A beautician is a trained professional that uses a range of cosmetology techniques to provide hair, nail, makeup, or skin care services to their clients. While some beauticians choose to offer a wide selection of services to clients, many decide to specialize in a specific area.
Beautician Salary In South Africa
A person working as a Beauty Therapist in South Africa typically earns around 26,000 ZAR per month. Salaries range from 13,500 ZAR (lowest) to 39,800 ZAR (highest).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Beauty Therapist salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Beautician Salary Distribution in South Africa
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
Salary Range
Beautician salaries in South Africa range from 13,500 ZAR per month (minimum salary) to 39,800 ZAR per month (maximum salary).
Median Salary
The median salary is 25,000 ZAR per month, which means that half (50%) of people working as Beautician(s) are earning less than 25,000 ZAR while the other half are earning more than 25,000 ZAR. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Percentiles
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Beautician(s) are earning less than 17,300 ZAR while 75% of them are earning more than 17,300 ZAR. Also from the diagram, 75% of Beauty Therapist(s) are earning less than 31,100 ZAR while 25% are earning more than 31,100 ZAR.
Beautician Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does experience and age affect your pay?
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Beauty Therapist salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
A Beautician with less than two years of experience makes approximately 15,400 ZAR per month.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 20,600 ZAR per month, 34% more than someone with less than two year’s experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 26,800 ZAR per month, 30% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, Beautician(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 32,500 ZAR per month, 21% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 35,500 ZAR per month, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 37,300 ZAR per month, 5% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Beautician average salary change by experience in South Africa
| 0 – 2 Years | 15,400 ZAR | |
| 2 – 5 Years | +34% | 20,600 ZAR |
| 5 – 10 Years | +30% | 26,800 ZAR |
| 10 – 15 Years | +21% | 32,500 ZAR |
| 15 – 20 Years | +9% | 35,500 ZAR |
| 20+ Years | +5% | 37,300 ZAR |
Beautician Salary Comparison By Education
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Beautician salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is High School, the average salary of a Beautician is 19,300 ZAR per month.
While someone with a Certificate or Diploma gets a salary of 32,500 ZAR per month, 68% more than someone having a High School degree.
Beautician average salary difference by education level in South Africa
| High School | 19,300 ZAR | |
| Certificate or Diploma | +68% | 32,500 ZAR |
Beauty Therapist Salary Comparison By Gender
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Beautician employees in South Africa earn 7% less than their female counterparts on average.
| Male | 25,200 ZAR | |
| Female | +8% | 27,200 ZAR |
Beautician Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in South Africa
How much are annual salary increments in South Africa for Beauty Therapist(s)? How often do employees get salary raises?
Beautician
Beauty Therapist(s) in South Africa are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 11% every 19 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 18 months.
Beauty Therapist Bonus and Incentive Rates in South Africa
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
A Beautician is considered to be a moderate bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement indirect revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
48% of surveyed staff reported that they haven’t received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 52% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 5% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus
52%
No Bonus
48%
Beautician Average Hourly Wage in South Africa
The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in South Africa is 150 ZAR. This means that the average Beauty Therapist in South Africa earns approximately 150 ZAR for every worked hour.
How much do beauticians make in South Africa?
R145,731 (ZAR)/yr.
Is beautician a good career in South Africa?
Cosmetology has always been a good career option to people, who have got a sound aesthetic sense. Over the past 6 to 8 years, the beauty industry of the Indian Republic has witnessed a rapid expansion.
How long does it take to be a beautician in South Africa?
There are regional variations, but on average, the length of time to complete cosmetology training and licensing can be four to five years, not including high school. If you study part-time, it could take longer. During this time you will spend: Two years earning an associate degree.
What subjects are needed to become a beautician?
To note: Five of these subjects are chosen to study.
BTech Pharmaceutical Sciences involves:
Clinical trials.
Quality of Medicine.
Registrations of Medicine.
Good Clinical Practice.
Biopharmaceutics.
Formulations of Dosage.
Pharmaceutical Packaging.
How do I become a beautician in South Africa?
There are no formal training requirements for becoming a beautician in South Africa. But it is highly recommended you complete a course in beauty therapy if you are interested, as this will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to work in the field.
What GCSEs do you need to be a beautician in South Africa?
You’ll usually need: some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship. 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship.
What does a beautician wear in South Africa?
Beauty tunics
Tunics work well as spa uniforms and in salons and beauty centres to provide a hygienic and professional-looking uniform that can be worn by all employees.