A person working as Equipment Engineer in South Africa typically earns around 26,700 ZAR. Salaries range from 13,100 ZAR (lowest) to 41,600 ZAR (highest).
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Equipment Engineer 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.
![]() 13,100 ZAR |
![]() 24,900 ZAR |
![]() 41,600 ZAR |
Salaries for the position Equipment Engineer in South Africa range from 13,100 ZAR (starting salary) to 41,600 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.
With a median salary of 24,900 ZAR, half of the professionals who work as Equipment Engineer 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.
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 Equipment Engineer in South Africa earn less than 20,300 ZAR, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 28,400 ZAR while 25% earn more.
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 Equipment Engineer in South Africa compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 15,500 ZAR to 21,800 ZAR. About 20% of salaries are below the 15,500 ZAR mark, while 10% fall within the range of 21,800 ZAR to 24,700 ZAR. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 24,700 ZAR.
0 - 2 Years | 15,500 ZAR | |
2 - 5 Years | +29% | 19,900 ZAR |
5 - 10 Years | +38% | 27,500 ZAR |
10 - 15 Years | +24% | 34,000 ZAR |
15 - 20 Years | +7% | 36,400 ZAR |
20+ Years | +7% | 38,900 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 Equipment Engineer and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 15,500 ZAR.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 19,900 ZAR, 29% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 27,500 ZAR, 38% 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 34,000 ZAR, 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 36,400 ZAR, 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 38,900 ZAR, 7% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Bachelor's Degree | 19,300 ZAR | |
Master's Degree | +60% | 31,000 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 Equipment Engineer in order to make a comparison.
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 19,300 ZAR.
At this level, the average salary becomes 31,000 ZAR, 60% more than the previous level.
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.
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 Equipment Engineer in South Africa, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 8%.
Male | 27,500 ZAR | |
Female | -7% | 25,500 ZAR |
Individuals working as Equipment Engineer in South Africa are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 11% every 18 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 18 months.
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.
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
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.
45% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 55% 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 | 55% | |
No Bonus | 45% |
The 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Equipment Engineer in South Africa is 75 ZAR. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Engineering | ![]() | |
3D Printing Engineer | 25,700 ZAR | ![]() |
Acoustics Engineer | 27,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Assembly Engineering Technician | 22,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Assistant Chief Engineer | 32,300 ZAR | ![]() |
Associate Engineer | 25,900 ZAR | ![]() |
AutoCAD Drafter | 17,100 ZAR | ![]() |
Autocad Operator | 18,100 ZAR | ![]() |
Automation Engineer | 31,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Avionic System Support Engineer | 27,700 ZAR | ![]() |
Biochemical Engineer | 26,300 ZAR | ![]() |
BMS Engineer | 27,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Bridge and Lock Tender | 15,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Broadcast Engineer | 29,500 ZAR | ![]() |
CAD Design Engineer | 28,500 ZAR | ![]() |
CAD Designer | 17,300 ZAR | ![]() |
CAE Engineer | 27,300 ZAR | ![]() |
Ceramics Engineer | 26,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Chemical Engineer | 29,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Civil Drafter | 18,700 ZAR | ![]() |
Civil Engineer | 29,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Civil Site Engineer | 30,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Civil Technician | 18,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Cognitive Engineer | 26,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Commissioning Engineer | 29,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Communications Engineer | 32,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Condition Monitoring Engineer | 24,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Contract Associate Engineer | 26,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Contract Engineer | 26,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Control Systems Engineer | 28,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Controls Engineer | 27,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Controls Software Engineer | 25,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Corrosion Engineer | 26,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Design Engineer | 29,700 ZAR | ![]() |
Director of Engineering | 58,300 ZAR | ![]() |
Drafter | 18,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Drafting Manager | 33,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Drilling Engineer | 28,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Drilling Foreman | 8,980 ZAR | ![]() |
Electrical Draughtsman | 15,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Electrical Engineer | 32,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Electrical Engineering Manager | 41,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Electromechanical Engineering Technologist | 29,700 ZAR | ![]() |
Electromechanical Equipment Assembler | 14,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Energy Engineer | 31,300 ZAR | ![]() |
Engine Assembler | 12,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineer | 30,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Account Manager | 31,300 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Chief Designer | 33,100 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Consultant | 38,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Key Account Manager | 43,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Lab Technician | 26,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Manager | 38,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Planning Manager | 39,300 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Production Manager | 50,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Project Analyst | 32,100 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Project Coordinator | 32,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Project Director | 57,100 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Project Leader | 35,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Project Manager | 41,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Research and Development Manager | 45,100 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Safety Coordinator | 22,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Sales Manager | 40,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Technician | 22,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Engineering Technologist | 21,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Environmental Engineer | 28,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Equipment Engineer | 26,700 ZAR | ![]() |
