South Africa vs United States of America: Median monthly earnings of employees
Median monthly earnings of employees over time
- South Africa
- United States of America
How they compare
United States of America currently reports 4,481 against 4,200 in South Africa, a difference of 281.
That makes United States of America's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 16 shared years of data; in 2000 it was United States of America ahead.
South Africa ranks 53rd and United States of America ranks 51st of 93 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 2 and United States of America in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1,657 | 2,343 | 686.09 | United States of America |
| 2010s | 3,202 | 2,847 | 355.13 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 4,200 | 3,640 | 560 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher median monthly earnings of employees, South Africa or United States of America?
- United States of America, at 4,481 against 4,200 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in median monthly earnings of employees between South Africa and United States of America?
- 281, with United States of America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United States of America?
- 16 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2020.
- How do South Africa and United States of America rank globally for median monthly earnings of employees?
- South Africa ranks 53rd and United States of America ranks 51st of 93 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Labour Organization, published as Median monthly earnings of employees (15+). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. The earnings of employees relate to the gross remuneration in cash and in kind paid to employees, as a rule at regular intervals, for time worked or work done together with remuneration for time not worked, such as annual vacation, other type of paid leave or holidays. Earnings exclude employers' contributions in respect of their employees paid to social security and pension schemes and also the benefits received by employees under these schemes. Earnings also exclude severance and termination pay. The median is the middle value, with half of employees earning less and half earning more. For more information, refer to the Wages and Working Time Statistics (COND) database description.