Who's Earning More Than the Average South African? A Look at the Latest Wage Data
South Africa's average monthly salary has climbed to R30,611, according to Stats SA's Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) for the second quarter of 2026. That's up 2.6% on the previous quarter and 4.1% on a year ago. On paper, that's decent news for people with jobs. The details are more mixed.
A higher average, but fewer people earning it
The average rose while total employment shrank. About 14,000 jobs disappeared quarter-on-quarter, and the year-on-year loss was roughly 95,000, or 0.9%. When fewer people are on payrolls, the average can rise without most workers being any better off. Fewer lower-paid positions in the mix can lift the figure on its own.
The total wage bill also slipped. Gross earnings paid to employees fell by R4.8 billion from the first quarter to R1.025 trillion, a 0.5% drop. Over twelve months, though, the bill is still up 3.5%.
Bonuses took the hit
Basic salaries and wages grew by about R15.5 billion (1.7%) on the quarter, and overtime was up R2.7 billion. The drop came from bonuses, which fell by R23 billion, a 26.9% decline. Most of that was felt in business services, community services, transport, manufacturing, and electricity. That timing is typical, since bonus payments are lumpy and seasonal, but it explains why take-home pay may feel flatter than the headline average suggests.
The 44 jobs above the line
The QES tracks 91 job categories in the formal sector, and 44 of them pay more than the national average. That's one more than last quarter, when radio receiver and recording device manufacturing joined the list.
The top of the list is dominated by finance, energy, and transport:
- Activities auxiliary to financial intermediation: R77,409 a month, about two and a half times the national average
- Electricity, gas, steam and water supply: R67,677
- Air transport: R62,160
- Banking (financial intermediation): R59,562
- Computer and related activities: R58,051
Further down, you'll find vehicle manufacturing (R50,426), petroleum refining (R49,756), and engineering and technical services (R49,692). Health and social work in the non-profit sector pays R48,851, and legal, accounting and auditing work pays R46,938.
The public sector shows up well too. National departments average R44,148, universities and technikons R39,853, and provincial departments R39,802. Mining sits in the middle, with non-gold at R37,242 and gold at R35,993.
The bottom of the list hovers around R31,000, and that's where electronic components manufacturing and publishing sit. Below the cut-off, the picture is bleaker: the lowest-paying jobs in the survey are largely in manufacturing, especially clothing and textiles.
How to read these numbers
A few cautions before you start planning a career change:
- These are averages. A sector's average includes executives and specialists pulling it up. A new hire's salary will usually be lower, sometimes much lower.
- The categories are broad and sometimes odd. The survey files computer activities, architecture and engineering, and advertising under "Finance," and universities under "Government." Look at the job category itself, not just the sector label.
- It covers the formal sector only. Informal work, which is a large part of the South African economy, isn't captured.
- It's one quarter. Bonus timing and seasonal effects can swing individual figures.
The takeaway
Money in South Africa still concentrates in finance, energy, and transport, with technical and professional services close behind. The broader story is cautious: wages are rising, but employment is shrinking and bonuses are down sharply. For job seekers and anyone negotiating a raise, the data is a useful benchmark, as long as you remember it describes averages, not guarantees.
Source: Stats SA Quarterly Employment Survey, Q2 2026.
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