Equipment Engineering Manager | 38,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Estimator | 24,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Fabrication Specialist | 20,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Fabricator | 13,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Facade Engineer | 26,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Fiber Analyst | 16,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Field Engineer | 30,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Field Engineering Manager | 49,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Fire Engineer | 29,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Fitter and Turner | 9,410 ZAR | ![]() |
Forestry Strategic Planner | 34,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Generation Engineer | 30,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Genetic Engineer | 30,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Geological Engineer | 30,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Geotechnical Engineer | 31,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Heavy Equipment Mechanic | 14,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Highway Engineer | 29,300 ZAR | ![]() |
HSE Professional | 28,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Human Machine Interface Engineer | 25,900 ZAR | ![]() |
HVAC Engineer | 31,300 ZAR | ![]() |
HVAC Supervisor | 25,100 ZAR | ![]() |
Industrial Engineer | 28,300 ZAR | ![]() |
Industrial Engineering Technologist | 27,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Instrument Engineer | 28,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Instrument Technician | 15,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Instrumentation and Control Engineer | 27,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Instrumentation Designer | 23,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Instrumentation Engineer | 28,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Instrumentation Manager | 27,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Irrigation Engineer | 28,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Licensed Aircraft Engineer | 30,100 ZAR | ![]() |
Locomotive Engineer | 29,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Maintenance Engineer | 27,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Maintenance Fitter | 10,100 ZAR | ![]() |
Maintenance Manager | 28,300 ZAR | ![]() |
Manufacturing Engineer | 28,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Marine Engineer | 29,700 ZAR | ![]() |
Materials Engineer | 29,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Materials Researcher | 25,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Materials Technician | 21,300 ZAR | ![]() |
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer | 32,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Mechanical Design Engineer | 30,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Mechanical Designer | 24,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Mechanical Engineer | 31,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Mechanical Engineering Manager | 41,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Mechanical Inspector | 26,700 ZAR | ![]() |
Mechatronics Engineer | 29,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Mining Engineer | 28,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Nanotechnology Engineer | 31,700 ZAR | ![]() |
Natural Language Processing Engineer | 33,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Oil and Petrochemical Engineer | 32,300 ZAR | ![]() |
Optical Engineer | 28,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Optical Instrument Assembler | 14,900 ZAR | ![]() |
PCB Assembler | 10,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Photonics Engineer | 32,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Photonics Technician | 26,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Pipeline Engineer | 25,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Piping Designer | 15,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Piping Engineer | 25,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Planning Engineer | 28,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Pressure Vessel Inspector | 13,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Principal Cost Engineer | 29,700 ZAR | ![]() |
Principal Engineer | 29,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Principal Support Engineer | 29,300 ZAR | ![]() |
Process Engineer | 29,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Process Operator | 17,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Product Development Engineer | 30,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Product Development Technician | 21,300 ZAR | ![]() |
Product Engineer | 30,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Product Safety Engineer | 26,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Production Engineer | 28,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Project Engineer | 31,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Proposal Manager | 36,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Purchasing Engineer | 27,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Quality Assurance Engineer | 29,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Rail Engineer | 30,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Regional Field Engineer | 32,700 ZAR | ![]() |
Remote Sensing Engineer | 28,000 ZAR | ![]() |
Robotics Engineer | 32,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Robotics Technician | 23,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Safety Engineer | 29,800 ZAR | ![]() |
Safety Inspector | 23,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Safety Manager | 32,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Safety Officer | 15,100 ZAR | ![]() |
Sales Engineer | 29,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Scheduling Engineer | 27,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Security Engineer | 30,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Service Engineer | 29,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Smart Home Engineer | 31,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Solar Engineer | 31,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Staff Engineer | 28,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Static Equipment Engineer | 28,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Stationary Engineer | 26,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Stress Engineer | 27,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Structural Analysis Engineer | 29,100 ZAR | ![]() |
Structural Designer | 24,200 ZAR | ![]() |
Structural Engineer | 29,100 ZAR | ![]() |
Structural Technician | 19,100 ZAR | ![]() |
Subsea Engineer | 37,300 ZAR | ![]() |
Supply Chain Specialist | 27,100 ZAR | ![]() |
Surveyor | 20,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Technical Affairs Officer | 14,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Technical Assistant | 14,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Technical Engineer | 23,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Technical Support Engineer | 24,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Tender Engineer | 26,300 ZAR | ![]() |
Test Development Engineer | 29,100 ZAR | ![]() |
Test Engineer | 28,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Transportation Engineer | 28,300 ZAR | ![]() |
Urban Engineer | 29,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Validation Engineer | 24,900 ZAR | ![]() |
Verification Engineer | 26,400 ZAR | ![]() |
Wastewater Engineer | 27,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Wind Energy Engineer | 28,700 ZAR | ![]() |
Wind Energy Operations Manager | 37,500 ZAR | ![]() |
Wireless Engineer | 31,600 ZAR | ![]() |
Work Planner | 20,800 ZAR | ![]() |
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 |
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 24,900 ZAR and 28,400 ZAR. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
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.
The base salary for a careers like Equipment Engineer in South Africa ranges from 13,100 ZAR to 20,300 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.
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