Computer Engineering Salary in South Africa

Computer engineers focus on designing, building, and testing the hardware and software components and systems. The field is saturated yet highly beneficial when it comes to finances and opportunities to grow. The average computer engineering salary is R25,616 in South Africa.

Occupation:	Computer Engineer
Monthly Salary Range:	R 12650 – R 39841
Average Monthly Salary:	R 26245.5
Description:	A computer engineer designs, develops, and inspects the hardware components of the system.
Minimum Qualification:	Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Technology, Information Technology, and related fields.

Are you planning to apply for a few computer engineering jobs? Want to know more about market rates? Keep on reading.

Computer Engineering Salary

To become a computer engineer, ideally, you must have a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and an internship. An average computer engineer in South Africa earns anywhere around R25,616, making it a yearly R307,400. The lowest yearly salary of computer engineers is R151,800, whereas expert engineers may earn up to R478,100 per year.

The median computer engineering salary in the country is R311,700 per year, which means it is a high-paid job. If you are earning a higher income than the median salary, you are earning better than most employees. Additionally, 25% of the workforce on the field earns less than R207,700, while the other 75% earns higher than this value.

Extras

Despite being a high-paying field, being a computer engineer does not ensure high incentives and fringe benefits. It is usually considered a low-bonus job, as only 30% of registered staff earned at least one bonus in a year whereas the other 70% didn’t receive any bonus, as suggested by the popular stats. The amount of these bonuses usually ranges between 1 and 4% of their annual salary.

Salary Structure

Given it is a technical job title, there is not much hierarchy followed. Hence, most salary differentials come in when employees excel in others based on their education, experience, and other things. So, let us check all these factors one by one in detail and see how they determine your final annual salary.

Level of Experience

The most significant factor that plays its part in deciding a computer engineer’s salary is the expertise and years of service in the field. For each two to five years of experience, your salary increases. Here is a breakdown of the computer engineer’s salary with varying monthly salaries.

Years of Experience	Computer Engineer’s Salary per Year
Less than 2 years of experience	R175,900
2-5 years	R227,600
5 to 10 years	R315,700
10 to 15 years	R388,100
15 to 20 years	R419,400
More than 20 years of experience	R444,300

• With less than two years of experience, a computer engineer earns around R175,900 per year.
• The salary increases by around 29% for computer engineers with five years of experience.
• When an employee gains ten years of experience in computer engineering, they will get a 38% raise.
• Computer engineers get a 24% raise with ten to fifteen years of experience.
• Experts with around twenty years of experience are expected to earn 7% more than their previous class.
• Computer engineers with more than twenty years of experience will get a 7% raise to their previous class.

Education

Education is yet another factor that matters when it comes to deciding your salary as a computer engineer. It is a general rule of thumb that an employee with a Master’s degree will have an advantage over employees with a bachelor’s degree or associate diploma. Here is how much you get paid based on your education.

Education	Yearly Salary (Computer Engineering)
Certificate or Associate Diploma	R227,600
Bachelor’s Degree	R308,900
Master’s Degree	R471,700

Gender

Your gender should not be a deciding factor in your salary, but sadly, this is not the case. Gender plays a crucial role when it comes to working and earning as a computer engineer in South Africa. According to popular data, female registered computer engineers earn 6% less than their male counterparts.

Gender	Average Salary
Male Computer Engineers	R313,700
Female Computer Engineers	R294,700

Public Vs. Private Sector

Another thing that is counted when determining your salary as a computer engineer is the sector you are working in. Typically, government employees earn around 7% more than those working in the private sector. This is partly because of the funds and higher investment in the sector.

Public Vs. Private Sector	Average Salary
Public Sector	R386,400
Private Sector	R361,500

City of Allocation

The city you are allocated to also matters a lot when it comes to deciding your salary as a computer engineer. Usually, countries with bigger computer industries offer attractive monthly salaries in comparison with remote areas. Here is a breakdown of the computer engineering salaries based on the city of allocation.

City of Allocation	Average Yearly Salary (Computer Engineering)
Bloemfontein	R294,700
Cape Town	R345,100
Durban	R335,100
Johannesburg	R325,900
Port Elizabeth	R288,700
Pretoria	R325,800

Responsibilities of Computer Engineering

Computer engineers combine electrical engineering and computer science to inspect, build, and design new components and systems. They work toward the safe integration of hardware and software in a uniform system. Some computer engineers also specialize in a specific area, including robotics, virtual reality, AI, and operating systems.

Here are a few responsibilities of a computer engineer working in a field.

• Building and designing computer systems.
• Designing and inspecting hardware components of the system, like the circuit boards, memory devices, routers, and processors.
• Documenting (writing and testing) applications for smartphones and computers.
• Managing and maintaining the operating systems.
• Design, build, and set up different hardware networks.
• Creating programs that support a variety of products like aircraft components or surgical equipment for clinical setups.
• Troubleshooting issues related to hardware and software.
• Researching the hardware and software components of the system.
• Designing and testing robotic systems.

Here are a few hard skills you will need to perform the routine tasks.

• Microprocessors and Circuitry: They must understand the foundation of circuitry and its components to completely develop a skill set in electronics.
• Quality Assurance and Testing: Because computer engineers perform a variety of tests and inspections on the hardware of the system, they need to understand and develop skills for quality assurance and testing.
• Digital Sensing Processing: Computer engineers must understand how data is sent through wireless setups. It includes speech and video processing as well as modern data usage techniques.
• Operating Systems: Computer engineers must also have extensive knowledge of major OS systems like ReactOS, MacOS, Linux, and Windows.

FAQs

What is the average salary of a computer engineer in South Africa?

An average computer engineer based in South Africa earns anywhere around R25,616 per month.

What is the highest computer engineering salary in South Africa?

The highest-paid computer engineer in South Africa earns around R39,841 per month.

Do you need a degree to become a computer engineer in South Africa?

Yes, you at least need an associate diploma or bachelor’s degree in a relevant field to become a computer engineer in South Africa. Usually, candidates with an internship are preferred for entry-level roles.

How much would I get paid as a starting computer engineer in South Africa?

As an entry-level computer engineer in South Africa, you will earn anywhere around R12,650 per month.

Are there high bonuses in computer engineering?

Though computer engineering is a low-bonus-based job, 30% of registered employees still get bonuses in twelve months (1-4% of their annual salary).

How much does an average computer engineer earn annually?

An average computer engineer earns around R307,400 per year.

Are male or female computer engineers paid more in South Africa

Though it shouldn’t, computer engineers are paid according to their gender. According to popular stats, female computer engineers earn 7% less than their male counterparts.

In conclusion, computer engineering is a highly respectable and financially beneficial profession for aspiring graduates. It has a great scope to grow with experience, skill, and education. I hope this guide has managed to give you valuable insights into the computer engineering salary in South Africa.