List Of Careers And Salaries In South Africa (2023)

Are you a graduate looking for a job in South Africa, or you are thinking of going to the University and then searching for the best course that will give you the best-paying job?

Search no more because we’ve compiled a list of major careers in South Africa and their salaries per year.

List Of Careers And Salaries In South Africa

1: Medical Specialists

Mean Salary: R1, 123, 890 

A Medical Specialist specializes in a particular branch of medicine, such as heart or bone disorder. They are also capable of performing surgery.

Qualifications:

• Medicine, M.D.
• Med school (4-6 years)
• Work experience (1 year)

 

2. Technical And Business Architect

Mean Salary: R871,342

A business architect is someone who is concerned with the development and maintenance of an organization’s capabilities under its corporate strategy, as well as contributing to business strategies and plans.

Qualifications

Degree in:

• Business Administration
• Accounting 
• Finance

 

3. Pilot

Average salary: R695,000

A pilot is a person that conveys cargo and people on a flight.

Qualifications

• A college degree is not always required to get started in this career field

 

4. Petroleum Engineer

Mean Salary: R694,700

A Petroleum engineer is a person who designs and develops methods for extracting oil and gas from deposits below the Earth’s surface. 

Qualifications:

• Industrial engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Electrical engineering
• General engineering

 

5. IT Manager 

The average yearly salary is R663,539.

IT Manager oversees computer and information systems and is also responsible for planning, coordinating, and directing activities within their organizations.

Qualifications:

• Degree in IT with a major in computer science, information technology, and information management.

 

6. Industrial Engineer

Average yearly salary: 663,347

In manufacturing, industrial engineers work to remove inefficiency in production processes. 

They construct a system that integrates workers, machines, materials, information, and technology to make products or produce services in a way that minimizes wasteful practices.

Qualifications:

• Industrial engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Electrical engineering
• General engineering

 

7. Lawyer 

Average salary per year: R655,000

Lawyers are people who interpret the law.

Every person needs a lawyer to manage a conflict or disagreement for them, to prosecute or defend them in a lawsuit, and to offer guidance on legal matters.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Law

 

8. Management Consultant

Average Salary: 625,038 

Management consultants are people skilled at helping businesses grow and expand by solving problems and uncovering new and better approaches to relevant problems.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree with a major in: 

• Business administration
• Accounting
• Management

 

9. Financial Manager: R619,240 p/a

Financial managers are people responsible for the financial health of a company and also offer financial advice on how to make an organization grow.

Qualifications: 

• Finance
• Accounting
• Economics
• Business administration

 

10. Actuary 

Average salary: R550,656

An actuary is a business expert who deals with risk and uncertainty measurement and management, which can have a detrimental impact on both sides of the balance sheet. Asset, liability, and valuation management are all required to manage these risks.

Qualifications:

Major in degrees in one of the following:

• Actuarial science
• Mathematics
• Statistics
• Economics
• Finance
• Business

 

11. Plant manager

Salary: R510,348

The person in charge of manufacturing or production facilities is known as a plant manager or an industrial production manager. They take part in plant operations every day and assist with the company’s strategic planning for the long term.

Qualifications

• 4-year degree in industrial management, business, or any related field.

 

12. Project Manager: R500,000 p/a

Project managers are responsible for the planning and execution of a project.

Qualifications 

• A Bachelor’s degree in organisational management, engineering, marketing, finance, information technology or project management

 

13. Programmer

The average salary for software engineers is R494,730

Software engineers apply the principles of software engineering to the design, development, maintenance, testing, and evaluation of computer software.

Qualifications:

• Degree in IT with a major in computer science, information technology, and information management.

 

14. Accountant

Average salary $482,649

An accountant is a professional who is employed by an organization to record all the transactions taking place within the business, as well as give a running account of the business’s performance to management.

Qualification

• Four-year bachelor’s degree in accounting
• Master’s degree in accounting

 

15. Primary Care Physician (General Medical Doctor)

The average doctor’s salary is R437,527 per annum.

General Medical, often referred to as “general practitioners” or “GP’s,” are primary care physicians who see patients for acute and chronic illnesses and provide preventative care and health education to patients.

