Teachers play a vital role in society, and the way they carry out their responsibility can make or mar a child’s perspective towards life. Coordinating and teaching learners who are not yet adults is not an easy duty, which is why it is generally agreed that teachers should be well paid. In most African countries, teachers are underpaid, and sometimes their allowances and salaries are owed for months before they are eventually paid, but in South Africa, the narrative is a lot better.
Though teachers in South Africa are not as well paid as their counterparts in countries like the United States of America, their monthly and yearly remuneration is way better than teachers in countries like Uganda, Nigeria, and a host of other third-world nations. As a teacher in South Africa, your yearly and monthly remuneration depends on your level and the sector you are working for.
On Average, Primary School Teachers In South Africa Earn R194,232 Per Year
As a primary school teacher in South Africa, various factors determine what you would take home as your salary after tax deductions at the end of the month. Some of these factors include the subject you teach, the province where you work, the number of years you have worked, and whether you work for the public or private sector.
But on average, primary school teachers in the country make R194,232 per year, according to reports from Payscale – about R16,186 per month. After tax deductions, you should be able to take home at least R14,000 at the end of the month.
If you are employed to teach certain subjects like Mathematics, English and Social Sciences, your salary may be higher. Maths teachers earn an average of R233,820, that is R19,485 every month, while English teachers earn R199,596 per annum (16,630 every month).
Primary school teachers in South Africa who have stayed on the job for many years and are qualified can earn as high as R299,000 per annum; the minimum salary primary school teachers in South Africa receive is R23,000 per year.
High School Teachers In South Africa Earn An Average Of R231,906 Per Annum
High school teachers in South Africa earn more than their Primary School counterparts – R19,625 per month with an average of R231,906 per year. Those with better academic qualifications and who have been on the job for a couple of years can earn up to R340,000 per year, i.e., R28,333 monthly. The lowest high school teachers in South Africa earn is R100,000 per year.
Like with primary school teachers, your salary as a high school teacher may also depend on the subject you are employed to teach. Those who teach chemistry earn above the average with a salary of R27,600 per month, which can be as high as R43,500. The least amount a chemistry teacher can earn in South Africa is R14,400 every month.
What Teachers’ Earn As Salary In South Africa Also Depends On The Province They Work In
The salary of both primary and high school teachers in South Africa also varies from one province to another. In the Free State province, teachers earn an average monthly salary of R7,324. In KwaZulu Natal, teachers earn as high as R24,207 every month, which amounts to about R290,484 per year, while primary school teachers earn R15,710 per month on average.
The salary of primary school teachers in Gauteng province ranges from R99,000 to R323,000 per year. On average, primary school teachers in Gauteng earn R227,601 annually, which is about R18,966 per month. Still, in Gauteng province, the salary of high school teachers ranges from R139,000 – R319,000 per year, and on average, they earn R19,520 every month.
In Limpopo Province, teachers earn an average salary of R9,008, and in Western Cape Province, teachers earn R9,250 on average. In Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, teachers earn R8,775 while in Mpumalanga, primary school teachers earn R210,857 per year and R17,572 every month on average.
High school teachers in Mpumalanga province earn a salary of up to R217,770 per annum on average. Mathematics teachers in the province earn an average of R153,171 per annum, which is about R12,764 every month.
From these figures, you can tell that Gauteng – which is one of the most commercial provinces in South Africa – Mpumalanga, and Kwazulu Natal provinces pay teachers the most, as the average salaries of teachers in these provinces are close to the general average salary of teachers in the country as a whole.
Salaries of Teachers In South Africa Are Also Determined By Their Level and Qualification
To earn the best from your career as a teacher in South Africa, you will need to be properly qualified. Under-qualified teachers in South Africa are some of the lowest-paid workers by the government. Here is a breakdown of the salary of teachers based on their qualifications and level.
Qualification | Salary |
Post Level 1: under-qualified teachers, senior teachers, master teachers | R210 000 – R465 000 |
Qualified Teachers (with four years degree) on REQV 14 | R278 000 – R618 000 |
Senior teachers on Relative Education Qualification Value (REQV) of 13 | R330 000 – R465 000 |
Senior Teachers on REQV 14 | R330 000 – R618 000 |
Master teachers on REQV 13 | R387 000 – R465 000 |
Master Teacher on REQV 14 | R387 000 – R618 000. |
The salary of teachers in South Africa may not be as much as that of teachers in the United States, where teachers earn as high as $63,645 per year, which is about R26.19 million and is way above what teachers in SA earn. But compared to countries like Nigeria and Uganda, where teachers earn about R8,666 and R60,000, respectively, the teachers in South Africa are better off.
Not only African countries. According to a study conducted in 2018, teachers in South Africa are better-paid when you compare their remuneration with what teachers are paid in countries like Russia, Brazil, Israel, India, and a host of other countries that you probably didn’t expect.
Though they earn better than their counterparts in most African countries, South African teachers still complain about being underpaid and working under unfavorable conditions, which means there is still room for improvement. In 2019, teachers in South Africa were reported to have been leaving the country due to low pay and poor working conditions, and countries like China seemed to be one of their favorite destinations.