Audiologist Salary in South African Rands
As important as audiology is, it requires the person to have a larger sum of money in their bank account to complete the education and get registered. The worst part is when the person steps into the job field after registering and has no clue about the salary range of their job.
If you are among the clan who are unaware of an audiologist’s salary in South Africa, then let me enlighten you. The average salary of an audiologist in the country is ZAR 31,250 per month. This makes their annual earning ZAR 375,000.
However, just finding out about the average salary is not enough, as many factors play a role in the income of an audiologist. Luckily, every factor influencing the salary of an audiologist in South Africa, along with other important information, has been discussed in detail below. So, without any further delay, let’s dive right into it.
Audiologist Salary Current Salary in South Africa
If you are about to start a career as an audiologist, then it is critical for you to know the salary range of this job in South Africa. Currently, an audiologist makes ZAR 31,250 per month on average. This makes their annual earnings around ZAR 375,000.
However, this is just the average salary. If we take a look at entry-level salary, that is lower. An entry-level position as an audiologist will get you around ZAR 25,750 per month in South Africa. This means that per year, the audiologist will make approximately ZAR 309,000.
If we talk about those audiologist who have gained work experience in the field, then their salaries are higher. They make around ZAR 35000 per month in South Africa. So, their salary is ZAR 420,000 per year
If we do a quick comparison to the salary of an audiologist in the USA, there is a stark difference. On average, an audiologist in the USA makes around $91,570 per year which makes ZAR 1,725,618. This makes their monthly salary around $7630 per month which converts to ZAR 143,785.
Similarly, if we look at the entry-level salary of an audiologist in the USA, there is a huge difference in that as well as compared to the entry-level salary of an audiologist in South Africa. They earn a lot more.
Entry-level audiologists in the USA earn $84,070 per year which makes ZAR 1,584,282 per year. This puts their monthly salary around $7005 per month which makes ZAR 132,007. The entry-level salary of an audiologist in the USA is approximately 500% higher than the entry-level salary of an audiologist in South Africa.
Professional Responsibilities
As an audiologist focuses on the balance disorder and hearing disabilities of individuals; hence, their job is very critical. There are a few major responsibilities that fall under their job description.
The first responsibility is the diagnosis of the disorder. They need to conduct a thorough checkup session of the patient to identify their disorder as well as the extent of the disorder so that they can offer a treatment plan accordingly.
Furthermore, audiologists are also responsible for providing apt treatment plans to their patients. From hearing aid fittings to balance disorder assessment, it all comes under the umbrella of an audiologist.
Audiologists are also responsible for the therapy and rehabilitation of their patients. They are also in charge of educating not only the patients but also the families of the patients about the disorders and their treatment. They also have to offer counseling sessions to those who are in dire need of it.
Another major responsibility of an audiologist in South Africa is that they need to raise awareness about balance disorders and hearing disabilities. They also need to offer awareness about the disorder prevention and treatment plans to the masses.
What Does the Salary of An Audiologist Depend Upon?
The salary of every audiologist working in South Africa is never the same. There are many factors that cause a difference in the earnings of people working in this profession, even if they are in the same position.
The first major thing that the salary of an audiologist depends upon is their work experience. The audiologists who have no prior work experience and are fresh out of university will earn a lot less than the ones who do have work experience. There will be a stark difference between their salaries, but with time, they will also start to earn more.
The location of the job also makes a huge difference in the salary of audiologists in South Africa. Those who are working in Johannesburg, Capetown, and Pretoria earn higher salaries than the ones who are currently working in smaller and rural areas of the country. Working in urban cities gets you higher salaries.
The education level of the audiologists also affects their salary range in South Africa. The ones who have 4 years of Bachelor’s earn less than the audiologists who also get specialization degrees in their field. The specialization gets them more expertise, which in turn causes a hike in their salaries.
The salary of an audiologist in South Africa also depends upon the type of employment. The ones who are working in the private sector get offered higher salaries. On the other hand, audiologists who are working in the public or the government sector have lower salaries, in comparison.
The last thing that the salary of an audiologist depends upon is the demand in the area. For instance, if the demand for an audiologist is high in a specific area in South Africa, they will be paid more.
Is audiology in demand in South Africa?
As compared to other fields of medicine, audiology is not as much in demand in South Africa. Almost 16% of audiologists remain unemployed in the first year after the completion of their degree.
Do audiologists working in private practices earn higher salaries than those in the public sector in South Africa?
Yes, the audiologists who work in the private sector earn higher salaries than the ones who are working in the public or the government sector. The private sector audiologists also get more bonuses along with higher salaries.
What is the lowest salary for an audiologist?
The lowest salary for an audiologist in South Africa is around ZAR 25,750 per month. This makes the annual salary around ZAR 309,000. This salary is for those audiologist who are fresh graduates and do not have any work experience.
What are the disadvantages of an audiologist?
The major disadvantage of an audiologist is the hefty cost of education in South Africa. The second disadvantage is that the job becomes challenging as they need to work with hearing-disabled patients. This often leads to emotional and psychological stress on the audiologists.
Are there salary differences for audiologists working in urban and rural areas of South Africa?
Yes, there is a salary difference for audiologists working in urban and rural areas of South Africa, just like other professions. The audiologists who work in urban areas earn higher salaries than those who work in rural areas.
How do I become an audiologist in South Africa?
In order to become an audiologist in South Africa, a person needs to complete 4 years of Bachelor’s degree which is a Bachelor’s in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. After the completion of this degree, they can get themselves registered as an audiologist.
Can audiologists increase their income by offering additional services like hearing aid sales and fitting in South Africa?
Yes, audiologists in South Africa do have the option of increasing their income by offering additional services apart from the ones that are a part of their job. They can make extra money by offering fitting and hearing aid sales to their patients.
Do audiologists with specialized certifications, such as pediatric audiology or cochlear implants, earn higher salaries in South Africa?
Yes, the audiologists who have specialized certifications make more money per month as their salaries are higher than the ones who only have a basic Bachelor’s degree. The specialization brings in more expertise which becomes the leading cause of higher salaries.
How does experience level affect an audiologist’s salary in South Africa?
Those audiologists who have a higher experience score a higher position for themselves at hospitals. These higher positions come with higher salaries as well as other incentives and bonuses.
How much does it cost to study audiology in South Africa?
On average, a degree in audiology comprises 4 years of education. It costs around ZAR 48,000 per year, so the total cost of the 4-year program will be around ZAR 192,000.
Completing a 4-year degree in audiology is not the only challenging part of this field, especially if you are in South Africa. The article above discusses the salary range of this field in detail so that you can be mentally prepared before you enter the job field. I hope the information shared above helps you.
