Average salary
R 380 000 - R 950 000
Median salary
R 620 000 - R 713 000
Lower rangeUpper range
Salary distribution by percentile
10th percentileR 323K
25th percentileR 380K
MedianR 620K
75th percentileR 950K
90th percentileR 1M
50% of professionals earn between R 380 000 - R 950 000 ZAR
The median salary is R 620 000
Top cities
Workfromhome288 job openings
Johannesburg172 job openings
Stellenbosch172 job openings
Cape Town162 job openings
Centurion122 job openings
Durban118 job openings
Pretoria102 job openings
East London86 job openings
Klerksdorp85 job openings
Polokwane85 job openings
Pietermaritzburg79 job openings
Gauteng76 job openings
Sandton73 job openings
Upington68 job openings
Soweto64 job openings
Gqeberha63 job openings
Za63 job openings
Rustenburg62 job openings
Bloemfontein56 job openings
Midrand55 job openings
Eastern Cape50 job openings
Benoni48 job openings
George44 job openings
Mbombela (nelspruit)43 job openings
Randburg42 job openings
Mpumalanga29 job openings
Northern Cape29 job openings
Western Cape26 job openings
Legkraal Gate25 job openings
Related professions
ZAR 278 000 - 535 000-39%
ZAR 480 000 - 1 200 000+26%
ZAR 380 000 - 850 000-8%
ZAR 485 000 - 717 500-10%
ZAR 250 000 - 480 000-45%
ZAR 240 000 - 650 000-33%
ZAR 260 000 - 480 000-44%
ZAR 180 000 - 320 000-62%
ZAR 220 000 - 600 000-38%
ZAR 310 000 - 600 000-32%
The average salary for a Research Scientist in South Africa is ZAR 380 000 - ZAR 950 000 per year in 2026. The median salary is ZAR 666 500 per year, based on 2 760 active job listings.
The cities with the most Research Scientist job opportunities in South Africa are Workfromhome, Johannesburg, Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Centurion. Workfromhome leads with 288 job openings.
Explore 2 760 Research Scientist job listings in South Africa on BeBee, or check our salary calculator for a personalized estimate.