Chief Risk Officer and Chief Financial Officer jobs were among the most high paying jobs in South Africa
Image: Nataliya Vaitkevich
There are 40 jobs in South Africa that have an end-range earning potential of R1.5 million a year or more.
This was revealed in the annual Salary Survey 2025 from Robert Walters, a professional recruitment company.
While there were 40 jobs in South Africa that have an end-range earning potential of R1.5 million a year for 2025, this number was down from the more than 50 job positions in 2024, according to Businesstech.
Although the salary data is comprehensive, it is mainly focused on corporate or "office job" professionals.
How much these professionals earn is also tied to the experience the professional has in the field, however, there are some exceptions.
Here is a look at top earning jobs in the survey. The salaries are cost-to-company and do not include bonuses.
| Job | Sector | From (R000) | To (R000) |
| Chief Risk Officer | Business & Finance Services | 1,700 | 3,500 |
| CFO | Business & Financial Services | 2,000 | 3,5000 |
| Head of Internal Audit | Legal | 1,400 | 2,800+ |
| General Counsel | Legal | 2,800 | 2,800 |
| Head of Legal | Legal | 1,500 | 2,800 |
| General Manager | Accounting & Finance | 2,700 | 2,700 |
| CEO(SME) | Accounting & Finance | 1,450 | 2,700+ |
| Relationship Manager / Corporate banker | Business & Financial Services | 950 | 2,500 |
| Private Equity / Corporate Finance | Business & Financial Services | 1,250 | 2,500 |
| Group Tax Manager | Accounting & Finance | 1,500 | 2,500 |
| COO | Accounting & Finance | 1,000 | 2,500 |
| Commercial Director | Accounting & Finance | 1,500 | 2,500 |
| Junior Director | Legal | 2,200 | 2,200 |
| Equity Director | Legal | 1,500 | 2,200 |
| Qualified CA | Business & Financial Services | 1,500 | 2,200 |
| Investment Analyst (CA plus CFA) | Business & Financial Services | 1,350 | 2,200 |
| Actuary | Business & Financial Services | 1,400 | 2,200 |
| Head of Finance / Finance Manager | Business & Financial Services | 1,600 | 2,200 |
| Group Treasury Manager | Accounting & Finance | 1,000 | 2,200` |
| CRO | Technology | 1,700 | 2,100 |
| HR Director | Human Resources | 1,300 | 2,000 |
| Strategy Consultant | Business & Financial Services | 1,300 | 2,000 |
| Finance Manager | Accounting & Finance | 1,300 | 2,000 |
| Senior Team Lead | Technology | 1,300 | 1,800 |
| Senior Data Analytics Manager | Technology | 1,400 | 1,700 |
| Lead Cybersecurity Engineer | Technology | 1,300 | 1,700 |
| Senior Manager Applications Development | Technology | 1,200 | 1,700 |
| Business Analyst | Business & Financial Services | 1,100 | 1,600 |
| Quant Risk Analyst | Business & Financial Services | 1,100 | 1,600 |
| Treasury Specialist | Business & Financial Services | 1,000 | 1,600 |
| Quality Assurance Manager | Technology | 1,100 | 1,550 |
| Compensation and Benefits Manager | Human Resources | 990 | 1,500 |
| Senior Associate | Legal | 990 | 1,500 |
| Private Equity / Corporate Finance | Business & Financial Services | 1,100 | 1,500 |
| Management (non-CA) Consultant | Business & Financial Services | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| Data Scientist | Business & Financial Services | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| Senior Fullstack Developer | Technology | 1,100 | 1,500 |
| Technology Risk Specialist | Technology | 1,200 | 1,500 |
While the salaries for the jobs that are mentioned above are tied to experience, there are a number of jobs in the country that require a low experience level.
This according to the Pnet Job Market Trends report which analysed jobs in the South African recruitment market over 2024.
In terms of what a low experience level means, the report said: "Given one has the right skills set, a low experience level usually indicates that this job role is easily accessible without having worked in this kind of role for many years."
Take a look at the jobs roles that require a low experience level:
- Staff Recruitment / Selection (Business & Management)
- Infrastructure / Operations Consulting (Business & Management)
- Representative / Sales Consulting (Sales)
- Retail (Sales)
- Electrician (Building & Construction)
- Bookkeeping (Finance)
- Accounts Payable / Receivable (Finance)
- Purchasing & Procurement (Finance)
- Payroll & Wages (Finance)
- Admin Clerk (Admin, Office & Support)
- Human Resources (Admin, Office & Support)
- Client / Customer Support (Admin, Office & Support)
- Personal Assistant (Admin, Office & Support)
- Switchboard / Reception (Admin, Office & Support)
- Vehicle & Mobile Equipment Installation / Repair (Cleaning, Maintenance& Repair)
- Systems / Network Administration (Information Technology)
- Nursing / Professional Caregiving (Medical & Health)
- Warehouse Operations (Warehousing & Logistics)
- Quality Control (Manufacturing& Assembly)
- Machinist (Manufacturing& Assembly)
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