Average HVAC Engineer Salary in South Africa for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average HVAC 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 an HVAC Engineer Make in South Africa?

An HVAC Engineer working in South Africa will typically earn around 376,800 ZAR per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 183,700 ZAR to the highest average salary of 585,900 ZAR.

Average Annual Salary
376,800 ZAR
Average Monthly Salary
31,400 ZAR

Lowest Annual Salary
183,700 ZAR
Lowest Monthly Salary
15,308 ZAR

Highest Annual Salary
585,900 ZAR
Highest Monthly Salary
48,825 ZAR

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

HVAC 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 HVAC Engineer Salaries in South Africa

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

Salary ranges

We already know that an HVAC Engineer can earn between 183,700 ZAR and 585,900 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 an HVAC Engineer in South Africa is 384,200 ZAR. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 384,200 ZAR, and 50% of the population earn more than 384,200 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 HVAC Engineer salary in South Africa, 25% of the population are earning less than 254,800 ZAR while 75% of the population earn more than 254,800 ZAR.

75% of the population earn less than 492,700 ZAR, and 25% of the population earn more than 492,700 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.

HVAC 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 hvac 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. An HVAC Engineer in South Africa that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 217,900 ZAR.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average HVAC Engineer salary would increase to 281,500 ZAR.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as an HVAC Engineer, the average salary would be 385,300 ZAR.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 478,000 ZAR.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. An HVAC Engineer with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 514,300 ZAR.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For an HVAC Engineer with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 548,800 ZAR.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
217,900 ZAR
2-5 Years +29%
281,500 ZAR
5-10 Years +38%
385,300 ZAR
10-15 Years +24%
478,000 ZAR
15-20 Years +7%
514,300 ZAR
20+ Years +7%
548,800 ZAR

HVAC 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 an HVAC 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. An HVAC Engineer in South Africa with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 273,300 ZAR.

  • Master's Degree. An HVAC Engineer in South Africa with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 437,300 ZAR.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Bachelor's Degree
273,300 ZAR
Master's Degree +60%
437,300 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.

HVAC 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 hvac engineer will earn an average of 386,400 ZAR, while a female hvac engineer will earn around 359,900 ZAR.

This means that a male hvac engineer earns approximately 7% more than a female hvac engineer for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in South Africa

Male
386,400 ZAR
Female -7%
359,900 ZAR

HVAC 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 an HVAC Engineer in South Africa is around 11% every 19 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 = ( 11 ÷ 19 ) × 12  = 7%

What this means is that an HVAC Engineer in South Africa can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 7% 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%

HVAC 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.

