Web Developer Salary in South Africa
Web development is a growing field across South Africa, attracting many potential students during the two decades. However, most new students entering the field are curious about the financial prospects of the job for obvious reasons. If you are one of these and want to know more about web developer salaries in South Africa, keep reading this guide.
The average salary of a web developer based in South Africa earns an average base salary of R18 227 per month, which makes it around R57-170 on the salary chart. According to the National Debt Advisors, this amount can go up to R 35 059 per month. However, this amount is open for revisions, considering your knowledge, expertise, and the organization you are working in.
In comparison, the web developer salary for those based in the USA is approximately $5,779. Given the number, USA developers make anywhere around $ 81,624 on a yearly basis.
Job-Specific Web Developer Salary in South Africa
Now that we have covered the base salary of web developers, it is also important to analyze them specifically against popular job profiles.
Front End Developers
Front-end developers usually work on the visuals and graphics of the website. Their average salary in South Africa is around R 39,976 on a monthly basis.
Back End Developers
Back-end developers are some of the highest-earning individuals in web development. Their estimated monthly salary in South Africa is around R 45 270.
Full Stack Developers
Full-stack developers usually work with startups and small enterprises and are responsible for doing both front and back-end development. They have an average salary of around R 45 063 on a monthly basis.
Base level Developers
A base-level developer has an estimated salary of R 34,298 per month.
Software Engineer
Software engineers are generally required to do the testing and engineering setup of websites for the most part. In South Africa, they earn approximately around R 36 323 on a monthly basis.
App Developers
App developers usually require an entry-level job profile with base-level qualifications. Their estimated salary based in South Africa is R 27 459 per month.
Highest Paying Cities for Web Developers in South Africa
When you are pursuing a degree in computer science and need to work in the field, it becomes important to narrow down the places that offer better salary packages. Here is a breakdown of baseline web developers’ salaries across South Africa on the basis of cities.
Johannesburg North
Web developers are best paid in North Johannesburg. According to the reported salary chart, the average monthly salary is around R 36,024.
Johannesburg
The reported web developer’s monthly salary is around R 20 603 on a monthly basis in Johannesburg.
Randburg
If you are a web developer based in Randburg, the expected salary per month would be around R 25,822.
Sandton
For web developers in Sandton, the average monthly baseline salary is approximately R 23,227.
Roodepoort
The average reported baseline web developer salary is around R22 098 per month.
What Do Web Developers Do?
Web developers do what their name means: developing a website. Hence, their primary job is to make sure the website is working fine and looks appealing to the visitors interacting with the interface. Here are some jobs you are required to do as web developers.
- Designing and managing web interface
- Writing codes (HTML, JavaScript, XML, etc.)
- Testing applications
- Integrating media on the website
- Troubleshooting issues reported by users
Back-End Developers
Back-end developers are responsible for the coding and testing of the website. These professionals are responsible for writing codes, verifying the code’s efficiency, testing whether they work fine, and managing the content on the website. These developers tend to earn more than the other two.
Front-End Developers
As the name implies, front-end developers deal with the interface or visuals of the website with which the visitors are interacting. Their main responsibilities include designing the layout of the website, its pages, and graphics. For this, you have to be competent in HTML, JavaScript, and CSS language.
Full-Stack Developers
Full-stack developers are a combination of both front and back-end developers. They have a complete knowledge of website designs and how they operate. They are mostly preferred for teams and organizations with a tight budget.
Factors that Determine Your Salary as a Web Developer
There are a number of factors that count when deciding your salary as a web developer. Before you enter the profession as a web developer, you need to consider these factors to take into consideration. So, let us discuss them in detail as per the salary chart.
Level of Expertise
Like any other field, your level of expertise and age matters the most in determining a salary package. People with ten to twenty years of experience earn way more than those with less than ten years. According to the salary chart, you are expected to earn 8% more with every five-year gap in your experience.
Qualifications
It is a must to have at least a bachelor’s degree or diploma to start working as a web developer. However, your level of education matters a lot when determining your salary, and a higher education means a better salary package across the country. As per the salary chart, the average salary of web developers with a master’s degree is 68% more than those with a bachelor’s qualification.
Private or Public Sector
Despite the free nature of the job, it still matters whether you are based in a government or private sector as a web developer. According to the statistics, there is a 7% increase in the average salary of web developers working with private organizations. That said, it is also important to consider that government jobs have more fringe elements like rent, housing allowance, transportation, and medical insurance.
How much are web developers paid in South Africa?
The average baseline salary of web developers across South Africa is around R 18,227 on a monthly basis.
Where in South Africa are web developers paid more?
Johannesburg North is where the web developers get paid most in South Africa. According to the salary chart, the average monthly salary in the city is around R 36,024.
Are back-end developers paid more than front-end ones?
Yes, back-end developers are generally paid more than front-end developers. However, it all comes down to where you are working, expertise, and age.
How much does a freelance web developer make in South Africa?
Well, there is no specific salary package for freelance web developers, and it mostly varies from person to person. Approximately, as an entry-level developer, you are expected to earn around R 14,1000 per month.
Are web developers paid well in South Africa?
Yes, web developers are undoubtedly paid decently across the globe, let alone in South Africa. However, the workforce in this field is highly dependent on skills, so people with better expertise will earn more.
Web development is a growing and developing field across the world, including South Africa, attracting more and more students. The field is skill-intensive and requires potential job seekers to work toward achieving the skills and experience. Finally, I hope this guide has been helpful in planning your career path as an entry-level web developer in South Africa.
