Average Salary For Physicist In South Africa

A physicist is a scientist who researches and explores the laws controlling the natural world. They apply their knowledge of physics to achieve theoretical or practical goals, such as advancing humanity’s understanding of the way the world works and developing new medical technologies.

Below are salaries earned by a Physicist Earn In South Africa

A person working as a Physicist in South Africa typically earns around 69,600 ZAR per month. Salaries range from 34,100 ZAR (lowest) to 109,000 ZAR (highest).

This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Physicist salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.

Physicist Salary Distribution in South Africa

The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range


Salary Range

Physicist salaries in South Africa range from 34,100 ZAR per month (minimum salary) to 109,000 ZAR per month (maximum salary).

Median Salary

The median salary is 71,000 ZAR per month, which means that half (50%) of people working as Physicist(s) are earning less than 71,000 ZAR while the other half are earning more than 71,000 ZAR. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.

Percentiles

Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Physicist(s) are earning less than 47,300 ZAR while 75% of them are earning more than 47,300 ZAR. Also from the diagram, 75% of Physicist(s) are earning less than 91,600 ZAR while 25% are earning more than 91,600 ZAR.

Physicist Salary Comparison by Years of Experience

How do experience and age affect your pay?

The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Physicist salaries by experience level and this is what we found.

A Physicist with less than two years of experience makes approximately 40,400 ZAR per month.

While someone with an experience level of between two and five years is expected to earn 52,000 ZAR per month, 29% more than someone with less than two years of experience.

Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 71,700 ZAR per month, 38% more than someone with two to five years of experience.

Additionally, Physicist(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 88,900 ZAR per month, 24% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.

If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 95,200 ZAR per month, 7% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.

Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 102,000 ZAR per month, 7% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.

Physicists’ average salary changes by experience in South Africa

0 – 2 Years40,400 ZAR
2 – 5 Years+29%52,000 ZAR
5 – 10 Years+38%71,700 ZAR
10 – 15 Years+24%88,900 ZAR
15 – 20 Years+7%95,200 ZAR
20+ Years+7%102,000 ZAR

Physicist Salary Comparison By Education

We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Physicist salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.

When the education level is Bachelor’s Degree, the average salary of a Physicist is 47,500 ZAR per month.

While someone with a Master’s Degree gets a salary of 65,400 ZAR per month, 38% more than someone having a Bachelor’s Degree degree.

A Ph.D. gets its holder an average salary of 107,000 ZAR per month, 64% more than someone with a Master’s Degree.

Physicists average salary difference by education level in South Africa

Bachelor’s Degree47,500 ZAR
Master’s Degree+38%65,400 ZAR
PhD+64%107,000 ZAR

Physicist Salary Comparison By Gender

Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Physicist employees in South Africa earn 8% more than their female counterparts on average.

Male71,800 ZAR
Female-7%66,600 ZAR

Physicist Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in South Africa

How much are annual salary increments in South Africa for Physicist(s)?

How often do employees get salary raises?

Physicist

Physicists (s) in South Africa are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 13% every 19 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 18 months.

Physicist Bonus and Incentive Rates in South Africa

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?

A Physicist is considered to be a moderate bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.

42% of surveyed staff reported that they haven’t received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 58% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 6% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus
58%

No Bonus
42%

Physicist Average Hourly Wage in South Africa

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in South Africa is 400 ZAR. This means that the average Physicist in South Africa earns approximately 400 ZAR for every worked hour.

How much do physicists earn SA?

The average pay for a Physicist is ZAR 785,691 a year and ZAR 378 an hour in South Africa. The average salary range for a Physicist is between ZAR 551,427 and ZAR 985,151. On average, a Doctorate Degree is the highest level of education for a Physicist.

How much do theoretical physicists make in South Africa?

R599,832 (ZAR)/yr.

How much do physicists earn in South Africa per month?

An early career Geophysicist with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of R479,323 based on 7 salaries. A mid-career Geophysicist with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of R500,000 based on 8 salaries.

Is a physicist a scientist?

A physicist is a scientist who studies and is trained in physics, which is the study of nature, especially how matter and energy behave. Physicists study physics, which is related to the word physical.

How much does a nuclear physicist make in South Africa?

The average pay for a Nuclear Health Physicist is ZAR 905,700 a year and ZAR 435 an hour in Durban, South Africa. The average salary range for a Nuclear Health Physicist is between ZAR 626,360 and ZAR 1,142,132. On average, a Doctorate Degree is the highest level of education for a Nuclear Health Physicist.

Who hires physicists in South Africa?

Top Companies Hiring for Physicist Jobs

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. 4.6.

National Institute of Standards and Technology. 4.6.

Michigan State University. 4.3.

Lawrence Berkeley Lab. 4.4.

The University of Maryland. 4.3.

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. 4.3.

The University of Chicago. 4.2.

Sandia National Laboratories. 4.1.

Is a physicist a good career in South Africa?

Because physics teaches highly transferable science and research skills, physics graduates have a wealth of career opportunities to choose from. Physicists often go into related majors such as aviation, environmental science, biotechnology and nanotechnology, biology, and even geographic information systems.