2026 comparison
Mechanical Engineer vs Data Scientist salary in South Africa
Higher paying career: Data Scientist. Approximate monthly difference: R18 000.
Entry, mid, senior pay, demand, difficulty and long-term career upside.
Mechanical Engineer
High demand · BEng / BSc Mechanical Engineering
EntryR26 000
MidR58 000
SeniorR92 000
Top 20%R145 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
R26 000
R30 000
Mid
R58 000
R70 000
Senior
R92 000
R110 000
Top 20%
R145 000
R180 000
Demand
Mechanical Engineer8/10
Data Scientist9/10
Difficulty
Mechanical Engineer8/10
Data Scientist8/10
Salary difference
+R18 000
Compare the Data Scientist salary in South Africa with how much Mechanical Engineers earn at senior level.
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Higher paying career: Data Scientist. The senior-level gap is about R18 000 per month, based on R110 000 for Data Scientist compared with R92 000 for Mechanical Engineer.
Career alternatives
Higher earning
Data Scientist
Easier entry
Mechanical Engineer
Better long-term
Data Scientist
Skills / requirements
SolidWorks / CAD
Mechanical Engineer needs this
Less central
Pr.Eng registration
Mechanical Engineer needs this
Less central
Plant maintenance
Mechanical Engineer needs this
Less central
Project management
Mechanical Engineer needs this
Less central
Python / Pandas
Less central
Data Scientist needs this
Machine learning
Less central
Data Scientist needs this
Career progression
Mechanical Engineer
Candidate EngineerR30 000
Mechanical EngineerR58 000
Senior EngineerR92 000
Engineering LeadR120 000
Data Scientist
Junior Data ScientistR38 000
Data ScientistR70 000
Senior Data ScientistR110 000
Lead / ML EngineerR140 000
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