2026 comparison
Risk Analyst vs Data Scientist salary in South Africa
Higher paying career: Data Scientist. Approximate monthly difference: R15 000.
Entry, mid, senior pay, demand, difficulty and long-term career upside.
Risk Analyst
High demand · BCom, Statistics, Actuarial Science or risk qualification
EntryR24 000
MidR60 000
SeniorR95 000
Top 20%R150 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
R24 000
R30 000
Mid
R60 000
R70 000
Senior
R95 000
R110 000
Top 20%
R150 000
R180 000
Demand
Risk Analyst8/10
Data Scientist9/10
Difficulty
Risk Analyst7/10
Data Scientist8/10
Salary difference
+R15 000
Compare the Data Scientist salary in South Africa with how much Risk Analysts earn at senior level.
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Higher paying career: Data Scientist. The senior-level gap is about R15 000 per month, based on R110 000 for Data Scientist compared with R95 000 for Risk Analyst.
Career alternatives
Higher earning
Data Scientist
Easier entry
Risk Analyst
Better long-term
Data Scientist
Skills / requirements
Risk controls
Risk Analyst needs this
Less central
SQL
Risk Analyst needs this
Data Scientist needs this
Financial modelling
Risk Analyst needs this
Less central
Regulatory reporting
Risk Analyst needs this
Less central
Python / Pandas
Less central
Data Scientist needs this
Machine learning
Less central
Data Scientist needs this
Career progression
Risk Analyst
Junior Risk AnalystR32 000
Risk AnalystR60 000
Senior Risk AnalystR95 000
Risk ManagerR125 000
Data Scientist
Junior Data ScientistR38 000
Data ScientistR70 000
Senior Data ScientistR110 000
Lead / ML EngineerR140 000
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