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Graphic Designer Average Salary in South Africa 2024

How much money does a person working as Graphic Designer make in South Africa?


Average Monthly Salary
20,500 ZAR
( 247,000 ZAR yearly)

LOW
9,450
ZAR
AVERAGE
20,500
ZAR
HIGH
32,700
ZAR
All salary figures displayed here are per month except when noted otherwise.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

A person working as Graphic Designer in South Africa typically earns around 20,500 ZAR. Salaries range from 9,450 ZAR (lowest) to 32,700 ZAR (highest).


Salary Variance

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



Graphic Designer Pay Scale and Salaries in South Africa

Median and salary distribution South Africa Graphic Designer monthly
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Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
19,500 ZAR or more
10% of people earn
17,100 to 19,500 ZAR
20% of people earn
11,800 ZAR or less
65% of people earn
11,800 to 17,100 ZAR
Minimum Salary
9,450 ZAR
Median
19,600 ZAR
Maximum
32,700 ZAR




Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range

All salary figures displayed here are per month except when noted otherwise.
  • Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary

    Salaries for the position Graphic Designer in South Africa range from 9,450 ZAR (starting salary) to 32,700 ZAR (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.

  • Median Salary

    With a median salary of 19,600 ZAR, half of the professionals who work as Graphic Designer in South Africa earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.

  • Percentiles and Salary Scale

    The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Graphic Designer in South Africa earn less than 15,800 ZAR, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 22,600 ZAR while 25% earn more.

  • Pay Scale Structure

    To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Graphic Designer in South Africa compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 11,800 ZAR to 17,100 ZAR. About 20% of salaries are below the 11,800 ZAR mark, while 10% fall within the range of 17,100 ZAR to 19,500 ZAR. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 19,500 ZAR.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Graphic Designer / South Africa

How do experience and age affect pay?

0 - 2 Years
10,700 ZAR
2 - 5 Years+34%
14,300 ZAR
5 - 10 Years+48%
21,200 ZAR
10 - 15 Years+22%
25,800 ZAR
15 - 20 Years+9%
28,100 ZAR
20+ Years+8%
30,500 ZAR
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by years of experience monthly South Africa Graphic Designer
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The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Graphic Designer and this is what we found.


All salary figures displayed here are per month except when noted otherwise.

Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 10,700 ZAR.

While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 14,300 ZAR, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.

Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 21,200 ZAR, 48% more than someone with two to five years of experience.

Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 25,800 ZAR, 22% 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 28,100 ZAR, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.

Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 30,500 ZAR, 8% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.

On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark.
* Based on the average change in salary over time. Salary variations differ from person to person.

Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Experience Level
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Salary Comparison By Education / Graphic Designer / South Africa

How do education levels affect salaries?

Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Graphic Designer.

High School
13,200 ZAR
Certificate or Diploma+18%
15,500 ZAR
Bachelor's Degree+45%
22,500 ZAR
Master's Degree+31%
29,400 ZAR
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by education level monthly South Africa Graphic Designer
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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 salaries by education level for the position Graphic Designer in order to make a comparison.


Level 1: High School

Employees at this education level have an average salary of 13,200 ZAR.


Level 2: Certificate or Diploma

At this level, the average salary becomes 15,500 ZAR, 18% more than the previous level.


Level 3: Bachelor's Degree

At this level, the average salary becomes 22,500 ZAR, 45% more than the previous level.


Level 4: Master's Degree

At this level, the average salary becomes 29,400 ZAR, 31% more than the previous level.



Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?

A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in South Africa costs anywhere from 156,000 ZAR to 469,000 ZAR and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.

You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.

Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support the theory. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.

If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.


Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Education Level
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Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Graphic Designer / South Africa

Salary comparison by gender South Africa Graphic Designer monthly
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Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Graphic Designer in South Africa, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 12%.

Male
21,700 ZAR
Female-11%
19,400 ZAR
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Comparison By Gender in South Africa for all Careers

Salary comparison by gender monthly South Africa
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Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Graphic Designer / South Africa

How much are annual salary increments in South Africa for individuals working as Graphic Designer? How often do employees get salary raises?

