2026 comparison
Registered Nurse vs Data Scientist salary in South Africa
Higher paying career: Data Scientist. Approximate monthly difference: R60 000.
Entry, mid, senior pay, demand, difficulty and long-term career upside.
Registered Nurse
High demand · Bachelor of Nursing (4 years)
EntryR18 000
MidR35 000
SeniorR50 000
Top 20%R75 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
R18 000
R30 000
Mid
R35 000
R70 000
Senior
R50 000
R110 000
Top 20%
R75 000
R180 000
Demand
Registered Nurse10/10
Data Scientist9/10
Difficulty
Registered Nurse7/10
Data Scientist8/10
Salary difference
+R60 000
Compare the Data Scientist salary in South Africa with how much Registered Nurses earn at senior level.
Recommended
Compare better-paying careers →Comparison
Higher paying career: Data Scientist. The senior-level gap is about R60 000 per month, based on R110 000 for Data Scientist compared with R50 000 for Registered Nurse.
Career alternatives
Higher earning
Data Scientist
Easier entry
Registered Nurse
Better long-term
Data Scientist
Skills / requirements
ICU / Theatre specialisation
Registered Nurse needs this
Less central
Trauma
Registered Nurse needs this
Less central
Patient care
Registered Nurse needs this
Less central
Python / Pandas
Less central
Data Scientist needs this
Machine learning
Less central
Data Scientist needs this
SQL
Less central
Data Scientist needs this
Career progression
Registered Nurse
Staff NurseR22 000
Registered NurseR32 000
Specialist Nurse (ICU)R45 000
Unit ManagerR60 000
Data Scientist
Junior Data ScientistR38 000
Data ScientistR70 000
Senior Data ScientistR110 000
Lead / ML EngineerR140 000
Recommended
Compare better-paying careers →Explore related salary guides
People also compare
Similar careers
Popular career comparisons