Our 2022 State of the Software Developer Nation data shows that React is the most popular framework among South African developers. It is also the second most used framework in the country after Node.js. Here, weâll look at average salaries for React developers by experience and compare them to the average salaries for React developers in 2021.
Average junior React developer salary trends
Average React Developer Salaries
Salaries for entry-level React developers start at an average of R19 471 per month. This is roughly 15% less than they were earning in 2021. However, entry-level React developers are not alone in experiencing a salary decrease.
Our 2022 State of the Software Developer Nation data shows that average salaries for developers with fewer than two years of experience have decreased since 2021.
This decrease can be explained by Covid-19 accelerating a shift to remote work: As more companies embrace remote, theyâre hiring and onboarding fewer junior and entry-level developers than they did before the pandemic, because it feels harder to train junior developers when theyâre siloed at home.
Weâre also seeing more junior developers entering the job market and thatâs making it harder for less experienced developers to get a foot in the door.
Fortunately, it doesnât stay this way for long.
Salaries for junior React developers quickly rise by 58.8% to an average of R30 927 after being in the profession for at least two years. By this stage of their careers, junior React developers will earn 2.6% more than the average in 2021.
After they reach the 4-6 years of experience mark, average salaries for mid-level React developers increase again by 49% to R46 100.
A React developerâs salary more than doubles by the time theyâve been on the job for over four years. Mid-level developersâ average salaries have increased by 9.5% since 2021.
React developers are not alone with steep salary increases during the early stages of their careers and follow a similar trend across roles, languages, and frameworks.
Why? While they are still finding their feet in the early stages of their careers, developers tend to change jobs more. This gives them a chance to negotiate a higher market-related salary than the inflationary increases developers can expect if they stay with one company. In addition to developers having had an opportunity to demonstrate their coding skills to potential employers, companies are also more inclined to offer what looks like a significant increase because, overall, the salary range still isnât that high.
Average senior React developer salary trends
Average React Developer Salaries in 2021 vs 2022
| Years of Experience | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| 0-2 | R23 103 | R19 471 |
| 2-4 | R30 130 | R30 927 |
| 4-6 | R42 089 | R46 100 |
| 6-10 | R58 121 | R62 962 |
| 10+ | R77 057 | R83 808 |
Demand for senior developers is at an all-time high, allowing them to command higher salaries than in 2021.
That said, salary increases for React developers slow down once they pass the 6-10 years experience mark.
React developers are not alone in experiencing slower salary growth once they become seniors. Why the slow-down? In addition to senior developers generally changing jobs less often than juniors, companies also have to start thinking about salary increases as a developerâs salary level becomes âmore expensiveâ.
However, thatâs not to say that thereâs no growth.
Senior React developers with at least six years of experience can still expect a 36.6% increase. This gives them an average monthly salary of R62 962 and 8.3% more than last year.
Their salaries increase by an additional 33.1% to R83 808 after theyâve been coding for more than ten years.
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 experience levels, we hope to map underlying trends.
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:
- State of South Africaâs Software Developer Nation
- Underpaid? Hereâs How to Make the Most Of Your Next Salary Conversation
- How to Negotiate a Job Offer Thatâs More Than Just the Money
- Backend Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- Java Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- Front End Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- Python Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- PHP Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- Full Stack Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- Node.js Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
- JavaScript Developer Salary Trends in South Africa