Individuals working as Graphic Designer in South Africa are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% every 18 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 18 months.

Annual Salary Increment Rate South Africa Graphic Designer
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The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.

South Africa / All Professions

Annual Salary Increment Rate South Africa
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The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.

How to calculate the salary increment percentage?

The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency

The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in South Africa is 5%.

Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs

World Average Annual Salary Increment
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Salary Packages and Schemes

Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.



Bonus and Incentive Rates / Graphic Designer / South Africa

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate South Africa Graphic Designer
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68% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 32% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 0% to 4% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus
32%
No Bonus
68%

Types of Bonuses Considered

Individual Performance-Based Bonuses

The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.

Company Performance Bonuses

Occasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.

Goal-Based Bonuses

Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.

Holiday / End of Year Bonuses

These types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.

Bonuses Are Not Commissions!

People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.


What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?

The main two types of jobs

Revenue GeneratorsSupporting Cast

Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business.

Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations.

Example:
A graphics designer working for a graphics designing company.

Example:
A graphic designer in the marketing department of a hospital.


Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.

Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.

Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level

Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.

Average Hourly Wage / Graphic Designer / South Africa


120 ZAR per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Graphic Designer in South Africa is 120 ZAR.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.


Hourly Wage = Annual Salary / ( 52 x 5 x 8 )

About The Hourly Pay Rate

The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.

What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?

The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Graphic Designer in South Africa is 55 ZAR. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.

