{"id":920,"date":"2024-07-22T16:08:23","date_gmt":"2024-07-22T16:08:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/tvet\/?page_id=920"},"modified":"2026-09-17T08:52:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T08:52:15","slug":"what-is-the-lowest-paid-engineering-field","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/tvet\/what-is-the-lowest-paid-engineering-field\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is The Lowest Paid Engineering Field?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

No official South African source ranks engineering fields by pay, so claims that one field is “the lowest paid” are guesses. Pay differs far more by your registration level, experience, employer and location than by the name of your discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What actually sets engineering pay<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Factor<\/th>Effect<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Registration level<\/td>Candidates earn less than Professional Engineers, Technologists or Technicians<\/td><\/tr>
Qualification<\/td>Degree, diploma and trade routes lead to different roles<\/td><\/tr>
Sector<\/td>Mining, energy, consulting, government and manufacturing pay differently<\/td><\/tr>
Experience and responsibility<\/td>Sign-off authority is valued<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

An official guide that is not about disciplines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ECSA’s 2025 fee guideline, published in the Government Gazette, sets consulting rates by staff category and time, not by engineering field. That reflects how the profession values experience and responsibility rather than discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing a field sensibly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n