Our World in Charts is a unique collection of hundreds of charts published by The Outlier. The charts cover key issues both in South Africa and around the world on topics such as education, economy, politics, sport and more. Republish our charts for free.
- Earnings gap between skilled and lower-skilled workers is widening
- Professionals’ earnings rise faster than those in lower-skilled jobs
- Managers’ earnings have increased by 83% since 2010, clerks’ by 40%
The gap between the median monthly earnings of skilled and less-skilled workers in South Africa is widening, according to a report on earnings compiled by Statistics SA.
The data, which covers the period 2017 to 2022, shows that professionals, managers and technicians consistently earn far more than employees in less-skilled occupations. By 2022, professionals were earning a median of R24,000 a month, followed by managers at R22,000 and technicians at R18,000. In contrast, workers in less-skilled roles, such as clerks (R7,000), craft workers (R5,000) and domestic workers (R2,350), earn significantly lower wages.
This growing disparity is evident when looking at the rate of increase in earnings over time. While skilled occupations (green lines) have seen steady growth, those in less-skilled roles (blue and orange lines) have experienced much slower growth. Managers earn 83% more than they did in 2010, while clerks’ earnings have increased by 40%.
— 28 November, 2024Subscribe to the weekly newsletter for more charts like this