Salary comparison with similar jobs

Job TitleAverage Salary
Advertising / Graphic Design / Events-100%
Advertisement Fraud Analyst34,100 ZAR+66%
Advertising Account Executive36,000 ZAR+75%
Advertising Account Manager39,000 ZAR+90%
Advertising Account Planner19,100 ZAR-7%
Advertising and Promotions Manager53,000 ZAR+160%
Advertising Coordinator25,500 ZAR+24%
Advertising Data Analyst34,900 ZAR+70%
Advertising Manager51,600 ZAR+150%
Advertising Operations Manager54,700 ZAR+170%
Advertising Sales Director55,500 ZAR+170%
Advertising Strategic Planner35,600 ZAR+73%
Advertising Team Leader30,200 ZAR+47%
Animation Director43,100 ZAR+110%
Animator23,200 ZAR+13%
Art Director31,900 ZAR+55%
Art Manager32,000 ZAR+56%
Artificial Intelligence Advertising Analyst37,000 ZAR+80%
Artist26,700 ZAR+30%
Artworker18,700 ZAR-9%
Assistant Art Director25,200 ZAR+23%
Audio and Video Equipment Technician18,200 ZAR-11%
Audio Engineer23,800 ZAR+16%
Audiosual Technician18,900 ZAR-8%
Branding Consultant41,700 ZAR+100%
Broadcast Administrator34,000 ZAR+65%
Catering Sales20,800 ZAR+1%
Catering Trainer24,200 ZAR+18%
Color Consultant20,600 ZAR+0%
Commercial and Industrial Designer18,900 ZAR-8%
Conference Organiser24,100 ZAR+17%
Content and Media Production Lead36,500 ZAR+78%
CopyWriter21,900 ZAR+7%
Creative Content Strategist39,700 ZAR+93%
Creative Designer23,300 ZAR+13%
Creative Director32,100 ZAR+56%
Creative Technologist39,800 ZAR+94%
Crowd Management Specialist33,000 ZAR+61%
Design Strategist32,100 ZAR+56%
Designer 19,200 ZAR-7%
Desktop Publisher15,300 ZAR-26%
Digital Campaign Manager33,700 ZAR+64%
Digital Media Manager39,700 ZAR+93%
Digital Media Strategist41,400 ZAR+100%
Director of Events56,200 ZAR+170%
Director of Graphic Design30,700 ZAR+49%
Director of Social Media Marketing43,000 ZAR+110%
Event Experience Designer34,900 ZAR+70%
Event Security Specialist30,100 ZAR+47%
Event Technology Consultant31,100 ZAR+51%
Event Technology Integration Specialist29,200 ZAR+42%
Events and Promotions Manager52,700 ZAR+160%
Events Director52,900 ZAR+160%
Exhibit Designer25,700 ZAR+25%
Exhibit Display Coordinator24,900 ZAR+21%
Exhibit Display Manager33,200 ZAR+62%
Experiential Designer30,400 ZAR+48%
Finisher17,000 ZAR-17%
Gamification Specialist35,400 ZAR+72%
Graphic Artist20,400 ZAR-1%
Graphic Design Specialist23,400 ZAR+14%
Graphic Designer20,500 ZAR-0%
Graphics Artist21,400 ZAR+4%
Graphics Design Supervisor27,700 ZAR+35%
Group Creative Director34,900 ZAR+70%
Imagery Analyst18,600 ZAR-9%
Imaging Technologist18,600 ZAR-9%
Immersive Storyteller28,500 ZAR+39%
Interaction Designer15,900 ZAR-23%
Lead Generation Specialist38,700 ZAR+88%
Media Analyst27,000 ZAR+31%
Media Executive35,200 ZAR+71%
Media Planner26,900 ZAR+31%
Media Production Coordinator24,600 ZAR+20%
Media Production Manager44,300 ZAR+120%
Media Project Manager42,700 ZAR+110%
Media Relations Representative35,300 ZAR+72%
Media Sales Executive44,000 ZAR+110%
Meeting and Event Planner23,900 ZAR+16%
Mobile Advertising Specialist40,600 ZAR+98%
Motion Graphic Artist27,100 ZAR+32%
Motion Graphics Designer27,100 ZAR+32%
Multimedia Artist20,500 ZAR-0%
Multimedia Specialist18,600 ZAR-9%
NFT Designer24,300 ZAR+18%
NFT Specialist26,200 ZAR+28%
Photographer18,100 ZAR-12%
PPC Campaign Manager32,900 ZAR+60%
Print Production Manager35,800 ZAR+74%
Product and Brand Manager51,600 ZAR+150%
Sales Promotion Manager51,200 ZAR+150%
Search Engine Optimization Specialist (SEO)21,500 ZAR+5%
Sketch Artist23,300 ZAR+13%
Social Media Event Strategist28,800 ZAR+40%
Social Media Executive41,100 ZAR+100%
Social Media Graphic Designer24,900 ZAR+21%
Social Media Manager41,100 ZAR+100%
Social Media Marketing Manager42,300 ZAR+110%
Social Media Strategist41,200 ZAR+100%
Special Events Supervisor31,900 ZAR+55%
Technical Typist13,900 ZAR-32%
User Experience UX Designer21,400 ZAR+4%
UX Designer18,700 ZAR-9%
Virtual / Augmented Reality Advertiser32,600 ZAR+59%
Virtual / Augmented Reality Event Producer27,500 ZAR+34%
Virtual / Augmented Reality Showroom Designer24,200 ZAR+18%
Virtual Events Planner26,400 ZAR+28%
Virtual Trade Show Manager24,400 ZAR+19%
Voice Search Optimization Specialist32,100 ZAR+56%
Web Accessibility Designer26,000 ZAR+27%
Web3 Designer25,100 ZAR+22%
Webinar Designer27,000 ZAR+31%

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Cape Town21,900 ZAR
Johannesburg20,300 ZAR

Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison

Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in South Africa is 7% on average across all career fields.

Private Sector
30,400 ZAR
Public Sector+7%
32,400 ZAR
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide

What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Graphic Designer in South Africa?

A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 19,600 ZAR and 22,600 ZAR. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.

Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)

All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

Base / Basic Salary

The base salary for a careers like Graphic Designer in South Africa ranges from 9,450 ZAR to 15,800 ZAR. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.


What is the difference between the median and the average salary?

Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary


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