11 Highest Paid Psychologists In South Africa (2023)

A psychologist is a person who studies normal and abnormal states of mind. His job is to understand perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behaviors, and he gains this understanding by experimenting with, observing, interpreting, and recording individuals’ behavior with one another, and how we respond to certain situations.  

In South Africa Psychologists usually acquire a four-year university degree, after which they can work with a range of institutions including schools, prisons, private clinics, workplaces, or sports teams. Psychologists are high earners in South Africa, they do the important job of maintaining the mental health of the people, and optimizing the performance of people in key sectors who contribute to society.

On how much does a psychologist earn in South Africa per month, an average psychologists earn about R 22,392 per month. I listed the top highest paid psychologists in South Africa, just their average figure; psychology is a diverse field of work, and the earnings are also vastly different. 

Highest Paid Psychologists In South Africa

1. Mental Health Technicians

Average Salary: R 47,000 per month 

Mental Health Technicians are mental health professionals, normally working under the direction of psychiatrists. They secure patients’ compliance with personal hygiene routine as per doctors orders and make sure about their medicine consumption, daily meals, and other matters, which might worsen a mental case. Sometimes their work requires them to use force.

Mental health Technicians earn about R 47,000 per month or 571 608 per year. 

2. Forensic Psychologists

Average Salary: R34,470 Per Month

Forensic Psychologists work with law enforcement agencies to understand the motives and behind why certain people commit certain crimes. A forensic Psychologist is the second highest-paid psychologist in South Africa, sometimes they work with criminals or suspects that have been apprehended, and other times they examine crime scenes and reenact scenarios, thereby drawing possible conclusions. Forensic Psychologists typically earn about R34,470 per month, which amounts to R413,660 per year.

3. Clinical Psychologists

R 32 278 per month

Clinical Psychologists are doctors who practice a mix of science, theory, and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing and relieving mental stress or distress or dysfunction. They promote their patient’s well-being and personal development. 

On average, Clinical Psychologists make about R32,278 per month, which is about R387336 per year.

4. Clinicians

Average salary: R 30 702 per month

A Clinician is also one of the highest-paid psychologists in South Africa, they work with mental patients to diagnose the nature of a person’s problem. Their work is very important. They earn about R 30 702 per month, which amounts to about R368,424 per year.

5. School Psychologists

Average Salary: R30,078

School Psychologists, or Educational Psychologists as they are sometimes called, are important members of the academic community. They help students maintain a healthy mental disposition and also help them maintain a healthy level of competitiveness with one another. In South Africa, School Psychologists earn about R30,078, which translates to about R360,944.

7. Military Psychologists

Average Salary: R26,977 per month.

Military Psychologists are psychologists who work with military personnel. This is a huge task; military personnel goes through unprecedented amounts of stress, and this sometimes comes with physical trauma. Military personnel is known to have a high rate of suicides. For these reasons, military psychologists must take extra care and must be extra perceptive. Military Psychologists earn around R26,977 per month, which translates to about R323,724 per year.

8. Neuro Psychologists

Average Salary: R25,164 per year.   

Neuro Psychologists are concerned with how a person’s cognition and behavior are related to the brain as well as the rest of the nervous system. They also study how injuries or illnesses of the brain affect cognitive and behavioral functions. Neuro Psychologists earn about R25,164 per year, which amounts to R301,968 per year.   

9. Sports Psychologists

Average Salary: R22,916 Per Month

Sports Psychologists work with professional or semi-professional athletes. Their job is to study the athletes, and learn how to motivate them to improve their performances. They may be employed by schools or by professional sports clubs. In South Africa, they earn about R22,916 Per Month, which is about R275,000 per year.

10. Social Workers

Average Salary: R12,971 per month

Social Workers are essential workers in society; they work with vulnerable children, protecting them from abusive adults, and helping them to escape harmful influences that can possibly destroy them. In turn, society becomes safer and more positive. Social Workers typically earn about R 12 971 per month which amounts to R155,652 per year.

11. Therapists

Average salary: R 8 310 Per Month

Therapists mainly work with functional patients who just need help to overcome certain issues that may affect them mentally and hinder them from living well, enjoying life, or living up to their potential. Therapists may be employed by hospitals, but mostly they have their own practices. Therapists earn about R 8 310 Per Month or R99720 per year.

12. Counselors

Average Salary: R 6 586 per month

Counselors play the important roles of listening and giving guidance to people. They may be privileged to work with young people, teaching them to stay away from trouble, or teaching them to avoid violence, or teaching them to make wise career choices. Others may listen to couples and help them resolve their issues. They typically earn about R 6 586 per month or R79032 per year.

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Conclusion:

Even though Psychologists do not typically administer drugs, they are doctors in the sense that they understand the symptoms, which are behaviors exhibited by the patients they observe, and arrive at treatment plans to help the patients regain mental stability, and live normally, healthy, and happy lives again. 

As you have seen in the presentation above, psychologists work in diverse fields of specializations. The figures provided above are just estimates, it should not be surprising to find the highest-paid psychologist in South Africa earning far above the stipulated amounts, because determining factors include years of experience and recognition earned on the job. One thing remains constant, however; psychology is a very rewarding field of work.