In demand: which are the Highest Paying Jobs in South Africa?


Friday, 10 July 2020

Choosing what to study is not an easy task because there are many aspects to take into account. If you pursue a career, you will spend precious money and time studying so you better make sure that it is worth it. Studying at university entails a lot of effort, so you need to make sure that the money you spent returns to you. Below, there is a list of the highest paying jobs--for Bachelor’s degree holders--in South Africa.




Job security, high earning potential and job satisfaction are the three most important aspects that you should consider when choosing which career path to follow. 

Working in a field that you enjoy is very satisfactory. However, what happens when you enjoy your job but it is not enough to feed your family? That is when financial security comes into play. These two factors combined will guarantee you stability as well as satisfaction and happiness.

Choosing a career might be one of the most difficult decisions you ever make and one which will impact your life, therefore you want to make sure that you will be happy with your decision, while also making a good living.

Whether you like it or not, financial stability is of paramount importance and should be considered as such when choosing a potential career path.

For that reason, here are the highest paying jobs in South Africa. It is important that you take into account that this list of highly paid workers is aimed at holders of only a Bachelor’s degree, so the earning potential increases the higher the degree you hold.

Engineers are at the top of the list, taking the three first spots as the highest paid workers in South Africa. Among them are Environmental Engineers, Civil Engineers, Structural Engineers, among others.

Aside from engineers, other top-paying positions include finance and ICT sectors.

Below there is a more detailed list of the highest earning positions in South Africa, together with the importance of the role they play in the country and the degrees you could pursue if you choose that career path:

Environmental engineer: In South Africa, environmental engineers are key players in the rehabilitation of mine dumps and open-cast mining sites and abandoned urban or industrial sites that may pose a threat to the environment.
(Bachelor of Science (BSc) with Honors in Environmental Engineering).

Civil engineer: Civil engineers shape the world we live in. They design, build and maintain the infrastructure we take for granted - every reservoir, dam, bridge, road, tunnel and building. Their expertise is key for a sustainable future, both in South Africa and abroad.
(Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Civil Engineering)

Structural engineer: The study of structural engineering teaches students to calculate the strength a structure must have to avoid collapse. Students who earn a structural engineering degree are able to develop solutions to promote safer, more environmentally friendly structures and buildings.
(Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Civil Engineering)

IT management: it refers to the monitoring and administration of an organization’s information technology systems: hardware, software and networks. IT management focuses on how to make information systems as well as people work efficiently.
(BCom/BCom Hons in Information Management)

Financial management: it means planning, organizing, directing and controlling the financial activities such as procurement and utilization of funds of the enterprise. It means applying general management principles to financial resources of the enterprise.
(BCom in Financial Management)

Plant manager: they are the people who watch over and organize the daily operations of manufacturing plants and similar places. Plant managers oversee employees, production and efficiency, to make sure the plant is running smoothly, quickly, efficiently and safely.
(Bachelor’s degree in business or industrial management)

Chartered accountant: These kind of professionals are those who are qualified to take on a number of specific activities within the spectrum of accountancy. Such tasks include auditing financial statements, filing of corporate tax returns, and financial advising.
(BCom, followed by a certificate in the theory of accounting)

Quantity surveying: it deals with managing and controlling various aspects of construction. It gives an understanding of the technical elements of construction over the life of a facility or building, a necessary project controls tool to achieve the value and best quality within the client’s specifications.
(Bachelor of Science (BSc) with honours in Quantity Surveying)

Electrical engineer: It is the branch of engineering that deals with the technology of electricity. Electrical engineers work on a wide range of components, devices and systems, from tiny microchips to huge power station generators.
(Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Electrical Engineering)

Technical and business architect: The first ones, technical architects are also known as IT systems architects and act as the link between a company, its managers and the specialist designers and developers who built the IT system. The second ones, business architects are practitioners of business architecture, a discipline concerned with developing and maintaining business capabilities of the enterprise in line with the corporate strategy as well as contributing to the business strategy and plans.
(BSc in IT or Computer Science)

Any of these career paths are not only highly paid but also, very interesting and satisfying jobs. More and more individuals pursue these kinds of degrees not only because of their high earning but also because of the feeling of pursuing an important career, one that will make a difference or that will be interesting, innovative and moving.

All of these degrees are offered by top universities in South Africa. If you are interested in learning more about these jobs or discover where to study those programmes, please visit Online Programmes.




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