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Payroll Accountant salary in South Africa

Average Yearly Salary of Payroll Accountant in South Africa is approximately 152,733 ZAR (7,651 USD). Data is for 2025 and indicates a pre-tax value. The salary itself depends on multiple factors such as seniority, job performance, certifications, experience or any other bonuses. The value indicated is an average amount based on records we have in database. Real values may vary. The data is for orientational purposes.

What does Payroll Accountant do?

occupation personasA payroll accountant is responsible for ensuring accurate and timely processing of employee wages and benefits within an organization. They compile and maintain payroll records, calculate salaries, deductions, and taxes, and prepare payroll reports. Additionally, they may handle issues related to overtime, leave, and employee benefits. Payroll accountants must stay up-to-date with tax laws and regulations to ensure compliance and accurate reporting. They may also assist in audits and provide support during the budgeting process.

Skills: payroll accountant, payroll processing, payroll records, salary calculations, tax compliance, employee benefits
Job industry: Accounting


How much does Payroll Accountant make?

Salary details
How much does Payroll Accountant make?
Estimated Yearly Salary: 152,733 ZAR
Estimated Monthly Salary: 12,728 ZAR
Estimated Weekly Salary: 2,937 ZAR per week
Estimated Hourly Salary: 73 ZAR per hour
Values are pre-tax
Last revision of data: 2025-01-04

Comparing salary to last year:
Estimated Yearly Salary: 147,800 ZAR
Estimated Monthly Salary: 12,317 ZAR
Estimated Weekly Salary: 2,842 ZAR per week
Estimated Hourly Salary: 71 ZAR per hour
Last revision of data: 2024-01-03



Payroll Accountant estimated salary in USD
For easier comparison here is an estimated salary in USD:
Estimated Yearly Salary: 7,651 USD
Estimated Monthly Salary: 638 USD
Estimated Weekly Salary: 147 USD per week
Estimated Hourly Salary: 4 USD per hour


Difference in salary year over year or average salary increase is approximately up arrow 3 %

About these results Data confidence is - relatively high
Data fetched from dabase: 14 submissions.
Results are anonymized. Amounts indicated are pre-tax, meaning no deductionts yet have been made to the basic salary. Salaries where there are less than 3 entries are not displayed.

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Salary comparison to National average

South Africa is a diverse and vibrant country located at the southernmost tip of the African continent. It has a population of approximately 59 million people and covers an area of around 1.2 million square kilometers. The country is known for its rich cultural heritage, stunning landscapes, and abundant wildlife.

Estimated national average yearly salary is 126,956 ZAR (6,780 USD). Value indicated is pre-tax. Below graph shows estimated Payroll Accountant job salary compared to average salary in South Africa.
Comparison shows that a person working as Payroll Accountant in South Africa earns on average:
1.2 times the average salary (or 120% of average salary).

Is Payroll Accountant a well paid job?

No / we do not have enough data to assess this.

What is considered a high salary for Payroll Accountant?

High salary for Payroll Accountant would be somewhere between 168,006 ZAR and 221,463 ZAR. However this is an estimation based on Gaussian Distribution.

How much can you save working as Payroll Accountant in South Africa?

Living in South Africa the approximate monthly expenses are: 271 USD. This amount covers basic needs such as food, housing, clothing, healthcare and education costs for a single person. No luxury expenses such as traveling, leisure, hobbies are included in the estimation.

Estimated Yearly Salary: 152,733 ZAR
Estimated Monthly Salary: 12,728 ZAR
Estimated Weekly Salary: 2,937 ZAR per week
Estimated Hourly Salary: 73 ZAR per hour
By working as Payroll Accountant a person can save up to 366 USD per month or 4,397 USD yearly. Values are pre-tax.

NOTE: These values are estimates and are averaged for the whole country. Furthermore the value is likely exaggerated as no other expenses are taken into account in the projection. Unessential expenses are very subjective and are difficult to assess. Most likely the previously estimated number is significantly lower for majority of people. Expenses in different cities across the country may vary. Above values accuracy is low and is based on limited set of data obtained.

For more information regarding expenses in South Africa, see costs of living in South Africa.

Salary comparison to region and neighbouring coutries

Country's neighbours are: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini, Lesotho.
To make it easier for comparison a conversion from local currency to USD has been made (conversion rates may vary).

Estimated Yearly Salary for Payroll Accountant

Last revision of data: 2025-01-04

Salary increase per years of experience

Based on data available the salary increase per years of experience is as following

    0 years (beginner) equals base salary
    1 to 5 years of experience yields up arrow+12% salary increase
    6 to 10 years of experience yields up arrow+25% salary increase
    11 to 15 years of experience yields up arrow+16% salary increase
    16 to 25 years of experience yields up arrow+9% salary increase
    more than 25 years of experience yields up arrow+10% salary increase
NOTE: Details based on limited set of data. Percentages may vary. The salary increase over years of experience can vary widely based on factors such as job industry, job role, location, company size, and individual performance. To gain even larger increase in salary one is advised to switch jobs and / or employer.

Top 10 highest salaries in South Africa

(1,412,867 ZAR per year, pre-tax.)
(1,176,011 ZAR per year, pre-tax.)
(1,138,908 ZAR per year, pre-tax.)
(1,102,268 ZAR per year, pre-tax.)
(1,100,784 ZAR per year, pre-tax.)
(1,077,960 ZAR per year, pre-tax.)
(1,073,792 ZAR per year, pre-tax.)
(1,073,439 ZAR per year, pre-tax.)
(1,071,922 ZAR per year, pre-tax.)
(1,071,632 ZAR per year, pre-tax.)

Data as of 2025

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