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Senior Software Engineer salary in South Africa

Average Yearly Salary of Senior Software Engineer in South Africa is approximately 325,216 ZAR (16,257 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 Senior Software Engineer do?

occupation personasA senior software engineer is a highly skilled professional responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining software applications. They possess extensive knowledge of programming languages, software development methodologies, and industry best practices. Senior software engineers are often involved in the entire software development lifecycle, from requirement analysis to testing and deployment. They collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product managers, designers, and quality assurance engineers, to deliver high-quality software solutions.

Skills: Senior Software Engineer, Software Development, Programming, Software Engineering, Software Applications, Software Lifecycle
Job industry: Technology


How much does Senior Software Engineer make?

Salary details
How much does Senior Software Engineer make?
Estimated Yearly Salary: 325,216 ZAR
Estimated Monthly Salary: 27,101 ZAR
Estimated Weekly Salary: 6,254 ZAR per week
Estimated Hourly Salary: 156 ZAR per hour
Values are pre-tax
Last revision of data: 2025-01-04

Comparing salary to last year:
Estimated Yearly Salary: 314,820 ZAR
Estimated Monthly Salary: 26,235 ZAR
Estimated Weekly Salary: 6,054 ZAR per week
Estimated Hourly Salary: 151 ZAR per hour
Last revision of data: 2024-01-02



Senior Software Engineer estimated salary in USD
For easier comparison here is an estimated salary in USD:
Estimated Yearly Salary: 16,257 USD
Estimated Monthly Salary: 1,355 USD
Estimated Weekly Salary: 313 USD per week
Estimated Hourly Salary: 8 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 Senior Software Engineer job salary compared to average salary in South Africa.
Comparison shows that a person working as Senior Software Engineer in South Africa earns on average:
2.56 times the average salary (or 256% of average salary).

Is Senior Software Engineer a well paid job?

Yes, our data show that Senior Software Engineer is a very well paid job. With years and experience the salary might increase even further, resulting in higher satisfaction.

What is considered a high salary for Senior Software Engineer?

High salary for Senior Software Engineer would be somewhere between 357,738 ZAR and 471,563 ZAR. However this is an estimation based on Gaussian Distribution.

How much can you save working as Senior Software Engineer 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: 325,216 ZAR
Estimated Monthly Salary: 27,101 ZAR
Estimated Weekly Salary: 6,254 ZAR per week
Estimated Hourly Salary: 156 ZAR per hour
By working as Senior Software Engineer a person can save up to 1,084 USD per month or 13,003 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 Senior Software Engineer

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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