South Africa’s best and worst paying jobs
Staffing solutions firm Quest’s latest salary survey has outlined the best and worst jobs in “white collar” businesses in South Africa.
A white-collar worker is a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, generally in an office, cubicle, or other administrative setting.
The survey looked at various salaries from jobs and department roles across businesses on a national level, a provincial level as well as a sector level. The data collected and analysed was taken from 418 fully completed surveys.
The salaries were also split between permanent and non-permanent positions, with both 0-5 years and more than 5 years experience groups, listing the median, minimum and maximum salaries surveyed (less the lowest 10% of responses received and less the highest 10% of responses received).
Nationally, chartered accountants earn the highest median salary, with CAs with under five years experience looking at R42,500 per month, and R52,500 per month with more than five years experience.
However, Quest noted that engineers, analysts and quantity surveyors (as a group) earn the highest salaries in comparison to all other positions reviewed in the survey once they have five or more years experience.
All figures are based on survey samples as indicated in the tables below.
The maximum reported salary for CAs was listed at R97,500 (for over 5 years experience) and a minimum of R17,000 (for under 5 years experience).
On the opposite side of the national permanent salary spectrum, tea ladies earn the lowest median wage at R3,000 per month, moving up to R5,000 per month for more than 5 years experience.
Other low-earning white-collar jobs include assistants, drivers, receptionists and typists (R7,000 median, moving up to between R7,000 and R11,000 with more experience).
The tables below represent the national averages for both experience groups.
The full salary report, with detailed industry and provincial breakdowns, is available here: Quest salary report
Finance
| 0-5 years experience |
n | Median | Min (10%) | Max (90%) |
| Accounts Clerk | 75 | 11,000 | 5,000 | 19,000 |
| Bookkeeper | 102 | 16,000 | 7,000 | 27,000 |
| Bookkeeper: Balance Sheet | 47 | 15,000 | 7,000 | 27,000 |
| Chartered Accountant | 61 | 42,500 | 17,000 | 72,500 |
| Credit Controller | 63 | 13,000 | 7,000 | 27,000 |
| Creditors Clerk | 77 | 11,000 | 7,000 | 21,000 |
| Debtors Clerk | 73 | 11,000 | 5,000 | 17,000 |
| Financial Manager | 105 | 29,000 | 11,000 | 57,500 |
| Payroll Administrator | 73 | 13,000 | 7,000 | 25,000 |
| 5+ years experience |
n | Median | Min (10%) | Max (90%) |
| Accounts Clerk | 87 | 13,000 | 7,000 | 23,000 |
| Bookkeeper | 132 | 19,000 | 13,000 | 32,500 |
| Bookkeeper: Balance Sheet | 62 | 20,000 | 11,000 | 32,500 |
| Chartered Accountant | 79 | 52,500 | 21,000 | 97,500 |
| Credit Controller | 98 | 17,000 | 11,000 | 32,500 |
| Creditors Clerk | 93 | 13,000 | 7,000 | 25,000 |
| Debtors Clerk | 101 | 13,000 | 7,000 | 21,000 |
| Financial Manager | 199 | 42,500 | 21,000 | 77,500 |
| Payroll Administrator | 105 | 17,000 | 9,000 | 29,000 |
Human resources
| 0-5 years experience | n | Median | Min (10%) | Max (90%) |
| HR Assistant | 75 | 11,000 | 5,000 | 25,000 |
| HR Manager | 80 | 26,000 | 11,000 | 45,000 |
| Trainer | 52 | 17,000 | 5,000 | 29,000 |
| Training Manager | 46 | 26,000 | 7,000 | 52,500 |
