Go remains a niche language among South African software engineers with just 5.3% reporting that they work with it regularly. However, it remains one of the country’s best-paying programming languages. Here, we’ll look at average salaries for Go developers at each stage of their careers and how they compare to Python, PHP and Ruby developers.
Average junior Golang developer salary trends
Entry-level Golang developers start with an average monthly salary of R24 523, up 9% (R2 023) from last year. That puts them 4.6% (R1 073) ahead of entry-level Python developers and 37.3% (R6 658) ahead of PHP. However, at this stage of their careers, they earn 13.7% (R3 898) less than Ruby developers.
Once they have two years of experience under their belts, Go developers see their salaries almost double, jumping 94.4% (R23 143) to an average of R47 666. That represents a 26.6% (R10 010) increase on 2022’s average. This puts them 36.2% (R12 660) ahead of Python and is 75.8% (R20 553) more than the average junior PHP developer’s salary. They also earn 4.5% (R2 041) more than their Ruby counterparts.
At the four-year mark, a 38.9% (R18 563) increase is on the cards, bringing their average monthly salary to R66 229. Similarly, experienced Python developers earn 30.1% (R15 329) less, PHP 92.7% (R31 861) less, and Ruby 26.9% (R14 050) less.
Although Go has grown in popularity in South Africa, it remains a niche language, meaning developers proficient in its use are fewer on the ground than for other languages. Moreover, junior developers tend to switch jobs more frequently, meaning more opportunities to bring those niche skills to a fresh negotiating table for a higher raise.
Average Go Developer Salary by Experience
| Years of Experience | 25th Percentile | Average | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-2 | R17,500 | R24,523 | R29,500 |
| 2-4 | R27,500 | R47,666 | R54,500 |
| 4-6 | R42,500 | R66,229 | R75,500 |
| 6-10 | R62,500 | R83,305 | R89,500 |
| 10+ | R72,500 | R101,394 | R110,500 |
Average senior Golang developer salary trends
Go developers with six years of experience can expect their salaries to increase by 25.8% (R17 076) to R83 305. At this level, they earn 20.7% (R14 310) more than Python developers, 55.6% (R29 760) more than PHP, and 8.1% (R6 250) more than Ruby.
With ten years under their belts, Go developers get a 21.7% (R18 089) raise to a salary of R101 394, which is 7% (R6 614) more than they would’ve earned in 2022. This puts them 9.3% (R8 635) ahead of their senior Python contemporaries, 28.1% (R22 228) ahead of PHP, and 4.6% (R4 459) ahead of Ruby.
Golang developers see significant salary increases in the early stages of their careers. By the time they hit the senior level, they’re already highly paid, which might explain why their salary growth slows slightly. Nevertheless, the scarcity of individuals with advanced skills in this programming language means that they continue to see over 20% increases even as they rise through the ranks, making Go one of the best-paying languages in the country.
Average Go Developer Salaries in 2023 vs 2022
| Years of Experience | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| 0-2 | R24,523 | R22,500 |
| 2-4 | R47,666 | R37,656 |
| 4-6 | R66,229 | R55,454 |
| 6-10 | R83,305 | R73,618 |
| 10+ | R101,394 | R94,780 |
Keep in mind
The data in this article is taken from OfferZen’s upcoming 2023 State of the Software Developer Nation Report. In this article, ‘salary’ refers to the gross monthly salary (before tax) provided by more than 4 500 survey respondents.
Average salaries are single data points and only one part of a bigger story. Many respondents are expected to earn significantly more or less than these averages. However, we aim to provide a picture of underlying trends by mapping the average salaries for different experience levels.
These averages should not be used to estimate what your actual salary will or should be.
Salaries depend on the industry, individual, perks and nature of work. These factors influence the salary a company will offer prospective hires. In addition, most developers are “fluent” in several languages, which will affect the final figures.
It’s also important to remember that every individual’s context is different. Ultimately, salary is a personal conversation that should take place between the employee and employer.
Related resources:
- State of South Africa’s Software Developer Nation
- How to Negotiate a Job Offer That’s More Than Just the Money
- How to Negotiate when Hiring Developers
- Developer Salaries 2022: Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria
- Backend Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- Java Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- Front End Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- Full Stack Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- React Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- Azure Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- TypeScript Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- Ruby Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- Kotlin Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
