Average Civil Engineer Salary in South Africa for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Civil Engineer salary for 2024 in South Africa and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the South African rand. To keep things simple, we are using the ZAR currency code instead of the currency symbol R.

How Much Does a Civil Engineer Make in South Africa?

A Civil Engineer working in South Africa will typically earn around 367,200 ZAR per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 181,600 ZAR to the highest average salary of 575,100 ZAR.

Average Annual Salary
367,200 ZAR
Average Monthly Salary
30,600 ZAR

Lowest Annual Salary
181,600 ZAR
Lowest Monthly Salary
15,133 ZAR

Highest Annual Salary
575,100 ZAR
Highest Monthly Salary
47,925 ZAR

These are average salaries for a Civil Engineer in South Africa and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Civil Engineer to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Civil Engineer salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Civil Engineer Salaries in South Africa

So we've looked at the average salaries a Civil Engineer will earn in South Africa. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Civil Engineer can earn between 181,600 ZAR and 575,100 ZAR on average in South Africa. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Civil Engineer in South Africa is 376,800 ZAR. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 376,800 ZAR, and 50% of the population earn more than 376,800 ZAR.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Civil Engineer salary in South Africa, 25% of the population are earning less than 249,600 ZAR while 75% of the population earn more than 249,600 ZAR.

75% of the population earn less than 485,300 ZAR, and 25% of the population earn more than 485,300 ZAR.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Civil Engineer Salary by Experience Level in South Africa

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average civil engineer salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Civil Engineer in South Africa that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 212,500 ZAR.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Civil Engineer salary would increase to 273,000 ZAR.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Civil Engineer, the average salary would be 381,800 ZAR.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 471,700 ZAR.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Civil Engineer with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 504,400 ZAR.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Civil Engineer with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 535,900 ZAR.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
212,500 ZAR
2-5 Years +29%
273,000 ZAR
5-10 Years +38%
381,800 ZAR
10-15 Years +24%
471,700 ZAR
15-20 Years +7%
504,400 ZAR
20+ Years +7%
535,900 ZAR

Civil Engineer Salary by Education Level in South Africa

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Civil Engineer in South Africa based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Civil Engineer in South Africa with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 267,100 ZAR.

  • Master's Degree. A Civil Engineer in South Africa with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 431,100 ZAR.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Bachelor's Degree
267,100 ZAR
Master's Degree +60%
431,100 ZAR

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in South Africa is around 156,000 to 467,000 ZAR and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Civil Engineer Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In South Africa, a male civil engineer will earn an average of 381,800 ZAR, while a female civil engineer will earn around 351,200 ZAR.

This means that a male civil engineer earns approximately 9% more than a female civil engineer for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in South Africa

Male
381,800 ZAR
Female -9%
351,200 ZAR

Civil Engineer Average Pay Raise in South Africa

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Civil Engineer in South Africa is around 9% every 20 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in South Africa is around 8% every 18 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 9 ÷ 20 ) × 12  = 5%

What this means is that a Civil Engineer in South Africa can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 5% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in South Africa for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in South Africa.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
3%
Energy
6%
Information Technology
9%
Healthcare
3%
Travel
6%
Construction
9%
Education
3%

Civil Engineer Bonus and Incentive Rates in South Africa

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Civil Engineer is a low bonus based job, with 30% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

70% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus
30%
No Bonus
70%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in South Africa earn approximately 7% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
386,400 ZAR
Private Sector -7%
361,500 ZAR

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Civil Engineer

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Civil Engineer in South Africa.