| 5+ years experience | n | Median | Min (10%) | Max (90%) |
| HR Assistant | 75 | 17,000 | 7,000 | 27,000 |
| HR Manager | 137 | 32,500 | 19,000 | 62,500 |
| Trainer | 55 | 21,000 | 9,000 | 42,500 |
| Training Manager | 65 | 32,500 | 13,000 | 57,500 |
Marketing and sales
| 0-5 years experience | n | Median | Min (10%) | Max (90%) |
| Brand Manager | 25 | 27,000 | 5,000 | 52,500 |
| CSR/Enquiries Clerk | 27 | 11,000 | 3,000 | 32,500 |
| Key Accounts Manager | 37 | 23,000 | 11,000 | 57,500 |
| Marketing Manager | 52 | 29,000 | 11,000 | 62,500 |
| Marketing Support Staff | 51 | 11,000 | 3,000 | 25,000 |
| PR/Communications Mgr. | 35 | 25,000 | 7,000 | 47,500 |
| Sales Manager | 55 | 27,000 | 9,000 | 57,500 |
| Sales Representative | 77 | 15,000 | 5,000 | 32,500 |
| Telesales Representative | 37 | 9,000 | 3,000 | 19,000 |
| 5+ years experience | n | Median | Min (10%) | Max (90%) |
| Brand Manager | 33 | 37,500 | 11,000 | 67,500 |
| CSR/Enquiries Clerk | 30 | 12,000 | 6,000 | 28,750 |
| Key Accounts Manager | 69 | 32,500 | 17,000 | 77,500 |
| Marketing Manager | 97 | 37,500 | 17,000 | 67,500 |
| Marketing Support Staff | 57 | 15,000 | 7,000 | 29,000 |
| PR/Communications Mgr. | 36 | 32,500 | 11,000 | 52,500 |
| Sales Manager | 115 | 42,500 | 19,000 | 72,500 |
| Sales Representative | 112 | 19,000 | 9,000 | 37,500 |
| Telesales Representative | 55 | 13,000 | 5,000 | 21,000 |
IT and support
| 0-5 years experience | n | Median | Min (10%) | Max (90%) |
| Data Capturer | 46 | 9,000 | 5,000 | 19,000 |
| Database Administrator | 34 | 14,000 | 5,000 | 29,000 |
| Infrastructure Manager | 25 | 27,000 | 7,000 | 57,500 |
| IT Manager | 45 | 29,000 | 9,000 | 57,500 |
| IT Support | 59 | 13,000 | 5,000 | 25,000 |
| Network Administrator | 37 | 15,000 | 5,000 | 32,500 |
| 5+ years experience | n | Median | Min (10%) | Max (90%) |
| Data Capturer | 56 | 9,000 | 5,000 | 21,000 |
| Database Administrator | 46 | 17,000 | 7,000 | 32,500 |
| Infrastructure Manager | 41 | 37,500 | 13,000 | 77,500 |
| IT Manager | 94 | 32,500 | 17,000 | 62,500 |
| IT Support | 69 | 17,000 | 11,000 | 29,000 |
| Network Administrator | 41 | 19,000 | 9,000 | 32,500 |
Other
| 0-5 years experience | n | Median | Min (10%) | Max (90%) |
| Admin/Office Manager | 74 | 13,000 | 5,000 | 23,500 |
| Branch Manager | 48 | 28,000 | 7,000 | 67,500 |
| Business Analyst | 38 | 23,000 | 9,000 | 52,500 |
| Cleaner/Tea Lady | 113 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 7,000 |
| Clerical Assistant | 67 | 7,000 | 3,000 | 15,000 |
| Driver | 88 | 7,000 | 3,000 | 11,000 |
| Executive Secretary / PA | 74 | 15,000 | 7,000 | 29,000 |
| Procurement Manager | 45 | 29,000 | 11,000 | 52,500 |
| Receptionist | 134 | 7,000 | 5,000 | 15,000 |
| Typist | 30 | 7,000 | 3,000 | 19,000 |
| 5+ years experience | n | Median | Min (10%) | Max (90%) |
| Admin/Office Manager | 107 | 19,000 | 9,000 | 42,500 |
| Branch Manager | 72 | 35,000 | 13,000 | 62,500 |
| Business Analyst | 44 | 32,500 | 15,000 | 57,500 |
| Cleaner/Tea Lady | 161 | 5,000 | 3,000 | 9,000 |
| Clerical Assistant | 69 | 11,000 | 5,000 | 17,000 |
| Driver | 120 | 7,000 | 5,000 | 13,000 |
| Executive Secretary / PA | 121 | 17,000 | 11,000 | 32,500 |
| Procurement Manager | 81 | 32,500 | 11,000 | 57,500 |
| Receptionist | 152 | 9,000 | 7,000 | 17,000 |
| Typist | 28 | 10,000 | 5,000 | 19,000 |
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