38 jobs in South Africa that pay over R1.5 million in 2025

 ·25 Jan 2025

Professional recruitment firm Robert Walters has published the results of its 2025 salary survey, showing what top professionals can expect to earn in the country this year.

The salary survey not only provides pay ranges for professional positions across key industries, it also shows broader trends in specific job markets, covering banking, financial services, legal, human resources and information technology.

South Africa’s job market is in a quandary, with an unacceptably high level of unemployment and a critical skills crisis where companies cannot always find the necessary skills they need.

Contrary to expectations, however, this doesn’t necessarily mean that South African professionals have the pick of the litter when it comes to jobs.

Low economic growth over the past decade and a half, along with a slump in business confidence and investment—stifling expansion—there are few positions available, and the competition among job seekers is fierce.

This was reflected in Robert Walters’ findings in 2025, where all fields surveyed showed low hiring demand, making it “very easy to hire professionals” for businesses in the sectors.

Employees also showed a penchant for moving positions relatively frequently, with tenure ranging from an average of 1.2 years to 2.6 years, depending on the sector, and 1.5 years overall.

Notably, only 29% of professionals are looking for a new job in 2025, down from 46% in 2024, showing a decline in employee mobility.

This is likely due to a concerted effort by businesses to retain talent. In 2025, about half (50%) of businesses indicated that they are giving pay raises versus 48% of employees who are expecting them.

High paying jobs

The latest survey identified 40 jobs in South Africa with an end-range earning potential of R1.5 million a year or more.

Notably, this is down from over 50 positions in 2024, with many end-ranges sitting lower.

While the salary data is very comprehensive, it is important to note that it is primarily focused on corporate or “office job” professionals.

This means that specific sectors, such as airline pilots, engineers, medical personnel and government officials, do not feature in the report.

The earning potential among professionals is also tied to experience in the field, as well as the size of the companies worked for.

Top earners are generally well experienced—with over ten years of experience in their field—though there are some exceptions.

The table below outlines the 38 top-earning positions in the survey (salaries R’000). Salaries are cost-to-company and don’t include bonuses.

JobSectorFrom
(R’000)
To
(R’000)
Chief Risk OfficerBusiness & Financial Services1,7003,500
CFOBusiness & Financial Services2,0003,500
Head of Internal AuditLegal1,4002,800+
General CounselLegal2,8002,800
Head of LegalLegal1,5002,800+
General ManagerAccounting & Finance2,7002,700
CEO (SME)Accounting & Finance1,4502,700+
Relationship Manager / Corporate bankerBusiness & Financial Services9502,500
Prvate Equity / Corporate FinanceBusiness & Financial Services1,2502,500
Group Tax ManagerAccounting & Finance1,5002,500
COOAccounting & Finance1,0002,500
Commercial DirectorAccounting & Finance1,5002,500
Junior DirectorLegal2,2002,200
Equity DirectorLegal1,5002,200
Qualified CABusiness & Financial Services1,5002,200
Investment Analyst (CA plus CFA)Business & Financial Services1,3502,200
ActuaryBusiness & Financial Services1,4002,200
Head of Finance / Finance ExecutiveBusiness & Financial Services1,6002,200
Group Treasury ManagerAccounting & Finance1,0002,200
CTOTechnology1,7002,100
HR DirectorHuman Resources1,3002,000
Strategy ConsultantBusiness & Financial Services1,3002,000
Finance ManagerAccounting & Finance1,3001,800
Senior Team LeadTechnology1,3001,800
Senior Data Analytics ManagerTechnology1,4001,700
Lead Cybersecurity EngineerTechnology1,3001,700
Senior Manager Applications DevelopmentTechnology1,2001,700
Business AnalystBusiness & Financial Services1,1001,600
Quant Risk AnalystBusiness & Financial Services1,1001,600
Treasury SpecialistBusiness & Financial Services1,0001,600
Quality Assurance ManagerTechnology1,1001,550
Compensation and Benefits ManagerHuman Resources9901,500
Senior AssociateLegal9901,500
Private Equity / Corporate FinanceBusiness & Financial Services1,1001,500
Management Consultant (non-CA)Business & Financial Services1,0001,500
Data ScientistBusiness & Financial Services1,0001,500
Senior Fullstack DeveloperTechnology1,1001,500
Technology Risk SpecialistTechnology1,2001,500
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