EngineerTechnology$27,702
Network EngineerTechnology$27,641
Web DeveloperTechnology$27,335
School PrincipalEducation$26,907
PsychologistHealthcare$26,846
Marketing ManagerFinance & Business$26,601
Civil EngineerEngineering$26,601
Industrial EngineerEngineering$26,356
Environmental EngineerEngineering$26,356
Data AnalystTechnology$25,867
Operations ManagerFinance & Business$25,317
ProfessorEducation$25,195
Physical TherapistHealthcare$24,766
Occupational TherapistHealthcare$24,094
ArchitectCreative$23,910
Business AnalystFinance & Business$23,360
Dental HygienistHealthcare$23,177
Systems AdministratorTechnology$23,177
HR ManagerFinance & Business$22,626
Registered NurseHealthcare$22,259
AuditorFinance & Business$21,892
RecruiterFinance & Business$20,914
Real Estate AgentFinance & Business$19,874
CopywriterCreative$17,856
ParalegalLegal$17,428
ChefSkilled Trades$17,245
ElectricianSkilled Trades$16,756
PlumberSkilled Trades$16,450
Graphic DesignerCreative$16,328
IT Support SpecialistTechnology$16,266
Social Media ManagerCreative$16,266
Video EditorCreative$15,594
HVAC TechnicianSkilled Trades$15,410
TeacherEducation$15,105
PhotographerCreative$14,615
CarpenterSkilled Trades$14,187
WelderSkilled Trades$13,148

Frequently asked questions

Are salaries high in Johannesburg, ZA?
Johannesburg, ZA pays about 30% below the South Africa average across tracked roles.
What is the cost of living in Johannesburg, ZA?
Johannesburg, ZA has a cost-of-living index of 100, where 100 is the US national average. It is cheaper than that baseline.
What is the highest-paying job in Johannesburg, ZA?
Of the roles we track, Radiologist leads in Johannesburg, ZA at about R 1 260 000 per year.
How many careers have salary data for Johannesburg, ZA?
Pay by Role lists average pay for 75 careers in Johannesburg, ZA, all shown in ZAR.
How big is Johannesburg?
Johannesburg has a population of about 9,418,183. Larger labour markets often support a wider spread of salaries across industries.
How should I read salaries in Johannesburg, ZA?
Figures are estimates in ZAR, based on public labour-market data. Compare the city pay index (0.70) and cost-of-living index (100) together — high pay with high living costs can leave less real purchasing power.