Average monthly earnings of public sector employees in South Africa

South Africa: Average monthly earnings of public sector employees was 11,720 in 2015. ▲ Rising

Latest (2015)
11,720
Change on year
up 6.5%
World rank
36th
of 62 countries
All-time high
12,184
in 2013
All-time low
3,701
in 2001
Years of data
14
2000–2015

Average monthly earnings of public sector employees in South Africa, 2000–2015

4.0k6.0k8.0k10.0k12.0k2000200720152000: 3.7k2001: 3.7k2002: 4.0k2003: 4.4k2004: 4.6k2005: 4.8k2006: 5.3k2007: 5.6k2010: 8.8k2011: 8.9k2012: 10.4k2013: 12.2k2014: 11.0k2015: 11.7k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2015, average monthly earnings of public sector employees in South Africa stood at 11,720.

That represents a change of up 6.5% on the previous year and up 142.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average monthly earnings of public sector employees in South Africa peaked at 12,184 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 3,701, in 2001.

South Africa ranks 36th of 62 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.

Average monthly earnings of public sector employees in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Average monthly earnings of public sector employees (Local currency) in South Africa, 2000 to 2015.
Year Value Change
2000 3,712
2001 3,701 -0.3%
2002 4,015 +8.5%
2003 4,409 +9.8%
2004 4,639 +5.2%
2005 4,836 +4.2%
2006 5,301 +9.6%
2007 5,648 +6.5%
2010 8,832 +56.4%
2011 8,903 +0.8%
2012 10,450 +17.4%
2013 12,184 +16.6%
2014 11,006 -9.7%
2015 11,720 +6.5%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 11,720 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 19,286, 61% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 11,720 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 172,168, 7% of the median. (16 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Average monthly earnings of public sector employees in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2010 +56.4% 5,648 8,832

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4,533 3,701 5,648 8
2010s 10,516 8,832 12,184 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 33 Honduras 21,385 compare
  2. 34 Mexico 15,927 compare
  3. 35 Namibia 14,681
  4. 37 Botswana 11,399
  5. 38 Republic of Moldova 8,388 compare
  6. 39 Zambia 7,717

See the full ranking of 62 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is average monthly earnings of public sector employees in South Africa?
Average monthly earnings of public sector employees in South Africa was 11,720 in 2015, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest average monthly earnings of public sector employees recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 12,184 in 2013.
What is the lowest average monthly earnings of public sector employees recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 3,701 in 2001.
How does South Africa rank for average monthly earnings of public sector employees?
South Africa ranks 36th out of 62 countries with data for 2015.
Is average monthly earnings of public sector employees rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 142.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Average monthly earnings of public sector employees (Local currency). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Average monthly earnings of public sector employees in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/average-monthly-earnings-of-public-sector-employees-local-currency/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Average monthly earnings of public sector employees (Local currency)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
62 places, 930 data points, 1989–2026
Last refreshed

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. Data are converted to U.S. dollars as the common currency, using exchange rates or using purchasing power parity (PPP) rates for private consumption expenditures. The latter series allows for international comparisons by taking account of the differences in relative prices between countries. For more information, refer to the Wages and Working Time Statistics (COND) database description.