2026 comparison
Network Engineer vs Software Engineer salary in South Africa
Higher paying career: Network Engineer. Approximate monthly difference: R0.
Entry, mid, senior pay, demand, difficulty and long-term career upside.
Network Engineer
High demand · IT networking diploma, degree or vendor certification route
EntryR22 000
MidR58 000
SeniorR90 000
Top 20%R135 000
Software Engineer
High demand · BSc Computer Science or equivalent bootcamp
EntryR22 000
MidR55 000
SeniorR90 000
Top 20%R150 000
Salary breakdown
Entry
R22 000
R22 000
Mid
R58 000
R55 000
Senior
R90 000
R90 000
Top 20%
R135 000
R150 000
Demand
Network Engineer8/10
Software Engineer10/10
Difficulty
Network Engineer7/10
Software Engineer7/10
Salary difference
+R0
Compare the Network Engineer salary in South Africa with how much Software Engineers earn at senior level.
Recommended
Compare better-paying careers →Comparison
Higher paying career: Network Engineer. The senior-level gap is about R0 per month, based on R90 000 for Network Engineer compared with R90 000 for Software Engineer.
Career alternatives
Higher earning
Network Engineer
Easier entry
Network Engineer
Better long-term
Software Engineer
Skills / requirements
Routing / switching
Network Engineer needs this
Less central
Firewalls
Network Engineer needs this
Less central
Network security
Network Engineer needs this
Less central
Cisco / Fortinet
Network Engineer needs this
Less central
Troubleshooting
Network Engineer needs this
Less central
TypeScript / React
Less central
Software Engineer needs this
Career progression
Network Engineer
Junior Network TechnicianR28 000
Network EngineerR58 000
Senior Network EngineerR90 000
Network ArchitectR120 000
Software Engineer
Junior EngineerR28 000
Mid EngineerR55 000
Senior EngineerR90 000
Tech LeadR120 000
Recommended
Compare better-paying careers →Explore related salary guides
People also compare
Similar careers
Popular career comparisons
Explore more salary guides