2026 comparison
Boilermaker vs Data Scientist salary in South Africa
Higher paying career: Data Scientist. Approximate monthly difference: R50 000.
Entry, mid, senior pay, demand, difficulty and long-term career upside.
Boilermaker
High demand · N2/N3 + apprenticeship + trade test
EntryR14 000
MidR38 000
SeniorR60 000
Top 20%R95 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
R14 000
R30 000
Mid
R38 000
R70 000
Senior
R60 000
R110 000
Top 20%
R95 000
R180 000
Demand
Boilermaker8/10
Data Scientist9/10
Difficulty
Boilermaker6/10
Data Scientist8/10
Salary difference
+R50 000
Compare the Data Scientist salary in South Africa with how much Boilermakers earn at senior level.
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Higher paying career: Data Scientist. The senior-level gap is about R50 000 per month, based on R110 000 for Data Scientist compared with R60 000 for Boilermaker.
Career alternatives
Higher earning
Data Scientist
Easier entry
Boilermaker
Better long-term
Data Scientist
Skills / requirements
Fabrication
Boilermaker needs this
Less central
Blueprint reading
Boilermaker needs this
Less central
Welding
Boilermaker needs this
Less central
Safety management
Boilermaker needs this
Less central
Python / Pandas
Less central
Data Scientist needs this
Machine learning
Less central
Data Scientist needs this
Career progression
Boilermaker
Apprentice BoilermakerR12 000
BoilermakerR38 000
Senior BoilermakerR60 000
ForemanR75 000
Data Scientist
Junior Data ScientistR38 000
Data ScientistR70 000
Senior Data ScientistR110 000
Lead / ML EngineerR140 000
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