Average Salary in Johannesburg & Pretoria (2026)
Gauteng is South Africa's economic heartland and the only province to consistently record median monthly earnings above the national average, according to Stats SA. The province is home to the JSE, major bank headquarters, mining corporates, and the bulk of the country's professional services sector.
Gauteng · Median monthly earnings · All employed persons
Source: Stats SA Labour Market Dynamics in South Africa, 2023 (Table 4.15) · Includes all employed persons in Gauteng (formal + informal sector)
Salary by occupation type (national)
National median monthly earnings by occupation — Stats SA Table 4.13/4.14 (2023). Gauteng salaries generally run above these national figures.
Professionals
Engineers, accountants, lawyers, doctors, IT specialists
R 25 000
median/month
Managers
Senior managers, directors, executives
R 24 000
median/month
Technicians
Nursing associates, IT technicians, draughtspersons
R 19 500
median/month
Skilled workers
Broadly: all professional, managerial, and technical roles combined
R 22 000
median/month
Clerks
Administrative clerks, data-entry, receptionists
R 10 000
median/month
Craft & trades
Electricians, plumbers, carpenters, welders
R 6 400
median/month
Machine operators
Factory operators, drivers, assemblers
R 6 390
median/month
Sales & services
Shop assistants, waiters, security guards, cleaners
R 6 000
median/month
Elementary workers
Labourers, general workers, messengers
R 4 100
median/month
Domestic workers
Housekeepers, gardeners, childminders
R 1 950
median/month
National figures · Stats SA LMDSA 2023, Table 4.13/4.14 · Gross monthly medians across all employed persons in each occupation
Formal sector earnings by industry (national)
Average monthly earnings in formal non-agricultural employment by industry — Stats SA Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES), 2023. These are national averages, not medians, covering formal sector employees only.
Utilities (electricity, water)
Highest-paying formal sector; Eskom, Rand Water etc.
R 41 681
avg/month
Services (community & social)
R 26 031
avg/month
Mining
R 25 021
avg/month
Transport & storage
R 24 939
avg/month
Finance & business services
R 23 825
avg/month
Manufacturing
R 18 526
avg/month
Construction
R 17 611
avg/month
Trade (wholesale & retail)
Large employer; many part-time and entry-level roles
R 13 862
avg/month
National averages (not medians) · Formal non-agricultural sector only · Stats SA Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES), 2023
Cost of living in Johannesburg & Pretoria
Gauteng is roughly 15% more expensive than the national cost-of-living average, driven by property, toll roads, and urban living costs.
Cost of living: wisemove.co.za cost-of-living estimates, 2025 (indicative only)
Real purchasing power (indicative)
Adjusting Gauteng's median of R 8 000 for the estimated cost-of-living differential gives a purchasing-power equivalent of roughly R 6 957 in national terms — 24% above the national median. This is an estimate.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Johannesburg?
According to Stats SA Labour Market Dynamics 2023, the median monthly earnings for all employed persons in Gauteng is R8,000/month. This covers everyone from domestic workers to professionals. Gauteng is the only province where the median exceeds the national figure of R5,600/month.
Why is the Stats SA figure so different from what other sites report?
Sites like PayScale and CareerJunction survey mainly formal white-collar workers, who earn well above the national median. Stats SA's figure includes all employed persons — domestic workers, informal traders, factory workers, shop assistants — which brings the median down to reflect the reality of the full workforce.
What do professionals and managers earn in Johannesburg?
Nationally, professionals earn a median of R25,000/month and managers R24,000/month (Stats SA 2023). Gauteng salaries run above these national figures given the province's economic weight. For specific roles, see our profession salary pages.
Is Johannesburg the highest-paying city in South Africa?
Yes. Gauteng province — which contains both Johannesburg and Pretoria — has the highest median monthly earnings of all nine provinces at R8,000/month, 43% above the national median of R5,600/month (Stats SA LMDSA 2023).
Primary source: Stats SA Labour Market Dynamics in South Africa, 2023 (Report 02-11-02), Table 4.15
Provincial median = all employed persons including informal sector, domestic workers, and part-time employees. Occupation and industry figures are national (not provincial). Cost-of-living differentials are third-party estimates. Individual earnings vary significantly by employer, role, sector, and experience.
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Quick facts
- Provincial median
- R 8 000/mo
- vs National median
- +43%
- Cost of living
- +15% vs national
- Province
- Gauteng