Healthcare

Professional Nurse Salary in South Africa

Professional Nurses registered with the SANC are essential across both public and private healthcare. Private hospital groups in the major metros pay above the public OSD scales, with specialised theatre, ICU and trauma nurses earning toward the senior band.

Median annual

R 396 000

National average · 2026

Median monthly

R 33 000

Gross Cost-to-Company

Senior band (75th)

R 540 000

~12+ years experience

Pay distribution: entry vs senior

How Professional Nurse compensation scales from the 25th to the 75th percentile across South Africa.

25th percentile · Entry levelR 276 000

R 23 000 per month

50th percentile · MedianR 396 000

R 33 000 per month

75th percentile · Senior levelR 540 000

R 45 000 per month

City-by-city pay comparison

How a Professional Nurse salary changes across South Africa's major metros.

City	Province	Annual median	Monthly	Adjustment
Johannesburg	Gauteng	R 419 800	R 34 983	+6%
Cape Town	Western Cape	R 411 800	R 34 317	+4%
Pretoria	Gauteng	R 396 000	R 33 000	0%
Durban	KwaZulu-Natal	R 384 100	R 32 008	-3%
Port Elizabeth	Eastern Cape	R 368 300	R 30 692	-7%
Bloemfontein	Free State	R 372 200	R 31 017	-6%

Take-home pay calculator

Estimate net pay for a Professional Nurse using current SARS 2026 PAYE brackets and UIF rules.

Gross annual CTC

R 276 000R 540 000

Your age band

Net take-home pay

R 27 154

per month · R 325 843 per year

Gross monthly CTC: R 33 000
PAYE tax (monthly): − R 5 669
UIF (monthly): − R 177,12
Net monthly: R 27 154

Effective tax rate: 17.2% · UIF capped at R 177,12/mo

Estimates assume a basic salary structure with no retirement-fund or medical-aid tax credits applied. For an exact figure, consult a registered tax practitioner.