Average Lab Manager Salary in South Africa for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Lab Manager 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 Lab Manager Make in South Africa?

A Lab Manager working in South Africa will typically earn around 585,900 ZAR per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 288,100 ZAR to the highest average salary of 913,400 ZAR.

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

Lowest Annual Salary
288,100 ZAR
Lowest Monthly Salary
24,008 ZAR

Highest Annual Salary
913,400 ZAR
Highest Monthly Salary
76,116 ZAR

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

Lab Manager 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 Lab Manager Salaries in South Africa

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

Salary ranges

We already know that a Lab Manager can earn between 288,100 ZAR and 913,400 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 Lab Manager in South Africa is 596,800 ZAR. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 596,800 ZAR, and 50% of the population earn more than 596,800 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 Lab Manager salary in South Africa, 25% of the population are earning less than 398,300 ZAR while 75% of the population earn more than 398,300 ZAR.

75% of the population earn less than 772,700 ZAR, and 25% of the population earn more than 772,700 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.

Lab Manager 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 lab manager 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 Lab Manager in South Africa that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 340,400 ZAR.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Lab Manager salary would increase to 436,200 ZAR.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Lab Manager, the average salary would be 603,400 ZAR.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 746,600 ZAR.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Lab Manager with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 800,200 ZAR.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Lab Manager with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 855,200 ZAR.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
340,400 ZAR
2-5 Years +29%
436,200 ZAR
5-10 Years +38%
603,400 ZAR
10-15 Years +24%
746,600 ZAR
15-20 Years +7%
800,200 ZAR
20+ Years +7%
855,200 ZAR

Lab Manager 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 Lab Manager 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 Lab Manager in South Africa with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 397,900 ZAR.

  • Master's Degree. A Lab Manager in South Africa with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 551,200 ZAR.

  • PhD. A Lab Manager in South Africa with a phd education can earn an average salary of 902,100 ZAR.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Bachelor's Degree
397,900 ZAR
Master's Degree +38%
551,200 ZAR
PhD +64%
902,100 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.

Lab Manager 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 lab manager will earn an average of 605,700 ZAR, while a female lab manager will earn around 559,000 ZAR.

This means that a male lab manager earns approximately 8% more than a female lab manager for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in South Africa

Male
605,700 ZAR
Female -8%
559,000 ZAR

Lab Manager 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 Lab Manager in South Africa is around 12% every 18 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 = ( 12 ÷ 18 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that a Lab Manager in South Africa can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% 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%

Lab Manager 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 Lab Manager is a moderate bonus based job, with 57% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

43% 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 3% to 6%.

