26.4% of South African developers are using Java as a primary programming language in 2022. This makes it the fifth most used programming language in the country. Here’s an overview of average Java developer salaries by experience, and what full stack Java developers are earning across their careers.
Junior Java Developer Salary Trends
Entry level Java developers can expect a gross monthly salary of R19,550. This increases by a massive 54.2% to R30,146 once they reach 2 years of experience as Junior developers.
Java developers in South Africa can expect to see their biggest salary jump once they have more than 4 years of experience under their belt.
Java developers with 4-6 years of experience see their salaries rise by 56.9% to R47,292.
However, this salary growth starts to slow once they reach higher levels of seniority.
Senior Java Developer Salary Trends
After 6 years in the job, Java developers can expect a 41.5% increase to an average monthly salary of R66,913.
Senior Java developers with more than 10 years of experience see the lowest salary increase in their career: An additional 35.4% earns them average salaries of R90,611.
While their salary growth starts to slow, senior Java developers are among the best paid developers at higher levels of seniority. This can be explained by the concentration of senior Java developers in South Africaâs best paying industries.
The data shows that most of South Africaâs senior Java developers work in FinTech, Consulting, and CloudTech. Why does this matter? Since 2019, FinTech and Cloud Tech have been the best paying industries for developers in South Africa, especially at higher levels of seniority.
Apart from their current industry, a Java developerâs role can also affect their starting salary and earning potential across their careers.
Java Full Stack Developer Salary Trends
In general, full stack developers are the second highest earning group among South African developers in 2022, after backend developers. Here, weâll see what full stack Java developers earn at each stage of their careers.
Entry level full stack Java developers earn an average salary of R19,841. This gives them a 1.5% advantage over the average entry level Java developer, but it doesnât last. When the entry level salary increases by 44.6% to R28,683 after theyâve been in the profession for at least 2 years, junior full stack Java developers earn 11.5% less than the average junior Java developer.
Once they have more than 4 years of experience, full stack Java developers get the biggest salary jump of their careers:
Mid-level full stack Java developers experience a 63.6% pay rise to R46,920.
Salary growth for senior developers tends to slow down, but full stack Java developers can still look forward to an increase of 38.1% to an average R64,383 at 6-10 years of experience, and another 27.5% increase after ten years, to R82,667.
Keep in mind
The data in this article is taken from OfferZenâs 2022 State of the Software Developer Nation Report. In this article, âsalaryâ refers to the gross monthly salary (before tax) provided by more than 3200 survey respondents.
Average salaries are single data points and only one part of a bigger story. Itâs expected that many respondents may earn significantly more or significantly less than these averages. However, by mapping the average salaries for different levels of experience, we hope to map underlying trends.
That said, these averages should not be used to estimate what your actual salary will or should be.
Salaries are dependent on the industry, individual, perks and nature of work. These factors all influence the salary a company will offer to a prospective hire. Most developers are âfluentâ in several languages and this will affect the final figures as well.
Itâs also important to keep in mind that every individualâs context is different. At the end of the day, salary is a personal conversation that should take place between employee and employer.
Related resources:
- Backend Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- Developer Salaries Across Tech Hubs in South Africa and Europe 2021
- Underpaid? Hereâs How to Make the Most Of Your Next Salary Conversation
- How to Negotiate a Job Offer Thatâs More Than Just the Money
- State of South Africaâs Software Developer Nation
