2026 comparison
Chartered Accountant vs Data Scientist salary in South Africa
Higher paying career: Chartered Accountant. Approximate monthly difference: R20 000.
Entry, mid, senior pay, demand, difficulty and long-term career upside.
Chartered Accountant
High demand · BCom Accounting + CTA + SAICA articles
EntryR35 000
MidR75 000
SeniorR130 000
Top 20%R250 000
Data Scientist
High demand · Degree in Stats, Maths, CS or related
EntryR30 000
MidR70 000
SeniorR110 000
Top 20%R180 000
Salary breakdown
Entry
R35 000
R30 000
Mid
R75 000
R70 000
Senior
R130 000
R110 000
Top 20%
R250 000
R180 000
Demand
Chartered Accountant9/10
Data Scientist9/10
Difficulty
Chartered Accountant9/10
Data Scientist8/10
Salary difference
+R20 000
Compare the Chartered Accountant salary in South Africa with how much Data Scientists earn at senior level.
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Higher paying career: Chartered Accountant. The senior-level gap is about R20 000 per month, based on R130 000 for Chartered Accountant compared with R110 000 for Data Scientist.
Career alternatives
Higher earning
Chartered Accountant
Easier entry
Data Scientist
Better long-term
Chartered Accountant
Skills / requirements
IFRS
Chartered Accountant needs this
Less central
Tax (SARS)
Chartered Accountant needs this
Less central
Audit
Chartered Accountant needs this
Less central
Financial modelling
Chartered Accountant needs this
Less central
Python / Pandas
Less central
Data Scientist needs this
Machine learning
Less central
Data Scientist needs this
Career progression
Chartered Accountant
Article ClerkR18 000
Newly-qualified CAR50 000
Senior CA / ManagerR90 000
Financial ManagerR130 000
Data Scientist
Junior Data ScientistR38 000
Data ScientistR70 000
Senior Data ScientistR110 000
Lead / ML EngineerR140 000
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