Pay by Role
Healthcare · South Africa

Psychiatrist Salary in Johannesburg, ZA

The average psychiatrist in Johannesburg, ZA earns $69,102 per year — about $4,262 /mo after a simplified national tax estimate. Psychiatrists diagnose and treat mental health conditions through therapy and medication.

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

After tax?

$51,135/yr

~26% effective national income tax on the median. Excludes most payroll/social levies and local taxes.

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Afford rent?

$1,650/mo 1BR

About 39% of estimated take-home — ~$761 leftover /mo after modeled costs. Modeled, not a listing.

Cost of living calculator →

Compared with…?

% vs Johannesburg median (FX-adjusted abroad).

Average salary
$69,102
gross / year
Est. take-home
$51,135
~26% effective tax
Hourly equivalent
$33.14
based on 2,080 hrs/yr
vs. South Africa avg
-30%
below average

Gross salary figures come from public labour-market data. Take-home, rent, savings, inflation, and trends are simplified models for research — not payroll, listings, or immigration advice. Methodology.

Psychiatrist salary range in Johannesburg

Pay varies with experience, employer, and specialization. Here is the typical distribution for this role in Johannesburg, ZA.

$48,79910TH$57,48325TH$69,102MEDIAN$82,55575TH$97,23190TH
Estimated pay distribution — the curve peaks at the median and widens with the pay range.
PercentileAnnual salary
10th percentile (entry)$48,799
25th percentile$57,483
Median (50th)typical$69,102
75th percentile$82,555
90th percentile (senior)$97,231

How does your salary compare?

Enter what you earn (or an offer) to see where it ranks for a psychiatrist in Johannesburg, ZA.

Your percentile
50th

$69,102 puts you in the 50th percentile. You earn more than about 50% of psychiatrists in Johannesburg, ZA. That’s right around the typical pay for this role.

$48,799$69,102$97,231

Salary insights

A typical psychiatrist in Johannesburg, ZA earns about R 1 130 000 a year and pays about 30% below the South Africa average. Living costs sit near the global baseline (COL index 100). After a simplified tax estimate, typical rent, and everyday costs, a median earner might keep around R 12 450 per month. Relative to the national median (a common remote/location-flexible benchmark), this city pays less by about 30%. An illustrative model tied to local inflation and the role’s outlook suggests pay has risen about 23% over the last few years. Treat every figure as an estimate for research — not a personal offer or immigration advice.

Data-grounded summary from this page’s pay, COL, tax, and trend models — not a generative essay unrelated to the figures.

Cost of living, rent & savings

Johannesburg’s cost of living is 100 vs. a baseline of 100 (US national average). After adjusting for local prices, the median psychiatrist salary is worth about $69,102 in baseline-priced terms.

Est. rent (1BR)
$1,650/mo
Other living costs
$1,850/mo
Savings potential
$761/mo after tax & costs

Rent and leftover use a COL-scaled single-adult model and the same simplified tax estimate as above (Flat ~26% effective-rate estimate. Rough national income-tax estimate; excludes social security, local taxes, and credits.). Adjust assumptions in the COL calculator.

Inflation

Approximate recent consumer-price inflation in South Africa is about 4.6% per year. Use the inflation calculator to adjust a past salary or offer for purchasing power.

Remote equivalent

The South Africa national median for this role is about $98,454— a common benchmark for remote or location-flexible offers. Local Johannesburg pay is 30% lower.

Historical trend

Illustrative median pay over the last few years — about +23% across the window.

$55,991
2022
$59,018
2023
$62,204
2024
$65,561
2025
$69,102
2026

Illustrative model based on approximate inflation and the role’s long-term outlook — not a surveyed year-by-year history.

Visa information

Employer-sponsored work visa

Skilled foreign workers usually need a job offer and an employer-sponsored work authorisation. Rules, quotas, and salary thresholds change often — confirm on the official government immigration site before relocating.

