C# Developer Salary Trends in South Africa

Developed by Microsoft as a solid, object-oriented language that could be used to build complex programs, C# has become highly popular thanks to its rich standard library, easily learnable modern syntax, high-level structured language and reusable components that enable quicker software development.

C# is also the third-most-popular programming language among software developers overall, with 37% of developers using it as their primary language. With C#’s use within indie game development on the rise and more websites being built using the ASP.NET framework, there are plenty of opportunities for C# developers on the horizon. In this article, we’ll take a look at average C# developer salaries at each stage of their careers.

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Average entry-level and junior C# developer salary trends

Average C# Developer Salaries in 2023

Average Salary by Years Experience, showing 25th and 75th percentiles

Years of Experience	25th Percentile	Average	75th Percentile
0-2	R12,500	R23,686	R27,500
2-4	R17,500	R31,063	R36,500
4-6	R32,500	R43,671	R52,500
6-10	R42,500	R60,231	R72,500
10+	R62,500	R85,066	R97,500

The average entry-level C# developer salary has grown a healthy 16.4% (R3 334) from the 2022 average and means they start out with a monthly income of R23 686. At this level, that’s almost exactly the same as Java and Python developers, who earn R23 696 and R23 450 respectively.

At the two-year mark, junior C# developers can expect a 31.1% increase to a salary of R31 063 – 9.4% (R2 677) more than they would’ve earned in 2022. Unfortunately, from here on out they trail behind Java and Python developers, who earn 6.5% (R2 149) and (R3 943) more respectively at this level.

On the plus side, in the 4-6 year experience range, C# developers can look forward to a whopping 40.6% (R12 608) jump to a monthly income of R43 671. That’s 6.4% (R2 646) more than the 2022 equivalent, but Java salaries at this level pull ahead by 12.1% (R5 990) and Python by 11.3% (R7 229).

With the language being widely used in web and game development, as well as enterprise-level applications, C# developers are in high demand. Coupled with the fact that junior developers tend to switch between jobs more often and negotiate for fresh increases, this explains why salaries increase so sharply early in their careers.

Average senior C# developer salary trends

Happily, salary growth continues apace for senior C# developers: with 6-10 years under their belts, they’re in for a 37.9% (R16 560) increase to R60 231. That’s a nominal 2.2% (R1 301) more than the 2022 average, and while still behind Java and Python, it closes the gap a little to 10.9% (R7 382) and 12.7% (R8 764) respectively.

It’s worth sticking with C# long term, as past the 10-year mark, developers are in for the largest increase of their careers, leaping 41.2% (R24 835) to earn R85 066 . That’s 3.9% (R3 217) more than in 2022. Highly experienced Java developers earn 11.6% (R11 155) more, while Python devs earn 8.3% (R7 693) more.

Senior C# developers need to be able to deploy fully functional applications, support and train junior developers, upgrade existing programs, and do testing and debugging, among other responsibilities. Developers with these proficiencies are highly valuable in South Africa’s growing software development market, and are thus remunerated accordingly.

Average full stack C# developer salary trends

Average Full Stack C# Developer Salaries by Experience

Years of Experience	Average Salary
0-2	R22,161
2-4	R31,839
4-6	R42,820
6-10	R58,616
10+	R80,116

C# salaries for full stack developers track quite similarly to the overall average. Rookie full stack C# developers can expect to start their careers on a R22 161 salary, which is 6.4% (R1 525) less than the average. In the 2-4 year bracket, their largest career salary increase (43.7%, or R9 678) puts them on R31 839, 2.5% (R776) ahead of the average. A raise of 34.5% (R10 981) at 4-6 years to a monthly income of R42 820 leaves them trailing the average once more, though by just 1.9% (R850).

Senior full stack C# developers with 6-10 years of experience receive a 36.9% (R15 796) increase to R58 616, which is 2.7% (R1 615) behind the average, while 10+ years of experience should bag another 36.7% (R21 500) pay hike to R80 116 – 5.8% (R4 950) less than average.

Keep in mind

The data in this article is taken from OfferZen's 2023 State of the Software Developer Nation Report. In this article, 'salary' refers to the gross monthly salary (before tax) provided by more than 4500 survey respondents.

Average salaries are single data points and only one part of a bigger story. It's expected that many respondents may earn significantly more or less than these averages. However, we hope to provide a picture of underlying trends by mapping the average salaries for different experience levels.

Salaries depend on the industry, individual, perks and nature of work. These factors all influence the salary a company will offer to a prospective hire. 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 employee and employer.

On OfferZen, you can hire C# developers and find C# developer jobs.