Qualifications:

• Medicine, M.D.
• Med school (4-6 years)
• Work experience (1 year)

 

16. Human Resources manager

The average annual salary of a human resources manager is R352,000.

HR professionals actively recruit, screen, interview, and place workers in an organization. They are in charge of providing benefits, training, and payments for employees.

Qualifications:

Degree in:

• Human resources management
• Business administration

 

17. Tax consultants

The yearly salary for tax consultants is R300,000.

A tax consultant is an individual who possesses knowledge of tax laws, as well as expertise in preparing tax returns and providing advice on how to handle any taxation-related issue.

Qualifications:

Degree in:

• Accounting 
• Finance

 

18. Graphics Designer

The average annual salary is R246,000.

A graphic design is created by combining images or motion pictures to communicate either manually or with computer software.

Graphic design does not follow the standard model of job certification, which means that it’s not certificate-dependent. 

Qualifications:

• Degree in IT with a major in computer science, information technology, and information management.

 

19. Company Secretary: R238,962

A company secretary is a higher position in a private sector company or public organization.

In a corporate or public sector organization, a company secretary is a senior job.

Qualifications:

Degree in:

• Business Administration
• Accounting 
• Finance

 

20. Director of Procurement: R230,200

The Procurement Director is in charge of designing a corporate procurement and material management strategy for the purchase of direct and indirect goods and services.

Degree in:

• Business Administration
• Accounting 
• Finance

 

21. Vice President of Sales: R220,000

A VP of Sales is in charge of ensuring that their sales team meets and exceeds sales targets.

Degree in:

• Business Administration
• Accounting 
• Finance

 

22. Director of Marketing R200,000

Marketing directors are in charge of their company’s entire branding and image, as well as marketing and communications strategy.

Degree in:

• Business Administration
• Accounting 
• Finance

 

23. Manager of a Country: R 199,000

A Country Manager’s major responsibility is to oversee the activities of a company’s affiliate in a specific country or region.

• Degree in:
• Business Administration
• Accounting 
• Finance

 

24. Company Secretary for the Group: R197,000

The Group Company Secretary is responsible for giving legal, financial, and/or strategic assistance.

Degree in:

• Business Administration
• Accounting 
• Finance

 

25. Director of Information Technology: R196,000

The Director of Information Technology is the most senior executive in an organization who works with information technology and computer systems to achieve enterprise goals.

Qualifications:

• Degree in IT with a major in computer science, information technology, and information management.

 

26. Information Technology Director: R195,000

They, like the CIO, work with the information technology department to help the company achieve its goals.

Qualifications:

• Degree in IT with a major in computer science, information technology, and information management.

 

27. IT Security Manager: R193,000

An information security manager is a person who is in charge of securing an organization’s computers, networks, and data against computer viruses, security breaches, and malicious hacker attacks.

Qualifications:

• Degree in IT with a major in computer science, information technology, and information management.

 

28. Chief Enterprise Architect: R190,000

The chief enterprise architect’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the company’s business strategy, as well as any relevant trends, are reflected in the company’s procedures.

 

29. Project Manager: R180,000

A project director is a project management position in which an executive-level employee strategically controls, monitors, and manages.

 

30. Sales Director / Head of Sales: R150,000

The Head of Sales establishes and communicates the company’s KPIs and targets to subordinate salespeople regularly, as well as analyzes consumer patterns.

Degree in:

• Business Administration
• Accounting 
• Finance

Which careers pay the most in South Africa?

Arranged in no special order, careers that pay the most in South Africa are;

Medical Specialists

Technical And Business Architect

Pilot

Petroleum Engineer

IT Manager

Industrial Engineer

Lawyer

Management Consultant

Financial Manager: R619,240

Actuary 

 

Which career has the most job opportunities in South Africa?

The careers that have the most job opportunities in South Africa according to CareerJuntion, are Technology/IT (Software developer). Business Management and Finance Jobs.

Related:

• Types Of Dismissal In South Africa
• Types of Doctors And Salaries in South Africa
• Types Of Lawyers In South Africa

Conclusion

Here you have it, the List Of Careers And Salaries In South Africa. Note that these jobs are ranked according to their average yearly salary (per annum).