2026 comparison
Plumber 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.
Plumber
High demand · N3 + Trade Test (Red Seal)
EntryR11 000
MidR28 000
SeniorR42 000
Top 20%R70 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
R11 000
R30 000
Mid
R28 000
R70 000
Senior
R42 000
R110 000
Top 20%
R70 000
R180 000
Demand
Plumber9/10
Data Scientist9/10
Difficulty
Plumber5/10
Data Scientist8/10
Salary difference
+R68 000
Compare the Data Scientist salary in South Africa with how much Plumbers 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 Plumber.
Career alternatives
Higher earning
Data Scientist
Easier entry
Plumber
Better long-term
Data Scientist
Skills / requirements
PIRB registration
Plumber needs this
Less central
Gas installer
Plumber needs this
Less central
Solar geyser install
Plumber 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
Plumber
ApprenticeR7 000
Qualified PlumberR22 000
Senior PlumberR35 000
ForemanR50 000
Data Scientist
Junior Data ScientistR38 000
Data ScientistR70 000
Senior Data ScientistR110 000
Lead / ML EngineerR140 000
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