An HVAC 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 an HVAC Engineer

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

Job Title Category Salary
Acoustics Engineer Engineering 332,100 ZAR
Assembly Engineering Technician Engineering 266,000 ZAR
Assistant Chief Engineer Engineering 386,400 ZAR
Associate Engineer Engineering 312,400 ZAR
AutoCAD Drafter Engineering 204,000 ZAR
Autocad Operator Engineering 216,800 ZAR
Automation Engineer Engineering 357,700 ZAR
Automation Engineer Engineering 371,100 ZAR
Avionic System Support Engineer Engineering 332,500 ZAR
Biochemical Engineer Engineering 313,700 ZAR
BMS Engineer Engineering 332,100 ZAR
Bridge and Lock Tender Engineering 187,300 ZAR
Broadcast Engineer Engineering 353,600 ZAR
CAD Design Engineer Engineering 341,400 ZAR
CAD Designer Engineering 207,700 ZAR
CAE Engineer Engineering 327,800 ZAR
Ceramics Engineer Engineering 315,900 ZAR
Chemical Engineer Engineering 353,600 ZAR
Civil Drafter Engineering 225,700 ZAR
Civil Engineer Engineering 359,900 ZAR
Civil Site Engineer Engineering 363,000 ZAR
Civil Technician Engineering 215,100 ZAR
Commissioning Engineer Engineering 352,000 ZAR
Communications Engineer Engineering 390,000 ZAR
Condition Monitoring Engineer Engineering 297,000 ZAR
Contract Associate Engineer Engineering 320,500 ZAR
Contract Engineer Engineering 320,500 ZAR
Control Systems Engineer Engineering 335,800 ZAR
Controls Engineer Engineering 332,100 ZAR
Controls Software Engineer Engineering 301,600 ZAR
Corrosion Engineer Engineering 315,900 ZAR
Design Engineer Engineering 357,300 ZAR
Director of Engineering Engineering 698,200 ZAR
Drafter Engineering 218,900 ZAR
Drafting Manager Engineering 404,600 ZAR
Drilling Engineer Engineering 340,000 ZAR
Drilling Foreman Engineering 106,960 ZAR
Electrical Draughtsman Engineering 183,600 ZAR
Electrical Engineer Engineering 382,600 ZAR
Electrical Engineering Manager Engineering 502,200 ZAR
Electromechanical Engineering Technologist Engineering 357,300 ZAR
Electromechanical Equipment Assembler Engineering 172,200 ZAR
Energy Engineer Engineering 376,800 ZAR
Engine Assembler Engineering 152,100 ZAR
Engineer Engineering 369,900 ZAR
Engineering Account Manager Engineering 376,800 ZAR
Engineering Chief Designer Engineering 396,300 ZAR
Engineering Consultant Engineering 454,900 ZAR
Engineering Key Account Manager Engineering 522,700 ZAR
Engineering Lab Technician Engineering 311,700 ZAR
Engineering Manager Engineering 460,500 ZAR
Engineering Planning Manager Engineering 472,100 ZAR
Engineering Production Manager Engineering 598,600 ZAR
Engineering Project Analyst Engineering 384,500 ZAR
Engineering Project Coordinator Engineering 382,600 ZAR
Engineering Project Director Engineering 683,800 ZAR
Engineering Project Leader Engineering 430,000 ZAR
Engineering Project Manager Engineering 492,700 ZAR
Engineering Research and Development Manager Engineering 539,700 ZAR
Engineering Safety Coordinator Engineering 268,900 ZAR
Engineering Sales Manager Engineering 485,200 ZAR
Engineering Technician Engineering 275,200 ZAR
Engineering Technologist Engineering 259,100 ZAR
Environmental Engineer Engineering 341,900 ZAR
Equipment Engineer Engineering 319,600 ZAR
Equipment Engineering Manager Engineering 462,300 ZAR
Estimator Engineering 294,700 ZAR
Fabrication Specialist Engineering 240,500 ZAR
Fabricator Engineering 157,600 ZAR
Facade Engineer Engineering 317,700 ZAR
Fiber Analyst Engineering 197,600 ZAR
Field Engineer Engineering 363,000 ZAR
Field Engineering Manager Engineering 592,600 ZAR
Fire Engineer Engineering 351,200 ZAR
Fitter and Turner Engineering 113,220 ZAR
Forestry Strategic Planner Engineering 419,400 ZAR
Generation Engineer Engineering 367,900 ZAR
Genetic Engineer Engineering 363,000 ZAR
Geological Engineer Engineering 369,900 ZAR
Geotechnical Engineer Engineering 375,200 ZAR
Heavy Equipment Mechanic Engineering 180,300 ZAR
Highway Engineer Engineering 351,900 ZAR
HSE Professional Engineering 335,800 ZAR
HVAC Supervisor Engineering 301,300 ZAR
Industrial Engineer Engineering 340,400 ZAR
Industrial Engineering Technologist Engineering 327,300 ZAR
