21 public sector jobs that pay R1 million or more a year

The Public Servants Collective Bargaining Council (PSCBC) has published its latest salary scales for members who work in the health, engineering and other associated fields in South Africa – showing how much they will be earning in 2018.

The document has been published after a protracted negotiation period with the government, where the wage increases for the next three years needed to be ironed out, amid many economic and financial constraints being felt by National Treasury.

Among the many jobs listed in the new salary document are over 40 job types that carry high earning power – pulling in more than R1 million a year, depending on grade and pay level.

Unsurprisingly, most of these are in the medical and technical fields (such as engineering), or various management positions across most departments.

High-paying public sector jobs can be split into two categories – those that have a starting salary of R1 million or more, and those that have lower starting salaries, but the potential to reach over R1 million a year with time and experience.

The tables below outline both types.

Starting at R1 million or more

The jobs that start out paying R1 million a year are those that require specialist or technical skills in a specific field.

Medical officers in general are well paid in the public sector, but the salaries listed below also apply for those specialising in dentistry, pharmacology and stomatology (indicated with a *).

Potential for R1 million

The jobs listed below show the highest earning potential for the respective occupations. While starting salaries are below the R1 million mark, the jobs do pay that kind of salary at the highest levels.

Read: 9 in-demand jobs that pay R1 million a year in South Africa