Forensic Investigator Average Salary in South Africa 2024
How much money does a person working as Forensic Investigator make in South Africa?
LOW
14,900
ZAR AVERAGE
32,400
ZAR HIGH
51,500
ZAR
A person working as Forensic Investigator in South Africa typically earns around 32,400 ZAR. Salaries range from 14,900 ZAR (lowest) to 51,500 ZAR (highest).
Salary Variance
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Forensic Investigator 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.
Forensic Investigator Pay Scale and Salaries in South Africa
Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison
30,700 ZAR or more
26,900 to 30,700 ZAR
18,500 ZAR or less
18,500 to 26,900 ZAR
 14,900 ZAR |
31,000 ZAR |
51,500 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 Forensic Investigator in South Africa range from 14,900 ZAR (starting salary) to 51,500 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 31,000 ZAR, half of the professionals who work as Forensic Investigator 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 Forensic Investigator in South Africa earn less than 25,000 ZAR, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 35,700 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 Forensic Investigator in South Africa compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 18,500 ZAR to 26,900 ZAR. About 20% of salaries are below the 18,500 ZAR mark, while 10% fall within the range of 26,900 ZAR to 30,700 ZAR. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 30,700 ZAR.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Forensic Investigator / South Africa
How do experience and age affect pay?
| 0 - 2 Years | 16,900 ZAR | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +34% | 22,600 ZAR |
| 5 - 10 Years | +48% | 33,400 ZAR |
| 10 - 15 Years | +22% | 40,700 ZAR |
| 15 - 20 Years | +9% | 44,400 ZAR |
| 20+ Years | +8% | 48,000 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 Forensic Investigator and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 16,900 ZAR.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 22,600 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 33,400 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 40,700 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 44,400 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 48,000 ZAR, 8% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Salary Comparison By Education / Forensic Investigator / South Africa
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Forensic Investigator.
| Certificate or Diploma | 19,700 ZAR | |
| Bachelor's Degree | +93% | 38,000 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 Forensic Investigator in order to make a comparison.
Level 1: Certificate or Diploma
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 19,700 ZAR.
Level 2: Bachelor's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 38,000 ZAR, 93% more than the previous level.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Forensic Investigator / 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 Forensic Investigator in South Africa, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 12%.
| Male | 34,200 ZAR | |
| Female | -11% | 30,600 ZAR |
Salary Comparison By Gender in South Africa for all Careers
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Forensic Investigator / South Africa
How much are annual salary increments in South Africa for individuals working as Forensic Investigator? How often do employees get salary raises?
Individuals working as Forensic Investigator in South Africa are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 9% every 21 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 / Forensic Investigator / South Africa
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
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67% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 33% 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 | 33% | |
| No Bonus | 67% |
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 / Forensic Investigator / South Africa
190 ZAR per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Forensic Investigator in South Africa is 190 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 Forensic Investigator in South Africa is 86 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 |
| Law Enforcement / Security / Fire |  -100% | |
| Accreditation Coordinator | 27,800 ZAR | -14% |
| Accreditation Manager | 39,300 ZAR |  +21% |
| Advocate | 25,200 ZAR | -22% |
| Armed Security Officer | 24,400 ZAR | -25% |
| Behavioral Analyst | 31,200 ZAR | -4% |
| Body-Worn Camera Technician | 20,800 ZAR | -36% |
| Civilian Review Board Investigator | 26,200 ZAR | -19% |
| Company Guard | 11,200 ZAR | -65% |
| Control Room Operator | 10,100 ZAR | -69% |
| Correctional Officer | 18,300 ZAR | -44% |
| Crime Scene Reconstructionist | 29,000 ZAR | -10% |
| Criminal Investigator | 34,900 ZAR | +8% |
| Crisis Negotiator | 31,300 ZAR | -3% |
| Cyberbullying Investigator | 29,800 ZAR | -8% |
| Digital Forensic Analyst | 30,800 ZAR | -5% |
| E-crime Investigator | 35,700 ZAR | +10% |
| Facility Monitor | 20,800 ZAR | -36% |
| Fire Chief | 35,800 ZAR | +11% |
| Fire Dispatcher | 17,600 ZAR | -46% |
| Fire Education Specialist | 30,200 ZAR | -7% |
| Fire Extinguisher Technician | 11,400 ZAR | -65% |
| Fire Fighter | 19,300 ZAR | -40% |
| Fire Inspector | 34,800 ZAR | +7% |
| Fire Investigator | 34,900 ZAR | +8% |
| Fire Prevention Engineer | 29,400 ZAR | -9% |
| Fire Prevention Officer | 25,000 ZAR | -23% |
| Fire Protection Specialist | 29,800 ZAR | -8% |
| Forensic Artist | 21,100 ZAR | -35% |
| Forensic Entomologist | 25,100 ZAR | -23% |
| Forensic Investigator | 32,400 ZAR | +0% |
| Forensic Science Technician | 33,700 ZAR | +4% |
| Fraud and Forensic Specialist | 36,100 ZAR | +11% |
| Fraud Examiner | 37,200 ZAR | +15% |
| Grants Specialist | 40,500 ZAR | +25% |
| Hate Crime Investigator | 25,100 ZAR | -23% |
| Human Trafficking Investigator | 28,500 ZAR | -12% |
| Identity Theft Investigator | 27,000 ZAR | -17% |
| Intellectual Property Associate | 31,000 ZAR | -4% |
| Intelligence Research Specialist | 51,500 ZAR | +59% |
| Investigator | 36,200 ZAR | +12% |
| Jail Officer | 15,300 ZAR | -53% |
| Juvenile Probation Officer | 24,900 ZAR | -23% |
| Juvenile Supervision Officer | 24,900 ZAR | -23% |
| Licensing and Permitting Specialist | 29,000 ZAR | -10% |
| Lock-Smith | 10,200 ZAR | -69% |
| Open Source Intelligence Analyst | 31,600 ZAR | -2% |
| Parole Officer | 16,700 ZAR | -48% |
| Police Captain | 39,400 ZAR | +22% |
| Police Communications Officer | 23,200 ZAR | -28% |
| Police Officer | 18,600 ZAR | -43% |
| Police Patrol Officer | 16,800 ZAR | -48% |
| Police Social Worker | 19,100 ZAR | -41% |
| Predictive Analyst | 28,300 ZAR | -13% |
| Prison Officer | 14,000 ZAR | -57% |
| Prisoner Custody Officer | 12,700 ZAR | -61% |
| Private Detective / Investigator | 33,400 ZAR | +3% |
| Problem-Oriented Policing Specialist | 30,100 ZAR | -7% |
| School Resource Officer | 16,500 ZAR | -49% |
| Security Adviser | 32,600 ZAR | +1% |
| Security Guard | 9,340 ZAR | -71% |
| Security Management Specialist | 49,400 ZAR | +52% |
| Security Manager | 46,700 ZAR | +44% |
| Security Officer | 11,000 ZAR | -66% |
| Security Supervisor | 26,100 ZAR | -19% |
| Security Systems Installer | 26,800 ZAR | -17% |
| Security Technician | 11,600 ZAR | -64% |
| Social Media Investigator | 28,000 ZAR | -14% |
| Surveillance Operator | 13,100 ZAR | -60% |
| Tactical Analyst | 30,000 ZAR | -7% |
| Technological Crime Investigator | 33,000 ZAR | +2% |
| Traffic Controller | 18,700 ZAR | -42% |
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 Forensic Investigator in South Africa?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 31,000 ZAR and 35,700 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 Forensic Investigator in South Africa ranges from 14,900 ZAR to 25,000 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
