Data Scientist Salary in South Africa

Data science is an emerging field as more and more businesses are moving to the digital space. With an increase in demand, more IT students are planning to take on this role in big companies. Similarly, it has incredible monetary benefits and opportunities to grow.

Occupation:	Data Scientist, Data Analyst, Data Engineer, Business Analyst, Software Engineer, Data Architect, Machine Learning, Database Administrator
Monthly Salary Range:	R 24300 – R 77400
Average Monthly Salary:	R 50850
Description:	A data scientist uses data to comprehend, analyze, and explain phenomena around big data to help organizations make better and more informed decisions.
Minimum Qualification:	Bachelor’s degree in Data Science or relevant subjects (statistics, computer science, mathematics, data studies)

Want to know more about the data scientist salary in South Africa? Give this guide a quick read.

Data Scientist Salary Overview

Typically, an average data scientist based in South Africa earns anywhere around R49,600 every month, which makes it approximately R290 per hour. According to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics, this value is not legally mandated and can go up to R77,400 based on your expertise, skillset, age, and qualifications.

If we further break the salary distribution chart, the monthly median salary for data scientists in South Africa is around R46,300, which means half of the registered staff enjoy this pay scale. Comparatively, the 25th and 75th percentile of the registered staff is approximately R37,900 and R52,900, which is decent enough for an IT-related profession.

Extras

Data science is full of vacancies and a lot of scope for improvement, which is why it is also rich in fringe earnings. These earnings include housing allowance, rent subsidies, transport, and bonuses. Here is a list of the extra earnings an average data scientist earns based in South Africa.

• According to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics, data scientists earn around an 8-12% increase in their salaries after every 18 months.
• About 57% of the data scientists working in South Africa receive bonuses. These bonuses are based on individual performance, team performance, objectives, and holidays.
• The bonuses received by the employees range from 3 to 5% of their annual salary.
• Data scientists based in private setups are more likely to receive housing allowance, medical insurance, and transport waivers.

Salary Structure

Considering that it is a technical profession and has no specific reporting structure, its salary follows the hierarchy of skill set and expertise. This is primarily done by the National Bureau of Statistics. Here is a breakdown of the pay scale structure for data scientists.

• Around 65% of the data science employees earn between R28,900 and R40,700.
• Around 20% of the staff earns less than R28,900.
• Around 5% of the staff earns more than R46,000.
• About 10% of the employees earn between R40,700 and R46,000.

Responsibilities of a Data Scientist

A data scientist primarily deals with big data in the business, IT, and healthcare industries. Their main job is to understand and evaluate data better in a way that benefits the organization in problem-solving, customer satisfaction, and decision-making. Here are some professional responsibilities of a data scientist.

• Reading and analyzing unstructured raw and structured data from organizations’ repositories.
• Using machine learning and AI to process, clean, and improve the quality of data for analysis.
• Communicating with the stakeholders to understand their intentions and objectives from big data.
• Deployment of tools like SQL, Python, SAS, and R.
• Creating and customizing algorithms for data analysis and forecast outcomes.
• Help organizations analyze data so they can satisfy customers and make data-driven decisions.

What is the average salary of data scientists in South Africa?

On average, a data scientist working in South Africa earns approximately R49,600 per month.

What is the highest pay for data scientists in South Africa?

The highest pay for data scientists in SA is anywhere around R77,400 on a monthly basis.

What is the hourly salary for data scientists in SA?

The hourly salary for data scientists is approximately R280 in South Africa.

Data science is a growing field, and more students are getting into this field with a student influx in IT. Today, businesses are prioritizing hiring people to handle their data for informed decision-making and problem-solving. For those planning to enter the market, I hope this guide is helpful.