The 4 jobs hit with double-digit pay cuts in South Africa

In South Africa, salaries for certain roles have seen double-digit declines over recent years, largely due to shifts in demand and external economic pressures.

This is according to Pnet’s latest Job Market Trends Report, which noted that salaries are typically influenced by factors like skill level, years of experience, and, crucially, supply and demand dynamics.

High-demand professions with a limited pool of skilled talent tend to command better pay, while roles with an oversupply of workers generally see lower offers.

Over time, shifts in technology, market needs, and external pressures such as economic downturns can alter which jobs are well-compensated and which face declines.

Technological advancements provide a clear example of how demand impacts salaries.

Consider the switchboard operator role: once essential for managing phone connections, it has all but disappeared as technology replaced the need for manual intervention.

In contrast, demand for data scientists has soared as companies increasingly rely on data-driven strategies, pushing up salaries in that field.

The job market constantly adjusts to such shifts, which can result in pay cuts or stagnation for roles that become less critical over time.

A recent investigation by Pnet into salary trends over the past six years examined shifts across various sectors in Gauteng.

Focusing on intermediate-level positions, the study excluded entry-level, senior roles and those outside of Gauteng for consistency.

Among the job roles analysed, four were identified as having experienced substantial salary declines.

The four jobs that experienced significant declines are:

• Branch Managers
• Financial Controllers
• Personal Assistants
• Structural Engineers

Branch managers, a role once pivotal in customer-facing sectors, saw salaries drop significantly from 2018 to 2021.

The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the acceleration of digital banking, likely contributed to reduced demand for branch-level management.

Although there has been a modest recovery in salary offers since 2021, branch manager salaries remain below 2018 levels, with reductions ranging from 17% to 25%.

Financial controllers have experienced a steady drop in salary offers, declining consistently by about 24% to 25% since 2018.

This decline might be attributed to increased automation in financial management tasks and a general trend towards cost-cutting measures in many businesses.

Personal assistants have also seen a slow but steady reduction in salary offers since 2018.

By 2024, salaries for this role had decreased by approximately 8% to 14% compared to six years prior.

This decline is likely related to the rise of digital tools that facilitate scheduling, communication, and task management, reducing the demand for dedicated assistants.

Another role impacted by market shifts, structural engineers, experienced a notable drop in salary offers from 2018 to 2021.

Although demand for their expertise has recently picked up, salaries are still 11% lower than they were six years ago.

This trend reflects the construction sector’s overall volatility and fluctuating investment in infrastructure projects.

In addition to roles with declining salaries, several professions have seen stagnation in pay. These include accountants, .NET developers, data analysts, and IT project managers.

For accountants, salaries dropped from 2018 to 2021 but have since remained relatively stable.

A similar trend is observed with .NET developers and IT project managers, both of whom saw slight increases up until 2021, followed by declines, resulting in a net change of nearly zero from 2018 levels.

Data analysts also reflect this stagnation trend, with no significant salary changes between 2018 and 2024. The stability in salaries for these professions suggests that while they are still necessary, demand has not spiked enough to drive substantial salary growth.

Salary trends in South Africa highlight how technological advancements and economic shifts can reshape job markets and affect pay.

While some professions benefit from rising demand and compensation, others face stagnation or reductions as the market adjusts.

This dynamic underscores the importance of adaptability in a rapidly changing workforce, where new skills and roles frequently emerge while others see their relevance—and compensation—diminish.

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