Big shift for salaries in South Africa in 2026
As businesses look to retain and attract skilled workers, they are shifting toward integrating better benefits—such as training, development, and rewards—into pay packages alongside salary hikes.
According to PayInc, South Africans can anticipate salary increases averaging 5.2% in 2026, driven by favourable economic trends.
These include record-high commodity prices, a strengthened rand, and low inflation. The South African Reward Association (SARA) also predicts more benefits on the cards for employees.
Salary increase predictions are based on PayInc’s Net Salary Index, which monitors the net salaries of around 2.15 million salary earners in South Africa.
“Although the average nominal salary flattened in December 2025 at R21,397, it was still 1.8% higher than a year ago,” said PayInc Head of Stakeholder Engagements Shergeran Naidoo.
A recent poll by Andrew Levy Employment Publication on stakeholder and company expectations regarding remuneration revealed that companies expect salary increases to stay consistent with the previous settlement.
About 67% of respondents predicted that employee salary raises would be between 4% and 5.9%.
Additionally, the results indicated that it will take some time for wage expectations to adjust to South Africa’s new lower inflation target, adopted in 2025.
One significant factor influencing wage adjustments is the increasing importance of skills retention in remuneration strategies.
The latest Remchannel Quarterly report reveals that skills retention now makes up 25.8% of the criteria local companies consider when awarding salary increases, signalling a move toward skills-based pay systems.
SARA revealed that companies are increasingly using smarter strategies to retain employees, such as integrating rewards, development, and engagement throughout an employee’s lifecycle.
“Employees are looking for meaning, balance and authenticity in their work,” said SARA’s Ronél Camacho. “Organisations that understand and respond to these needs are more likely to retain their talent.”
SARA said that retention begins early in the employee journey, and that companies should start by hiring the right people, providing meaningful onboarding, and fair, transparent reward structures to form a foundation for higher retention.
These structures and benefits include:
- Professional development
- Flexible work arrangements
- Wellbeing initiatives
- Developing a culture of belonging
- Better leadership and communication
However, Camacho noted that these methods are not universal solutions, and should be adapted to an organisation’s size, structure, resources and workforce.
Salary ranges for 2026
Pnet, an online recruitment company, has released its 2026 Job Market Trends Report, featuring salary guides and ranges for different jobs across South Africa. In addition, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has released wage growth expectations across various sectors.
Business & Managment
| Job | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Manager / Director | R83,333 | R125,000 |
| Senior Manager | R37,000 | R56,160 |
| Middle / Department Manager | R30,000 | R48,016 |
| Team Leader & Supervisor | R20,000 | R36,336 |
| Office Manager | R20,000 | R26,350 |
| Financial Manager | R48,237 | R70,260 |
| Production Manager | R40,000 | R45,000 |
| Sales Manager | R30,000 | R43,816 |
| Marketing Manager | R35,000 | R68,163 |
| Maintenance Manager | R33,333 | R36,250 |
| Logistics Manager | R28,500 | R40,529 |
| IT Manager | R39,981 | R61,097 |
| Business Development Manager | R30,000 | R46,808 |
| Business Development Consultant | R26,000 | R40,000 |
| Infrastructure / Operations Consultant | R26,250 | R35,000 |
| Employee Training / Development Facilitator | R30,000 | R40,000 |
| Recruiter | R15,000 | R20,000 |
Finance
| Job | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Financial / Project Accountant | R30,000 | R40,000 |
| Cost & Management Accountant | R36,250 | R47,000 |
| Internal Auditor | R28,583 | R40,833 |
| Taxation Specialist | R25,000 | R35,000 |
| Bookkeeper | R20,000 | R25,000 |
| Payroll & Wages Officer | R25,000 | R30,000 |
| Accounts Payable / Receivable Officer | R17,000 | R20,000 |
| Creditors Clerk | R17,600 | R23,114 |
| Credit Manager | R25,000 | R35,000 |
| Risk Manager | R36,500 | R45,224 |
| Financial Analyst | R41,667 | R50,000 |
| Investment Manager | R43,987 | R55,000 |
