Biotechnologist Average Salary in South Africa 2024
How much money does a person working as Biotechnologist make in South Africa?
LOW
22,700
ZAR AVERAGE
43,700
ZAR HIGH
66,900
ZAR
A person working as Biotechnologist in South Africa typically earns around 43,700 ZAR. Salaries range from 22,700 ZAR (lowest) to 66,900 ZAR (highest).
Salary Variance
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Biotechnologist 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.
Biotechnologist Pay Scale and Salaries in South Africa
Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison
39,600 ZAR or more
35,300 to 39,600 ZAR
25,800 ZAR or less
25,800 to 35,300 ZAR
 22,700 ZAR |
39,800 ZAR |
66,900 ZAR |
Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range
Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary
Salaries for the position Biotechnologist in South Africa range from 22,700 ZAR (starting salary) to 66,900 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 39,800 ZAR, half of the professionals who work as Biotechnologist 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 Biotechnologist in South Africa earn less than 33,000 ZAR, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 45,100 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 Biotechnologist in South Africa compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 25,800 ZAR to 35,300 ZAR. About 20% of salaries are below the 25,800 ZAR mark, while 10% fall within the range of 35,300 ZAR to 39,600 ZAR. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 39,600 ZAR.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Biotechnologist / South Africa
How do experience and age affect pay?
| 0 - 2 Years | 25,800 ZAR | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +34% | 34,700 ZAR |
| 5 - 10 Years | +30% | 45,100 ZAR |
| 10 - 15 Years | +21% | 54,600 ZAR |
| 15 - 20 Years | +9% | 59,600 ZAR |
| 20+ Years | +5% | 62,700 ZAR |
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 Biotechnologist and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 25,800 ZAR.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 34,700 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 45,100 ZAR, 30% 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 54,600 ZAR, 21% 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 59,600 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 62,700 ZAR, 5% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Salary Comparison By Education / Biotechnologist / South Africa
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Biotechnologist .
| Bachelor's Degree | 33,400 ZAR | |
| Master's Degree | +24% | 41,300 ZAR |
| PhD | +60% | 66,000 ZAR |
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 Biotechnologist in order to make a comparison.
Level 1: Bachelor's Degree
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 33,400 ZAR.
Level 2: Master's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 41,300 ZAR, 24% more than the previous level.
Level 3: PhD
At this level, the average salary becomes 66,000 ZAR, 60% 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 and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Biotechnologist / South Africa
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 Biotechnologist in South Africa, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 8%.
| Male | 45,700 ZAR | |
| Female | -7% | 42,400 ZAR |
Salary Comparison By Gender in South Africa for all Careers
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Biotechnologist / South Africa
How much are annual salary increments in South Africa for individuals working as Biotechnologist ? How often do employees get salary raises?
Individuals working as Biotechnologist in South Africa are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 11% every 19 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 18 months.
South Africa / All Professions
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
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
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 / Biotechnologist / South Africa
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
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47% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 53% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 5% of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | 53% | |
| No Bonus | 47% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, 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 BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese 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 Generators | Supporting 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: | Example: |
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.
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 / Biotechnologist / South Africa
250 ZAR per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Biotechnologist in South Africa is 250 ZAR.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.
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 Biotechnologist in South Africa is 130 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 Title | Average Salary |
| Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology |  -100% | |
| Assistant Pharmacist | 26,600 ZAR | -39% |
| Assistant Pharmacy Director | 52,700 ZAR |  +20% |
| Associate Medical Affairs Director | 71,100 ZAR | +63% |
| Bioethics Specialist | 37,900 ZAR | -13% |
| Biofabrication Specialist | 38,900 ZAR | -11% |
| Bioinformatics Scientist | 62,300 ZAR | +42% |
| Bioinformatics Technician | 28,800 ZAR | -34% |
| Biological Scientist | 67,300 ZAR | +54% |
| Biological Technician | 28,900 ZAR | -34% |
| Biomanufacturing Technician | 33,300 ZAR | -24% |
| Biomarker Scientist | 45,200 ZAR | +3% |
| Biomedical Electronics Technician | 26,200 ZAR | -40% |
| Biomedical Engineer | 28,500 ZAR | -35% |
| Biomedical Engineering Director | 55,400 ZAR | +27% |
| Bioprocess Engineer | 32,000 ZAR | -27% |
| Biostatistician | 44,800 ZAR | +2% |
| Biotechnologist | 43,700 ZAR | -0% |
| Biotechnology Lead Data Manager | 32,000 ZAR | -27% |
| Cell Therapy Scientist | 59,300 ZAR | +36% |
| Chemical Process Technician | 30,800 ZAR | -30% |
| Clinical Consultant | 41,400 ZAR | -5% |
| Clinical Data Manager | 43,600 ZAR | -0% |
| Clinical Data Specialist | 40,100 ZAR | -8% |
| Clinical Informatics Specialist | 31,000 ZAR | -29% |
| Clinical Operations Manager | 62,900 ZAR | +44% |
| Clinical Pharmacist | 42,900 ZAR | -2% |
| Clinical Pharmacy Specialist | 48,300 ZAR | +10% |
| Clinical Programmer | 22,700 ZAR | -48% |
| Clinical Project Manager | 40,100 ZAR | -8% |
| Clinical Research Associate | 38,200 ZAR | -13% |
| Clinical Research Manager | 60,400 ZAR | +38% |
| Clinical Study Manager | 54,600 ZAR | +25% |
| Clinical Trials Compliance Officer | 68,400 ZAR | +56% |
| Compliance Specialist | 42,300 ZAR | -3% |
| Computational Chemist | 52,900 ZAR | +21% |
| Cytology Laboratory Technologist | 34,800 ZAR | -20% |
| Cytotechnologist | 34,900 ZAR | -20% |
| Digital Biomarker Developer | 40,800 ZAR | -7% |
| Digital Health Specialist | 37,100 ZAR | -15% |
| Drug Safety Specialist | 47,300 ZAR | +8% |
| GCP Auditor | 38,300 ZAR | -12% |
| Gene Editing Compliance Officer | 54,800 ZAR | +25% |
| Gene Editing Specialist | 44,200 ZAR | +1% |
| Gene Therapy Researcher | 46,800 ZAR | +7% |
| Hospital Pharmacy Technician | 32,400 ZAR | -26% |
| Manufacturing Engineer | 36,800 ZAR | -16% |
| Medical 3D Printing Specialist | 34,200 ZAR | -22% |
| Medical Affairs Director | 62,800 ZAR | +44% |
| Medical Device Compliance Specialist | 41,100 ZAR | -6% |
| Medical Device Data Analyst | 39,200 ZAR | -10% |
| Medical Device Designer | 38,200 ZAR | -13% |
| Medical Representative | 27,000 ZAR | -38% |
| Medical Science Liaison | 45,700 ZAR | +4% |
| Medical Technology Writer | 31,000 ZAR | -29% |
| Molecular and Cellular Biologist | 67,500 ZAR | +54% |
| Nuclear Pharmacist | 45,200 ZAR | +3% |
| Pharmaceutical Compliance Auditor | 61,000 ZAR | +39% |
| Pharmaceutical Manager | 73,400 ZAR | +68% |
| Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Lead | 75,400 ZAR | +72% |
| Pharmaceutical Operations Excellence Manager | 69,300 ZAR | +58% |
| Pharmaceutical Process Engineer | 37,400 ZAR | -15% |
| Pharmaceutical Production Assistant Manager | 48,100 ZAR | +10% |
| Pharmaceutical Project Manager | 42,900 ZAR | -2% |
| Pharmaceutical Quality Auditor | 47,600 ZAR | +9% |
| Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs Assistant | 33,300 ZAR | -24% |
| Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs Manager | 45,600 ZAR | +4% |
| Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs Specialist | 35,600 ZAR | -19% |
| Pharmaceutical Representative | 27,200 ZAR | -38% |
| Pharmaceutical Research Associate | 43,700 ZAR | -0% |
| Pharmaceutical Research Scientist | 61,500 ZAR | +41% |
| Pharmaceutical Researcher | 61,600 ZAR | +41% |
| Pharmaceutical Sales and Marketing Manager | 51,400 ZAR | +17% |
| Pharmaceutical Sales Manager | 58,300 ZAR | +33% |
| Pharmaceutical Sales Representative | 28,600 ZAR | -35% |
| Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Manager | 62,500 ZAR | +43% |
| Pharmaceutical Team Leader | 45,600 ZAR | +4% |
| Pharmaceutical Technologist | 30,700 ZAR | -30% |
| Pharmacist | 43,200 ZAR | -1% |
| Pharmacogenomics Expert | 49,600 ZAR | +13% |
| Pharmacovigilance Analyst | 48,700 ZAR | +11% |
| Pharmacy Aide | 28,600 ZAR | -35% |
| Pharmacy Manager | 61,000 ZAR | +39% |
| Pharmacy Stock Controller | 23,900 ZAR | -45% |
| Pharmacy Technician | 23,500 ZAR | -46% |
| Precision Medicine Compliance Analyst | 48,500 ZAR | +11% |
| Precision Medicine Specialist | 45,500 ZAR | +4% |
| Records Management Coordinator | 23,600 ZAR | -46% |
| Shift Encapsulator | 25,600 ZAR | -41% |
| Staff Pharmacist | 39,700 ZAR | -9% |
| Synthetic Biologist | 49,500 ZAR | +13% |
| Telepharmacy Technician | 24,800 ZAR | -43% |
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 |
Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide
What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Biotechnologist in South Africa?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 39,800 ZAR and 45,100 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 Biotechnologist in South Africa ranges from 22,700 ZAR to 33,000 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
