Salary trends for the most in-demand jobs in South Africa
New research by South African jobs portal, Adzuna, reveals the biggest changes in salary among over 40 of the most in-demand skills in the country over the past year.
Adzuna looked at the listed job requirements in over 130,000 job listings, assessing the demand for a particular skill, versus job seekers looking for jobs in that specific field.
The group’s data shows that STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills remain the rarest in the country, with the number of positions requiring them not being met by the skills available.
Despite this, the average salaries offered for most of these positions are slightly lower than those offered in 2016. Of the 44 ‘rare’ skills covered by Adzuna, only 12 saw an increase in the average salaries offered.
The biggest increase in salary was a 10.1% hike in the average salary for chef skills, where the 2016 salary offered was R157,660, and the 2017 increase saw it jump to R173,580.
Other sizable increases were for pharmacists (8.46%), financial accountants (7.16%) and drivers (6.69%).
The biggest drops in average salary offered were for recruiters, down from R513,326 in 2016, to R235,143 in 2017. Big drops were also seen for consultants (-26.52%), controllers (-22.88%), sales positions (-22.15%) and officers (-21.27%).
Irrespective of the climbs and the drops, engineering skills were still the most rewarded in 2017, with civil engineers being the best paid. Receptionists were the lowest-paid in-demand skills
The two tables below show which in-demand skills saw the biggest increases in average salary, and which skills saw the biggest drops:
| Skill | Average 2016 Salary (ZAR) | Average 2017 Salary (ZAR) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chef | R157 660 | R173 581 | 10.10% |
| Pharmacist | R506 418 | R549 247 | 8.46% |
| Financial accountant | R439 920 | R471 429 | 7.16% |
| Driver | R111 919 | R119 408 | 6.69% |
| Receptionist | R97 464 | R101 907 | 4.56% |
| Project manager | R558 330 | R583 711 | 4.55% |
| php Developer | R395 950 | R410 328 | 3.63% |
| Technician | R227 406 | R234 416 | 3.08% |
| Civil engineer | R592 809 | R609 196 | 2.76% |
| Technologist | R486 118 | R497 127 | 2.26% |
| Assistant manager | R218 449 | R222 739 | 1.96% |
| Bookkeeper | R181 150 | R183 295 | 1.18% |
| Developer | R470 872 | R467 163 | -0.79% |
| Java developer | R528 135 | R513 875 | -2.70% |
| Engineer | R596 996 | R580 372 | -2.78% |
| Web developer | R407 987 | R395 896 | -2.96% |
| Analyst | R531 762 | R514 938 | -3.16% |
| Mechanic | R464 945 | R448 407 | -3.56% |
| Supervisor | R253 359 | R243 652 | -3.83% |
| Net developer | R467 460 | R446 743 | -4.43% |
| Registered nurse | R276 671 | R264 135 | -4.53% |
| Foreman | R453 944 | R431 331 | -4.98% |
| Business analyst | R569 417 | R540 582 | -5.06% |
| Nurse | R283 224 | R268 785 | -5.10% |
| Planner | R449 795 | R425 502 | -5.40% |
| Accountant | R418 910 | R394 962 | -5.72% |
| Clerk | R141 018 | R131 865 | -6.49% |
| Sales manager | R436 646 | R406 913 | -6.81% |
| Assistant | R151 827 | R140 288 | -7.60% |
| Software developer | R496 747 | R457 254 | -7.95% |
| Coordinator | R246 187 | R226 125 | -8.15% |
| Quantity surveyor | R532 380 | R487 254 | -8.48% |
| Surveyor | R561 940 | R512 849 | -8.74% |
| Designer | R363 890 | R327 712 | -9.94% |
| Manager | R498 565 | R448 366 | -10.07% |
| Operator | R392 775 | R348 437 | -11.29% |
| Administrator | R184 159 | R159 843 | -13.20% |
| Secretary | R168 895 | R140 685 | -16.70% |
| Executive | R315 045 | R259 672 | -17.58% |
| Officer | R286 784 | R225 777 | -21.27% |
| Salesperson | R267 329 | R208 118 | -22.15% |
| Controller | R345 115 | R266 138 | -22.88% |
| Consultant | R277 493 | R203 914 | -26.52% |
| Recruiter | R513 326 | R235 143 | -54.19% |
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