Instrument Engineer Engineering 341,400 ZAR
Instrument Technician Engineering 185,100 ZAR
Instrumentation and Control Engineer Engineering 332,100 ZAR
Instrumentation Designer Engineering 283,700 ZAR
Instrumentation Engineer Engineering 340,400 ZAR
Instrumentation Manager Engineering 332,100 ZAR
Irrigation Engineer Engineering 341,900 ZAR
Licensed Aircraft Engineer Engineering 362,200 ZAR
Locomotive Engineer Engineering 349,300 ZAR
Maintenance Engineer Engineering 330,900 ZAR
Maintenance Fitter Engineering 119,900 ZAR
Maintenance Manager Engineering 340,400 ZAR
Manufacturing Engineer Engineering 340,400 ZAR
Marine Engineer Engineering 357,300 ZAR
Materials Engineer Engineering 349,300 ZAR
Materials Researcher Engineering 308,300 ZAR
Materials Technician Engineering 254,800 ZAR
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer Engineering 385,300 ZAR
Mechanical Design Engineer Engineering 361,500 ZAR
Mechanical Designer Engineering 294,300 ZAR
Mechanical Engineer Engineering 378,300 ZAR
Mechanical Engineering Manager Engineering 499,300 ZAR
Mechanical Inspector Engineering 319,600 ZAR
Mechatronics Engineer Engineering 354,000 ZAR
Mining Engineer Engineering 335,800 ZAR
Oil and Petrochemical Engineer Engineering 386,400 ZAR
Optical Engineer Engineering 341,400 ZAR
Optical Instrument Assembler Engineering 180,300 ZAR
PCB Assembler Engineering 119,700 ZAR
Photonics Engineer Engineering 394,800 ZAR
Photonics Technician Engineering 320,500 ZAR
Pipeline Engineer Engineering 307,400 ZAR
Piping Designer Engineering 183,600 ZAR
Piping Engineer Engineering 308,900 ZAR
Planning Engineer Engineering 345,700 ZAR
Pressure Vessel Inspector Engineering 157,600 ZAR
Principal Cost Engineer Engineering 357,300 ZAR
Principal Engineer Engineering 352,000 ZAR
Principal Support Engineer Engineering 351,900 ZAR
Process Engineer Engineering 351,200 ZAR
Process Operator Engineering 208,600 ZAR
Product Development Engineer Engineering 369,300 ZAR
Product Development Technician Engineering 254,800 ZAR
Product Engineer Engineering 369,300 ZAR
Product Safety Engineer Engineering 315,700 ZAR
Production Engineer Engineering 340,400 ZAR
Project Engineer Engineering 378,300 ZAR
Proposal Manager Engineering 440,200 ZAR
Purchasing Engineer Engineering 330,900 ZAR
Quality Assurance Engineer Engineering 353,600 ZAR
Rail Engineer Engineering 361,600 ZAR
Regional Field Engineer Engineering 392,300 ZAR
Robotics Engineer Engineering 394,300 ZAR
Robotics Technician Engineering 283,700 ZAR
Safety Engineer Engineering 357,700 ZAR
Safety Inspector Engineering 281,500 ZAR
Safety Manager Engineering 389,200 ZAR
Safety Officer Engineering 181,600 ZAR
Sales Engineer Engineering 359,900 ZAR
Scheduling Engineer Engineering 330,700 ZAR
Service Engineer Engineering 352,000 ZAR
Solar Engineer Engineering 375,200 ZAR
Staff Engineer Engineering 345,700 ZAR
Static Equipment Engineer Engineering 340,000 ZAR
Stationary Engineer Engineering 322,600 ZAR
Stress Engineer Engineering 330,900 ZAR
Structural Analysis Engineer Engineering 348,300 ZAR
Structural Designer Engineering 288,700 ZAR
Structural Engineer Engineering 348,300 ZAR
Structural Technician Engineering 228,000 ZAR
Supply Chain Specialist Engineering 325,600 ZAR
Surveyor Engineering 249,600 ZAR
Technical Affairs Officer Engineering 172,200 ZAR
Technical Assistant Engineering 172,200 ZAR
Technical Engineer Engineering 288,100 ZAR
Technical Support Engineer Engineering 297,000 ZAR
Tender Engineer Engineering 313,700 ZAR
Test Development Engineer Engineering 348,300 ZAR
Test Engineer Engineering 345,700 ZAR
Transportation Engineer Engineering 340,400 ZAR
Validation Engineer Engineering 297,000 ZAR
Verification Engineer Engineering 315,900 ZAR
Wastewater Engineer Engineering 330,700 ZAR
Wind Energy Engineer Engineering 345,100 ZAR
Wind Energy Operations Manager Engineering 451,000 ZAR
Work Planner Engineering 251,500 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 345,700 ZAR
Cape Town 411,400 ZAR
Durban 381,800 ZAR
Johannesburg 353,600 ZAR
Port Elizabeth 335,800 ZAR
Pretoria 371,100 ZAR

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