56 jobs that pay more than the average salary in SA
If you're looking for a new job, you might want to look at these…
Stats SA's latest Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) reveals that 56 job types in South Africa pay more than the national average salary of R28,231 per month.
This data highlights key industries and roles that offer higher earning potential in the formal, non-agricultural sector.
READ MORE: Pretoria man wins R1 million
Top-paying jobs in South Africa
The highest-paying sector is electricity, gas, steam, and water supply, where professionals earn an average of R75,515 per month.
Other well-paying industries include:
Financial intermediation: strong salaries for banking and investment professionals
Computer and related activities: high demand for IT specialists and software developers
Air transport: competitive wages for pilots and aviation professionals
Industries offering above-average salaries
Among the 90 job types surveyed, 56 exceed the national average. These are spread across sectors like finance, IT, and specialised manufacturing, where skills and expertise drive higher earnings.
Lower-paying sectors
In contrast, the hotel and restaurant industry recorded the lowest earnings, averaging R11,703 per month.
Other lower-paying roles include community service workers, textile manufacturers, and general retail employees, with salaries between R13,000 and R14,000 per month.
READ MORE: This is the most expensive city for groceries in SA
Bonuses boost year-end salaries
December’s salary figures also saw a boost due to annual bonuses, with Stats SA reporting an 85.4% increase in bonus payouts over the quarter.
This data provides valuable insights for job seekers and professionals looking to maximise their earning potential in South Africa’s job market.
Here are the jobs that earn more than the average salary, along with their respective sectors and earnings:
1. Electricity, gas, steam and water supply (electricity): R75,515
2. Activities auxiliary to financial intermediation (business services): R73,870
3. Computer and related activities (business services): R59,623
4. Air transport (transport): R57,643
5. Extra budgetary institutions (government): R53,616
6. Financial intermediation – banks, excluding insurance and pensions (business services): R52,656
7. Manufacturing of coke oven products, petroleum refineries, processing of nuclear fuel (manufacturing): R51,661
8. Manufacturing of motor vehicles (manufacturing): R49,847
9. Architectural, engineering, and other technical activities (business services): R49,576
10. Health and social work (community): R49,103
11. Activities of membership organisations (community): R46,806
12. Legal, accounting, bookkeeping, and auditing activities (business services): R46,315
13. Insurance and pension funding (business services): R46,131
14. Sea and coastal water transport (transport): R44,094
15. Post and telecommunications (transport): R43,931
16. Manufacturing of electric motors, generators, and transformers (manufacturing): R42,973
17. Collection, purification, and distribution of water (electricity): R42,698
18. Manufacturing of medical appliances and instruments (manufacturing): R42,584
19. Research and development (business services): R41,457
20. Universities and technikons (government): R40,623
21. Advertising (business services): R40,329
22. Real estate activities (business services): R39,685
23. Manufacturing of other chemical products (manufacturing): R38,904
24. Manufacturing of basic chemicals (manufacturing): R38,780
25. Manufacturing of railway and tramway locomotives, aircraft, and spacecraft (manufacturing): R37,598
26. National departments (government): R37,537
27. Manufacturing of general-purpose machinery (manufacturing): R37,441
28. Supporting and auxiliary transport activities (transport): R36,997
29. Manufacturing of basic precious and non-ferrous metals (manufacturing): R36,739
30. Manufacturing of special-purpose machinery (manufacturing): R36,345
31. Manufacturing of basic iron and steel (manufacturing): R35,789
32. Manufacturing of optical instruments, photographic equipment, watches, and clocks (manufacturing): R35,529
33. Provincial departments (government): R35,498
34. Non-gold mining (mining): R35,180
35. Wholesale trade (trade): R34,969
36. Local government (government) R33,821
37. Gold mining (mining): R33,171
38. Manufacturing of television and radio receivers, sound or video recording (manufacturing): R32,799
39. Manufacturing of rubber products (manufacturing): R32,240
40. Manufacturing of casting of metals (manufacturing): R32,112
41. Manufacturing of paper and paper products (manufacturing): R32,107
42. Manufacturing of office, accounting, and computing machinery (manufacturing): R31,734
43. Land transport and transport via pipelines (transport): R31,564
44. Manufacturing of electronic components (manufacturing): R31,208
45. Other educational institutions (community): R31,059
46. Manufacturing of motor vehicle parts and accessories (manufacturing): R30,591
47. Recreational, cultural, and sporting activities (community): R29,864
48. Building installation (construction): R29,514
49. Building of complete constructions or civil engineering projects (construction): R29,505
50. Manufacturing of fabricated metal products and metalwork service activities (manufacturing): R29,416
51. Manufacturing of electricity distribution and control apparatus (manufacturing): R29,349
52. Manufacturing of insulated wire and cable (manufacturing): R28,949
53. Manufacturing of glass and glass products (manufacturing): R28,864
54. Manufacturing of accumulators, primary cells, and batteries (manufacturing): R28,849
55. Manufacturing of publishing equipment (manufacturing): R28,736
56. Site preparation (construction): R28,302
Tune in to the 'Breakfast with Martin Bester', weekdays from 06:00 – 09:00. Stream the show live here or download our mobile app here.
Listen to Jacaranda FM:
- 94.2
- Jacaranda FM App
- http://jacarandafm.com
- DStv 858/ OpenView 602
Follow us on social media:
Image: Jacaranda FM