Difficulty for typical skilled hires: moderate. General orientation only — confirm on the official South Africa immigration site before relocating or accepting an offer.

Compare Psychiatrist pay

See how a psychiatrist stacks up against similar healthcare roles in South Africa.

What’s your take-home?

Calculator opens with this page’s median ($69,102) and South Africa tax model — tweak hours, period, or offer amount.

Psychiatrist salary in other South Africa cities

Same role, different city — % gap is vs Johannesburg.

CityMedian
Cape Town, ZA$98,454/yr
Durban, ZA$98,454/yr
Pretoria, ZA$98,454/yr
Gqeberha, ZA$98,454/yr
Pietermaritzburg, ZA$98,454/yr
Bloemfontein, ZA$98,454/yr
East London, ZA$98,454/yr
Vereeniging, ZA$98,454/yr

Psychiatrist salary in other countries

Capital/largest city sample for each market. % gap converts foreign medians into ZAR before comparing with Johannesburg.

CountryLocal median
Switzerland flagSwitzerlande.g. Zürich$468,312/yr
Norway flagNorwaye.g. Oslo$401,890/yr
United States flagUnited Statese.g. Los Angeles$385,000/yr
Israel flagIsraele.g. Jerusalem$338,700/yr
Denmark flagDenmarke.g. Copenhagen$328,689/yr
Australia flagAustraliae.g. Sydney$321,309/yr
Belgium flagBelgiume.g. Brussels$309,082/yr
United Kingdom flagUnited Kingdome.g. London$293,177/yr
Singapore flagSingaporee.g. Singapore$284,732/yr
France flagFrancee.g. Paris$283,990/yr

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Calculators and comparisons to dig into take-home pay, living costs, and period conversions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average psychiatrist salary in Johannesburg, ZA?
The average psychiatrist salary in Johannesburg, ZA is about R 1 130 000 per year, or roughly R 542,00 per hour.
What is the salary range for a psychiatrist in Johannesburg, ZA?
Most psychiatrist salaries in Johannesburg, ZA fall between R 798 000 (entry level) and R 1 590 000 (senior level). The 25th–75th percentile band is R 940 000 to R 1 350 000.
How much does a psychiatrist make per month in Johannesburg, ZA?
A typical psychiatrist in Johannesburg, ZA earns about R 94 200 per month before tax, based on the annual median of R 1 130 000.
How does Johannesburg, ZA pay compare to the South Africa average?
Johannesburg, ZA pays about 30% below the South Africa average for a psychiatrist.
What is the cost-of-living-adjusted psychiatrist salary in Johannesburg, ZA?
After adjusting for local prices (cost-of-living index 100, where 100 is the US baseline), the median psychiatrist salary in Johannesburg, ZA is worth roughly R 1 130 000 in US-baseline terms.
What skills do psychiatrists need?
Common skills for a psychiatrist include Diagnosis, Prescribing, Therapy, Empathy, Assessment. Actual requirements vary by employer and seniority.
Is psychiatrist a growing career?
Employment for psychiatrist roles is projected to change by about +8% over the next decade. Local demand in Johannesburg, ZA can differ from the national outlook.
What is take-home pay for a psychiatrist in Johannesburg, ZA?
A simplified national income-tax estimate puts median take-home near R 836 200 per year (about R 69 700 per month), or roughly 26% effective tax on the gross median. Real net pay varies with local taxes, benefits, and filing status.
How much rent might a psychiatrist pay in Johannesburg, ZA?
A modeled modest 1-bedroom runs about R 26 980 per month in Johannesburg, ZA, scaled from a US baseline by the local cost-of-living index (100). Actual listings vary by neighborhood and size.
Where do these Johannesburg, ZA salary figures come from?
Figures on Pay by Role are aggregated from public labour-market salary APIs, shown in ZAR, and refreshed periodically. They are estimates for informational purposes only and are not a guarantee of individual pay.