Received Bonus
57%
No Bonus
43%

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 Lab Manager

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

Job Title Category Salary
3D Lab Technologist Science and Technical Services 359,900 ZAR
Algorithm Developer Science and Technical Services 507,300 ZAR
Analytical Chemist Science and Technical Services 724,300 ZAR
Anthropologist Science and Technical Services 563,300 ZAR
Archeologist Science and Technical Services 500,100 ZAR
Assistant Breeder Science and Technical Services 239,000 ZAR
Astronomer Science and Technical Services 832,100 ZAR
Atmospheric and Space Scientist Science and Technical Services 683,400 ZAR
Behavior Analyst Science and Technical Services 471,700 ZAR
Behavior Intervention Specialist Science and Technical Services 518,900 ZAR
Behavior Specialist Science and Technical Services 483,800 ZAR
Biochemist Science and Technical Services 823,400 ZAR
Biofuels Processing Technician Science and Technical Services 313,700 ZAR
Biofuels Production Manager Science and Technical Services 559,000 ZAR
Biologist Science and Technical Services 840,100 ZAR
Biomedical Laboratory Officer Science and Technical Services 318,800 ZAR
Biomedical Scientist Science and Technical Services 852,600 ZAR
Biophysicist Science and Technical Services 810,400 ZAR
Chemical Engineer Science and Technical Services 394,500 ZAR
Chemical Technologist Science and Technical Services 375,200 ZAR
Chemist Science and Technical Services 791,200 ZAR
Chief Technologist Science and Technical Services 724,000 ZAR
Climate Change Analyst Science and Technical Services 552,400 ZAR
Clinical Laboratory Scientist Science and Technical Services 810,400 ZAR
Computer Scientist Science and Technical Services 658,300 ZAR
Conservation Scientist Science and Technical Services 658,300 ZAR
Data Science Specialist Science and Technical Services 519,300 ZAR
Data Scientist Science and Technical Services 596,100 ZAR
DNA Analyst Science and Technical Services 832,100 ZAR
Ecologist Science and Technical Services 642,800 ZAR
Economic Development Specialist Science and Technical Services 649,700 ZAR
Flavourist Science and Technical Services 275,200 ZAR
Food Scientist Science and Technical Services 500,100 ZAR
Forensic Scientist Science and Technical Services 683,400 ZAR
Formulation Technologist Science and Technical Services 320,500 ZAR
Fraud Investigator Science and Technical Services 396,300 ZAR
Genomics Scientist Science and Technical Services 788,000 ZAR
Geographer Science and Technical Services 453,200 ZAR
Geographic Information Systems Technician Science and Technical Services 288,700 ZAR
Geological Data Technician Science and Technical Services 286,400 ZAR
Geological Technician Science and Technical Services 327,300 ZAR
Geologist Science and Technical Services 699,700 ZAR
Geomatics Scientist Science and Technical Services 663,100 ZAR
Geophysical Data Technician Science and Technical Services 273,300 ZAR
Geospatial Information Scientist and Technologist Science and Technical Services 633,300 ZAR
Global Technical Lead Science and Technical Services 823,400 ZAR
Hydrologist Science and Technical Services 524,300 ZAR
Industrial Ecologist Science and Technical Services 555,800 ZAR
Intelligence Analyst Science and Technical Services 466,300 ZAR
Knowledge Management Specialist Science and Technical Services 415,900 ZAR
Lab Analyst Science and Technical Services 341,400 ZAR
Lab Technician Science and Technical Services 251,500 ZAR
Laboratory Manager Science and Technical Services 585,900 ZAR
Laboratory Researcher Science and Technical Services 390,000 ZAR
Laboratory Technician Science and Technical Services 253,400 ZAR
Life Sciences Analyst Science and Technical Services 571,300 ZAR
Life Scientist Science and Technical Services 659,400 ZAR
Marine Architect Science and Technical Services 489,600 ZAR
Marine Biologist Science and Technical Services 592,600 ZAR
Marine Superintendent Science and Technical Services 345,700 ZAR
Materials Analyst Science and Technical Services 339,100 ZAR
Materials Scientist Science and Technical Services 628,000 ZAR
Mathematician Science and Technical Services 664,500 ZAR
Medical Scientist Science and Technical Services 882,400 ZAR
Metallurgist Science and Technical Services 605,700 ZAR
Meteorologist Science and Technical Services 605,700 ZAR
Microbiologist Science and Technical Services 890,100 ZAR
Natural Language Processing Researcher Science and Technical Services 504,300 ZAR
Natural Resource Specialist Science and Technical Services 459,300 ZAR
Natural Resources Analyst Science and Technical Services 498,500 ZAR
Natural Sciences Manager Science and Technical Services 769,500 ZAR
Nuclear Engineer Science and Technical Services 909,300 ZAR
Physical Scientist Science and Technical Services 688,900 ZAR
Physicist Science and Technical Services 836,800 ZAR
Political Scientist Science and Technical Services 658,300 ZAR
Polygraph Examiner Science and Technical Services 232,900 ZAR
Polysomnographic Technologist Science and Technical Services 396,300 ZAR
Product Development Scientist Science and Technical Services 677,100 ZAR
Quantitative Research Analyst Science and Technical Services 543,200 ZAR
Quantitative Researcher Science and Technical Services 543,200 ZAR
Radiation Protection Specialist Science and Technical Services 440,200 ZAR
Refrigeration Technician Science and Technical Services 197,600 ZAR
Research Scientist Science and Technical Services 573,500 ZAR
Risk Safety Engineer Science and Technical Services 365,400 ZAR
Scientific Photographer Science and Technical Services 365,400 ZAR
Scientific Programmer Science and Technical Services 518,300 ZAR
Scientist Science and Technical Services 615,000 ZAR
Service Engineer Science and Technical Services 351,200 ZAR
Service Technician Science and Technical Services 238,900 ZAR
Social Science Research Assistant Science and Technical Services 348,300 ZAR
Social Scientist Science and Technical Services 648,200 ZAR
Sociologist Science and Technical Services 623,200 ZAR
Soil Scientist Science and Technical Services 524,700 ZAR
Statistical Analyst Science and Technical Services 372,600 ZAR
Statistical Assistant Science and Technical Services 273,300 ZAR
Statistician Science and Technical Services 590,200 ZAR
Survey Analyst Science and Technical Services 363,000 ZAR
Survey Researcher Science and Technical Services 340,400 ZAR
Surveying and Mapping Technician Science and Technical Services 232,900 ZAR
Team Leader Science and Technical Services 502,200 ZAR
Technical Manager Science and Technical Services 583,000 ZAR
Technical Officer Science and Technical Services 253,400 ZAR
Technical Service Director Science and Technical Services 748,600 ZAR
Technical Services Regulatory Affairs Specialist Science and Technical Services 351,200 ZAR
Technical Services Research and Development Manager Science and Technical Services 840,100 ZAR
Technical Services Research Associate Science and Technical Services 394,300 ZAR
Technical Services Research Coordinator Science and Technical Services 409,000 ZAR
Technician Science and Technical Services 233,900 ZAR
Water Ecologist Science and Technical Services 679,200 ZAR
Wildlife Biologist Science and Technical Services 559,000 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 528,600 ZAR
Cape Town 639,100 ZAR
Durban 595,300 ZAR
Johannesburg 559,000 ZAR
Port Elizabeth 545,300 ZAR
Pretoria 535,900 ZAR

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