SalaryScope South Africa logo
2026 comparison

Database Administrator vs Network Engineer salary in South Africa

Compare salary, demand, difficulty, and long-term growth to choose the right career path.

Quick answer

Database Administrator vs Network Engineer in South Africa

Higher paying career
Database Administrator
Monthly difference
R0
Easier to enter
Database Administrator
Better long-term
Network Engineer

Winner summary

Winner for salary
Database Administrator (+R0/month)
Easier entry
Database Administrator
Best long-term
Network Engineer
Verdict

Choose Network Engineer if your goal is higher income and long-term growth.

Choose Database Administrator if your goal is faster entry and lower barriers.

Career overview

Database Administrator

Demand: 7/10

Salary guide
Requirements

BSc IT or vendor certification (Oracle, MS SQL).

  • Oracle/MS SQL/Postgres expertise
  • Backup strategies
  • Security hardening
Salary
EntryR25 000
MidR58 000
SeniorR90 000
Top 20%R130 000

Network Engineer

Demand: 8/10

Salary guide
Requirements

IT networking diploma, degree or vendor certification route.

  • Networking fundamentals
  • Firewall exposure
  • Vendor certifications
Salary
EntryR22 000
MidR58 000
SeniorR90 000
Top 20%R135 000

Salary breakdown

Entry
Database AdministratorR25 000
Network EngineerR22 000
Mid
Database AdministratorR58 000
Network EngineerR58 000
Senior
Database AdministratorR90 000
Network EngineerR90 000
Top 20%
Database AdministratorR130 000
Network EngineerR135 000

Demand and difficulty

Demand

Database Administrator (7/10)7/10
Network Engineer (8/10)8/10

Difficulty

Database Administrator (7/10)7/10
Network Engineer (7/10)7/10
Salary difference
+R0/month

The salary gap at senior level is about R0 per month. Database Administrator earns more due to higher demand and stronger salary growth at senior level.

See full Database Administrator salary in South Africa →

Key questions

Which pays more in South Africa?

Database Administrator pays more, with senior salaries around R90 000 per month compared to R90 000 for Network Engineer.

Which is easier to enter?

Database Administrator is easier to enter due to lower difficulty and more accessible requirements.

Which is better long-term?

Network Engineer offers stronger long-term potential based on higher salary ceilings and demand.

Detailed comparison

When comparing Database Administrator vs Network Engineer in South Africa, the senior-level salary difference is R0 per month.

Database Administrator is better for quicker entry into the workforce. Network Engineer is better for long-term earnings and career growth.

Skills and requirements

Database Administrator

Core skills
  • SQL / PL-SQLHigh
  • Performance tuningHigh
  • Backup & recoveryHigh
  • Cloud DBs (RDS, Azure SQL)Medium

Network Engineer

Core skills
  • Routing / switchingHigh
  • FirewallsHigh
  • Network securityHigh
  • Cisco / FortinetMedium
  • TroubleshootingHigh

Side by side

SQL / PL-SQL
Database Administrator needs this
Less central
Performance tuning
Database Administrator needs this
Less central
Backup & recovery
Database Administrator needs this
Less central
Cloud DBs (RDS, Azure SQL)
Database Administrator needs this
Less central
Routing / switching
Less central
Network Engineer needs this
Firewalls
Less central
Network Engineer needs this

Career progression

Database Administrator

Junior DBAR30 000
DBAR58 000
Senior DBAR90 000
Database ArchitectR130 000

Network Engineer

Junior Network TechnicianR28 000
Network EngineerR58 000
Senior Network EngineerR90 000
Network ArchitectR120 000

Related insights

Compare more careersExplore related comparisonsFind higher paying jobs

More Database Administrator salary comparisons

Other careers people compare with Database Administrator salary in South Africa.

See full Database Administrator salary guide →

More Network Engineer salary comparisons

Other careers people compare with Network Engineer salary in South Africa.

See full Network Engineer salary guide →

Explore related salary guides

Related careers
Backend Developer salaryR95 000Cloud Engineer salaryR125 000
Higher paying alternatives
Municipal Manager salary - higher earning pathR200 000Psychiatrist salary - higher earning pathR170 000
Easier entry careers
IT Support Technician salary - easier entry option3/10Bookkeeper salary - easier entry option3/10
Similar industry salaries
Technology career: Product Manager salaryTechnology career: Data Engineer salary
Popular career comparisons
Software Engineer vs Data Scientist salary in South AfricaChartered Accountant vs Financial Analyst salary in South Africa
Explore more salary guides
how much Mobile App Developers earn in South Africahow much Business Analysts earn in South Africahow much UX Designers earn in South Africahow much Cybersecurity Analysts earn in South Africahow much Software Engineers earn in South Africahow much Developers earn in South Africa
Compare Related Share