Job Title Category Salary
Adjudicator Construction / Building / Installation 151,800 ZAR
Assembler Construction / Building / Installation 117,860 ZAR
Boat Builder and Shipwright Construction / Building / Installation 187,500 ZAR
Bricklayer Construction / Building / Installation 106,760 ZAR
Building Administrator Construction / Building / Installation 172,200 ZAR
Building Contracts Manager Construction / Building / Installation 568,500 ZAR
Building Inspector Construction / Building / Installation 161,300 ZAR
Building Monitor Construction / Building / Installation 124,400 ZAR
Building Sales Manager Construction / Building / Installation 531,700 ZAR
Cabinetmaker Construction / Building / Installation 134,600 ZAR
Carpenter Construction / Building / Installation 150,000 ZAR
Civil Technician Construction / Building / Installation 183,600 ZAR
Concreter Construction / Building / Installation 115,640 ZAR
Construction and Building Inspector Construction / Building / Installation 152,000 ZAR
Construction and Maintenance Manager Construction / Building / Installation 288,100 ZAR
Construction Assistant Construction / Building / Installation 150,000 ZAR
Construction Coordinator Construction / Building / Installation 214,000 ZAR
Construction Estimator Construction / Building / Installation 238,900 ZAR
Construction Field Engineer Construction / Building / Installation 330,700 ZAR
Construction General Manager Construction / Building / Installation 639,900 ZAR
Construction Inventory Officer Construction / Building / Installation 124,400 ZAR
Construction Manager Construction / Building / Installation 688,900 ZAR
Construction Operations Manager Construction / Building / Installation 615,300 ZAR
Construction Project Controls Manager Construction / Building / Installation 466,300 ZAR
Construction Project Coordinator Construction / Building / Installation 384,200 ZAR
Construction Project Engineer Construction / Building / Installation 384,200 ZAR
Construction Project Manager Construction / Building / Installation 659,400 ZAR
Construction Project Manager Construction / Building / Installation 669,100 ZAR
Construction Project Planner Construction / Building / Installation 361,500 ZAR
Construction Quality Control Manager Construction / Building / Installation 491,000 ZAR
Construction Safety Officer Construction / Building / Installation 228,500 ZAR
Construction Superintendent Construction / Building / Installation 228,000 ZAR
Construction Supervisor Construction / Building / Installation 359,900 ZAR
Construction Technical Assistant Construction / Building / Installation 136,100 ZAR
Construction Technical Officer Construction / Building / Installation 159,500 ZAR
Construction Technical Writer Construction / Building / Installation 148,300 ZAR
Construction Technician Construction / Building / Installation 134,600 ZAR
Construction Worker Construction / Building / Installation 105,300 ZAR
Crane and Tower Operator Construction / Building / Installation 129,000 ZAR
Crane Operator Construction / Building / Installation 125,700 ZAR
Diesel Mechanic Construction / Building / Installation 116,740 ZAR
Draughtsman Construction / Building / Installation 112,440 ZAR
Drywall Installer Construction / Building / Installation 130,400 ZAR
Electrical Draftsman Construction / Building / Installation 134,600 ZAR
Electrical Engineering Supervisor Construction / Building / Installation 421,400 ZAR
Electrical Engineering Technician Construction / Building / Installation 152,100 ZAR
Electrical Supervisor Construction / Building / Installation 275,200 ZAR
Electrician Construction / Building / Installation 194,600 ZAR
Elevator Installer and Repairer Construction / Building / Installation 154,700 ZAR
Engineer Construction / Building / Installation 378,300 ZAR
Excavator Operator Construction / Building / Installation 119,900 ZAR
Field Inspector Construction / Building / Installation 225,300 ZAR
Floor Finisher Construction / Building / Installation 142,300 ZAR
Floor Manager Construction / Building / Installation 209,700 ZAR
Foreman Construction / Building / Installation 107,960 ZAR
Frame and Truss Detailer Construction / Building / Installation 115,640 ZAR
Furniture Finisher Construction / Building / Installation 127,700 ZAR
Gas Technician Construction / Building / Installation 123,400 ZAR
Handyman Construction / Building / Installation 108,120 ZAR
Health and Safety Coordinator Construction / Building / Installation 158,700 ZAR
Health and Safety Officer Construction / Building / Installation 172,200 ZAR
Installation Manager Construction / Building / Installation 442,200 ZAR
Installer Construction / Building / Installation 107,580 ZAR
Insulation Installer Construction / Building / Installation 127,700 ZAR
Labourer Construction / Building / Installation 93,600 ZAR
Land Surveyor Construction / Building / Installation 169,000 ZAR
Lift Technician Construction / Building / Installation 118,520 ZAR
Maintenance Foreman Construction / Building / Installation 109,460 ZAR
Material Tester Construction / Building / Installation 194,600 ZAR
Model Maker Construction / Building / Installation 187,500 ZAR
Order Picker Construction / Building / Installation 116,420 ZAR
Painter Construction / Building / Installation 125,100 ZAR
Pipe Layer Construction / Building / Installation 106,160 ZAR
Pipe Welder Construction / Building / Installation 103,260 ZAR
Pipefitter Construction / Building / Installation 106,160 ZAR
Plumber Construction / Building / Installation 138,200 ZAR
Property Coordinator Construction / Building / Installation 301,600 ZAR
Purchasing Manager Construction / Building / Installation 454,900 ZAR
Quantity Estimator Construction / Building / Installation 239,300 ZAR
Quantity Surveyor Construction / Building / Installation 243,000 ZAR
Roof Slater and Tiler Construction / Building / Installation 114,000 ZAR
Sheet Metal Mechanic Construction / Building / Installation 129,000 ZAR
Sheet Metal Worker Construction / Building / Installation 104,060 ZAR
Site Clerk Construction / Building / Installation 119,900 ZAR
Site engineer Construction / Building / Installation 335,800 ZAR
Site Leader Construction / Building / Installation 576,500 ZAR
Stock Controller Construction / Building / Installation 185,100 ZAR
Structural Steel Construction Worker Construction / Building / Installation 138,800 ZAR
Technical Draughtsman Construction / Building / Installation 143,200 ZAR
Tender Manager Construction / Building / Installation 541,700 ZAR
Tendering Manager Construction / Building / Installation 507,300 ZAR
Tower Crane Operator Construction / Building / Installation 125,700 ZAR
Wall and Floor Tiler Construction / Building / Installation 123,400 ZAR
Warehouse Manager Construction / Building / Installation 426,700 ZAR
Welder Construction / Building / Installation 110,380 ZAR
Welding Superintendent Construction / Building / Installation 138,800 ZAR

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in South Africa, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Bloemfontein 325,700 ZAR
Cape Town 391,600 ZAR
Durban 377,650 ZAR
Johannesburg 370,200 ZAR
Port Elizabeth 342,750 ZAR
Pretoria 350,350 ZAR

Link To or Reference This Page

We spend a lot of time collecting, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site to be as useful to you as possible.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference World Salaries as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Average Civil Engineer Salary in South Africa for 2024". World Salaries. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://worldsalaries.com/average-civil-engineer-salary-in-south-africa/.

  • "Average Civil Engineer Salary in South Africa for 2024". World Salaries, https://worldsalaries.com/average-civil-engineer-salary-in-south-africa/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Average Civil Engineer Salary in South Africa for 2024. World Salaries. Retrieved from https://worldsalaries.com/average-civil-engineer-salary-in-south-africa/.