2026 comparison
Firefighter vs Data Scientist salary in South Africa
Higher paying career: Data Scientist. Approximate monthly difference: R68 000.
Entry, mid, senior pay, demand, difficulty and long-term career upside.
Firefighter
Medium demand · Matric, firefighter training and fitness requirements
EntryR12 000
MidR28 000
SeniorR42 000
Top 20%R65 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
R12 000
R30 000
Mid
R28 000
R70 000
Senior
R42 000
R110 000
Top 20%
R65 000
R180 000
Demand
Firefighter6/10
Data Scientist9/10
Difficulty
Firefighter6/10
Data Scientist8/10
Salary difference
+R68 000
Compare the Data Scientist salary in South Africa with how much Firefighters earn at senior level.
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Higher paying career: Data Scientist. The senior-level gap is about R68 000 per month, based on R110 000 for Data Scientist compared with R42 000 for Firefighter.
Career alternatives
Higher earning
Data Scientist
Easier entry
Firefighter
Better long-term
Data Scientist
Skills / requirements
Emergency response
Firefighter needs this
Less central
Physical fitness
Firefighter needs this
Less central
First aid
Firefighter needs this
Less central
Teamwork
Firefighter needs this
Less central
Python / Pandas
Less central
Data Scientist needs this
Machine learning
Less central
Data Scientist needs this
Career progression
Firefighter
Trainee FirefighterR12 000
FirefighterR28 000
Senior FirefighterR42 000
Station OfficerR55 000
Data Scientist
Junior Data ScientistR38 000
Data ScientistR70 000
Senior Data ScientistR110 000
Lead / ML EngineerR140 000
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