These jobs in South Africa offer salary increases above inflation

Above-inflation salary increases in South Africa are uncommon, but they do happen. The latest data from Stats SA’s Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) highlights careers that young school leavers should consider for long-term job security.

In a wonderfully insightful story by Business Tech on above-inflation salary increases in South Africa, 62% of jobs can boast the milestone, while the remaining 38% are left floundering below inflation. Here’s how important your career choices early on can be when it comes to your long-term salary prospects …

ABOVE-INFLATION SALARY INCREASES IN SOUTH AFRICA

According to government data, in a like-for-like comparison of 88 job categories over a ten-year period (2014 to 2024), these are the jobs showing above-inflation salary increases in South Africa. Salary increase percentages noted in brackets:

• Electronic motor, generator and transformer manufacturing (+151%)
• Transport equipment manufacturing (+144%)
• Sawmilling and planing of wood (+142%)
• Health and social work (141%)
• Recycling (+126%)
• NGO activities (+121%)
• Non-gold mining (+115%)
• Financial intermediation (+111%)
• Business activities (+108%)
• Sean and coastal water transport (+106%)
• Motor vehicle manufacturing (+103%)
• Gold mining (+102%)
• Household appliance manufacturing (+102%)
• Optical instrument (cameras, watches, clocks) manufacturing (+102%)
• Production of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, oils and fats (+101%)
• Manufacturing of TV and radio receivers, sound or video recording (+100%)

The percentage increases mean the following … Looking at third on the list, for example, if you work plaining wood in a sawmill, in 2014 you earned R4 597. Today, that same job pays R11 117 – a 142% increase. If the salary stuck exactly with Inflation over the same time you’d be paid R8 159 today. Prolonged load-shedding in South Africa over the last decade, manufacturing of motors, generators and transformers has seen the biggest earnings jump (151%).

WORST-PERFORMING JOBS

Conversely, several job sectors have seen negative growth in the last ten years. This means even though salaries are increasing, people employed in these jobs are effectively in recession. Receiving less and less money for their efforts as the cost-of-living increases:  

• Building and repairing of ships and boats (+20%)
• Petroleum and nuclear fuel processing (+20%)
• Electrical equipment manufacturing (+35%)
• Beverages and tobacco products manufacturing (+36%)
• Insulated wire and cable manufacturing (+37%)
• Grain mill and related manufacturing (+38%)
• Financial intermediation (+40%)
• Electricity distribution and control apparatus manufacturing (+40%)
• Business research and development (+40%)

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

So, ship and boat repair and work in petroleum refineries and the processing of nuclear fuel is being undervalued. Meanwhile, electrical equipment manufacturing, and electricity distribution apparatus is only shrinking. To the lay person, it sounds like anything related to South Africans dropping Eskom in favour new sustainable energy is informing those results. So, if you’re a school leaver, these stats should be food for thought for the future …