| Financial Advisor | R13,164 | R22,082 |
| External Auditor | R25,000 | R35,000 |
| Portfolio Manager | R30,000 | R40,000 |
| Financial Services Consultant | R10,000 | R13,000 |
| Risk Assessment Analyst | R27,332 | R30,000 |
| Claims Assessor | R21,578 | R25,000 |
| Purchasing & Procurement Officer | R18,000 | R23,000 |
| Financial Manager | R48,237 | R70,260 |
Admin, Office & Support
| Job | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Admin Clerk | R14,000 | R16,667 |
| Personal Assistant | R20,000 | R30,000 |
| Secretary | R20,000 | R25,000 |
| Switchboard / Reception | R10,000 | R13,000 |
| Client / Customer Support Agent | R17,000 | R21,000 |
| Call Centre Operator | R10,000 | R13,000 |
| HR Consultant | R25,000 | R30,000 |
| Health, Safety & Environment Officer | R25,000 | R26,500 |
| Office Manager | R20,000 | R26,350 |
Information Technology
| Job | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Solutions Architect | R41,667 | R52,500 |
| Business Analyst | R34,000 | R46,250 |
| Systems Analyst | R41,667 | R50,000 |
| Database Administrator | R33,333 | R50,000 |
| Data Engineer | R27,500 | R40,000 |
| Data Analyst | R30,000 | R35,000 |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | R30,000 | R38,958 |
| Data Scientist | R36,667 | R50,000 |
| Systems / Network Administrator | R20,000 | R30,000 |
| IT Support Technician | R20,000 | R30,000 |
| Full Stack Developer | R30,000 | R45,000 |
| .Net Developer | R40,000 | R50,000 |
| C# Developer | R40,000 | R50,000 |
| Java Developer | R36,250 | R50,000 |
| Front End Developer | R40,000 | R50,000 |
| PHP Developer | R22,000 | R37,500 |
| Scrum Master | R36,667 | R44,167 |
| Test Analyst | R28,000 | R40,000 |
| IT Project Manager | R31,000 | R50,000 |
| IT Manager | R39,981 | R61,097 |
Building and Construction
| Job | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity Surveyor | R40,000 | R54,583 |
| Consulting Engineer | R40,000 | R70,417 |
| Structural Engineer | R47,500 | R66,667 |
| Civil Engineer | R50,000 | R65,833 |
| Concrete Foreman | R22,021 | R34,238 |
| Building Project Manager | R40,000 | R50,000 |
| Construction Manager | R40,000 | R52,500 |
| Electrician | R25,000 | R30,000 |
Manufacturing & Assembly
| Job | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Boilermaker | R17 500 | R30,000 |
| Millwright | R30 000 | R40,000 |
| Machinist | R10 000 | R13,000 |
| Tool / Die Maker | R30 000 | R40,000 |
| Production Controller | R15 000 | R20,000 |
| Quality Control Technician | R21 417 | R30,000 |
| Supply Chain Control Officer | R30 000 | R42,000 |
| Production Manager | R40 000 | R45,000 |
| Plant Manager | R45 000 | R77,500 |
Architecture & Engineering
| Job | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Architectural Draughtsman | R20,000 | R25,000 |
| Structural Engineer | R47,500 | R66,667 |
| Civil Engineer | R50,000 | R65,833 |
| Electrical Engineer | R45,000 | R65,000 |
| Industrial Engineer | R40,000 | R50,000 |
| Mechanical Engineer | R40,708 | R54,167 |
Sales
| Job | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Administrator | R15,000 | R20,000 |
| Sales Coordinator | R18,000 | R23,500 |
| Representative / Sales Consultant | R18,000 | R25,000 |
| Account Manager | R26,000 | R40,000 |
| Telesales / Telemarketing Agent | R11,000 | R15,000 |
| Retail Associate | R15,000 | R18,000 |
| Sales Manager | R30,000 | R43,618 |
Marketing
| Job | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Brand Manager | R30,000 | R44,999 |
| Product Manager | R35,000 | R45,000 |
| Communications & Public Relations Officer | R31,667 | R35,000 |
| Social Media Content Creator | R18,000 | R25,000 |
| Events Coordinator | R15,000 | R21,000 |
| Marketing Specialist | R27,500 | R36,500 |
| Marketing Coordinator | R19,583 | R25,000 |
| Marketing Manager | R35,000 | R68,163 |
Design & Publishing
| Job | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Product Designer | R20,000 | R35,000 |
| Graphic Designer | R15,000 | R26,000 |
| Web Designer | R20,000 | R37,500 |
| Copywriter | R20,000 | R30,000 |
Warehousing & Logistics
| Job | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Dispatch / Receiving Clerk | R15,000 | R18,000 |
| Warehouse Operator | R20,000 | R25,000 |
| Warehouse Supervisor | R20,000 | R24,000 |
| Fleet Controller | R17,750 | R21,000 |
| Logistics Coordinator | R15,000 | R24,633 |
| Logistics Manager | R28,500 | R40,529 |
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