Stats SA’s latest quarterly employment survey (QES) shows that the average monthly salary in South Africa increased to R29,690 in the fourth quarter of the year.
This represents a 0.1% increase over the revised R29,650 recorded in the third quarter of the year.
Year-on-year gross earnings increased by R49.6 billion or 4.8% between December 2024 and December 2025.
Basic salary/wages paid to employees increased by R16.6 billion or 1.8% from R914.3 billion in September 2025 to R930.8 billion in December 2025.
This was due to increases in the following industries: community services, business services, trade, manufacturing, construction, transport, mining, and electricity.
Year-on-year basic salary/wages increased by R40.4 billion or 4.5% between December 2024 and December 2025.
Bonuses paid to employees increased by R58.1 billion or 92.5% from R62.8 billion in September 2025 to R120.9 billion in December 2025.
The large jump reflects the seasonal timing of the data, where most bonuses are paid out in December.
Year-on-year bonus payments increased by R8.6 billion or 7.6% between December 2024 and December 2025.
Overtime paid to employees increased by R41 billion or 0.1% from R28.3 billion in September 2025 to R28.4 billion in December 2025.
Year-on-year overtime payments increased by R700 million or 2.5% between December 2024 and December 2025.
A notable point in the more detailed breakdown of the data is that, while the average salary has remained flat, the number of jobs that pay in line with the average has increased.
43 jobs paid more than the average salary in the third quarter of the year, jumping up to 57 jobs in the latest quarter.
This means the mix of job types that earn more than the average has also broadened—though the jobs earning the highest monthly average remain virtually the same.
Highest-paying jobs in South Africa
The QES covers eight key industries or sectors in South Africa, which are split further into 20 sub-categories.
These are mainly made up of various manufacturing sectors, as well as a split between government and non-government community and social services.
The dataset breaks these numbers down further, covering earning estimates across 91 types in the formal, non-agricultural sector.
Notably, of the 91 jobs covered by the survey, 57 job types paid higher than the national average over the quarter.
The highest average was R80,573 per month for those working in financial intermediation and related activities. This top position is unchanged from Q3.
This is followed by those working in electricity, gas, steam and water supply, where the average earnings were R75,492 per month.
Utility salaries typically rank among the highest-paying jobs in the country fairly consistently.
Other high-paying jobs include those working in computer and related business services, air transport and water purification.
Looking at the other end of the list, those working in hotels and restaurants have remained at the bottom of the list, earning an average of R12,168 per month.
Workers in apparel and knitted textile manufacturing earned more than hotel workers, with an average monthly salary of R13,552.
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 & Water includes electricity, 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
- Government includes social and personal services run by and related to the state
- NGO include social and personal services run by and related to non-government organisations and entities.
The table below outlines the 57 jobs that currently pay more than the national average:
| # | Job | Sector | Average p/m |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Activities auxiliary to financial intermediation | Business Services | R80 573 |
| 2 | Electricity, gas, steam and water supply | Electricity | R75 492 |
| 3 | Computer and related activities | Business Services | R70 513 |
| 4 | Air transport | Transport | R60 644 |
| 5 | Collection, purification and distribution of water | Electricity | R58 153 |
| 6 | Extra Budgetary institutions | Government | R56 836 |
| 7 | Financial intermediation (i.e. Banks), except insurance and pension funding | Business Services | R56 036 |
| 8 | Architectural, engineering and other technical activities | Business Services | R52 074 |
| 9 | Health and social work | NGO | R51 103 |
| 10 | Motor vehicles | Manufacturing | R51 083 |
| 11 | Electric motors, generators and transformers | Manufacturing | R51 017 |
| 12 | Coke oven products; petroleum refineries; processing of nuclear fuel | Manufacturing | R50 726 |
| 13 | Sea and coastal water transport | Transport | R49 920 |
| 14 | Insurance and pension funding | Business Services | R49 530 |
| 15 | Legal, accounting, bookkeeping and auditing activities | Business Services | R48 420 |
| 16 | Activities of membership organisation | NGO | R47 206 |
| 17 | Medical appliances and instruments and appliances for measuring, checking, testing, navigating etc | Manufacturing | R44 863 |
| 18 | Research and development | Business Services | R44 144 |
| 19 | Universities and technikons | Government | R42 631 |
| 20 | Post and telecommunications | Transport | R42 603 |
| 21 | Real estate activities | Business Services | R41 492 |
| 22 | National departments | Government | R41 001 |
| 23 | Basic chemicals | Manufacturing | R40 829 |
| 24 | Other chemical products | Manufacturing | R40 157 |
| 25 | General-purpose machinery | Manufacturing | R40 008 |
| 26 | Advertising | Business Services | R39 895 |
| 27 | Office, accounting and computing machinery | Manufacturing | R39 587 |
| 28 | Supporting and auxiliary transport activities | Transport | R38 992 |
| 29 | Railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock; aircraft and spacecraft | Manufacturing | R38 694 |
| 30 | Provincial departments | Government | R38 073 |
| 31 | Special-purpose machinery | Manufacturing | R37 995 |
| 32 | Wholesale trade | Trade | R37 640 |
| 33 | Basic iron and steel | Manufacturing | R37 384 |
| 34 | Non-gold mining | Mining | R37 323 |
| 35 | Basic precious and non-ferrous metals | Manufacturing | R36 459 |
| 36 | Optical instruments and photographic equipment; watches and clocks | Manufacturing | R36 168 |
| 37 | Gold mining | Mining | R36 037 |
| 38 | Local government | Government | R35 626 |
| 39 | Other educational institutions | NGO | R34 699 |
| 40 | Electronic valves and tubes and other electronic components; television and radio transmitters etc | Manufacturing | R34 334 |
| 41 | Publishing | Manufacturing | R33 318 |
| 42 | Parts and accessories for motor vehicles and their engines | Manufacturing | R33 197 |
| 43 | Land transport and transport via pipelines | Transport | R33 124 |
| 44 | Insulated wire and cable | Manufacturing | R32 838 |
| 45 | Casting of metals | Manufacturing | R32 425 |
| 46 | Television and radio receivers, sound or video recording or reproducing apparatus and associated goods | Manufacturing | R32 184 |
| 47 | Recreational, cultural and sporting activities | NGO | R32 032 |
| 48 | Glass and glass products | Manufacturing | R31 715 |
| 49 | Building of complete constructions or parts thereof, civil engineering | Construction | R31 576 |
| 50 | Paper and paper products | Manufacturing | R31 489 |
| 51 | Beverages and tobacco products | Manufacturing | R30 958 |
| 52 | Building installation | Construction | R30 881 |
| 53 | Accumulators, primary cells and primary batteries and Electric lamps and lighting equipment | Manufacturing | R30 563 |
| 54 | Site preparation | Construction | R30 491 |
| 55 | Rubber products | Manufacturing | R30 317 |
| 56 | TVET Colleges | Government | R30 251 |
| 57 | Household appliances n.e.c | Manufacturing | R30 052 |
