42 jobs that pay higher than the R28,000 average salary in South Africa
Stats SA’s latest quarterly employment survey (QES) shows that the average salary in South Africa—for the formal, non-agricultural sector—has increased and is now sitting at R28,220 a month.
The average at the end of the third quarter was 8.2% higher year on year, beating inflation which is currently sitting at 2.9%, though still expected to average under 5% for the year.
Regardless, salaries are comfortably beating inflation, pointing to real growth in earnings—a stark contrast to the past few years where inflation has eaten away at earnings.
Stats SA’s Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) data covers eight key industries or sectors in South Africa, which is split further into 20 sub-categories, mainly made up of various manufacturing sectors, as well as a split between government and non-government community and social services.
The dataset covers earning estimates across over 90 job types in the formal, non-agricultural sector, indicating which job types or sectors draw the highest monthly earnings.
Notably, of the 90 or so jobs covered by the survey, 42 job types pay higher than the national average of R28,220 per month – with the highest average being R76,695 per month for those working around financial intermediation in the business services sector.
Other high-paying jobs include those in electricity, gas, steam, and water supply, financial intermediation, budgetary services, air transport and pension and insurance funding.
The table below outlines the 42 jobs that currently pay more than the national average:
| # | Job Description | Sector | Avg earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Activities auxiliary to financial intermediation | Business Services | R76,695 |
| 2 | Electricity, gas, steam and water supply | Electricity | R59,730 |
| 3 | Computer and related activities | Business Services | R56,601 |
| 4 | Financial intermediation (i.e. Banks) except insurance and pension funding | Business Services | R54,369 |
| 5 | Extra Budgetary institutions | Community: Government | R52,973 |
| 6 | Air transport | Transport | R52,066 |
| 7 | Insurance and pension funding | Business Services | R50,216 |
| 8 | Motor vehicles | Manufacturing | R48,174 |
| 9 | Health and social work | Community: NGO | R46,689 |
| 10 | Legal, accounting, bookkeeping and auditing activities | Business Services | R46,550 |
| 11 | Coke oven products; petroleum refineries; processing of nuclear fuel | Manufacturing | R45,487 |
| 12 | Sea and coastal water transport | Transport | R43,943 |
| 13 | Architectural, engineering and other technical activities | Business Services | R43,602 |
| 14 | Electric motors, generators and transformers | Manufacturing | R42,251 |
| 15 | Real estate activities | Business Services | R39,699 |
| 16 | Collection, purification and distribution of water | Electricity | R39,119 |
| 17 | Research and development | Business Services | R39,024 |
| 18 | Medical appliances and instruments and appliances, except optical instruments | Manufacturing | R38,224 |
| 19 | Post and telecommunications | Transport | R37,562 |
| 20 | Advertising | Business Services | R36,913 |
| 21 | Activities of membership organisattion | Community: NGO | R36,718 |
| 22 | National departments | Community: Government | R36,645 |
| 23 | Non-gold Mining | Mining | R35,861 |
| 24 | Provincial departments | Community: Government | R34,081 |
| 25 | Optical instruments and photographic equipment; watches and clocks | Manufacturing | R34,496 |
| 26 | Other chemical products; | Manufacturing | R33,830 |
| 27 | Supporting and auxilliary transport activities | Transport | R33,680 |
| 28 | Universities and technikons | Community: Government | R33,603 |
| 29 | Gold Mining | Mining | R32,586 |
| 30 | Railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock; aircraft and spacecraft | Manufacturing | R32,277 |
| 31 | Basic chemicals | Manufacturing | R32,157 |
| 32 | General purpose machinery | Manufacturing | R32,030 |
| 33 | Wholesale trade | Trade | R31,253 |
| 34 | Special purpose machinery | Manufacturing | R30,966 |
| 35 | Local government | Community: Government | R30,903 |
| 36 | Television and radio receivers, sound or video recording or reproducing apparatus and associated goods | Manufacturing | R30,696 |
| 37 | Casting of metals | Manufacturing | R30,691 |
| 38 | Land transport and transport via pipelines | Transport | R30,176 |
| 39 | Basic precious and non-ferrous metals | Manufacturing | R30,169 |
| 40 | Basic iron and steel | Manufacturing | R30,101 |
| 41 | Office, accounting and computing machinery | Manufacturing | R29,019 |
| 42 | Publishing | Manufacturing | R28,695 |
The following describes the industry segments.
- Mining includes mining and quarrying
- Manufacturing includes food and beverages, furniture, textiles, wood, printing and publishing, petroleum and chemicals, non-metals and mineral products, electrical, medical and technology-related apparatus, and transport equipment
- Electricity includes gas and water supply
- Trade includes wholesale, retail, motor, hotel and restaurants
- Transport includes freight, storage and postal communication
- Business services include financial intermediation, banking, insurance and real estate
- Community includes social and personal services, split among government and non-government entities.
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