Salaries in Gauteng are on average still the best in South Africa, according to a salary review by jobs website Career Junction.
The latest review covers the fourth quarter of 2014 and the first quarter of 2015 and results show salaries in the Western Cape came in second best and those paid in KwaZulu-Natal third.
Salary offerings for engineers, for instance, differ dramatically between Gauteng and the Western Cape, where the demand for engineers is significantly lower.
On average, a skilled automotive engineer earns between R26 922 and R32 202/month in South Africa and a senior automotive engineer between R29 917 and R43 333/month.
Salaries for civil engineers range from R30 862 to R57 073/month, while electrical engineers earn between R33 981 and R56 218/month. Mining engineers come out tops with salaries of between R53 177 and R77 031/month.
Engineers in the Western Cape earn up to 29% less than their Gauteng counterparts and those in KwaZulu-Natal up to 16% less.
In the building and construction industry, salaries in the Western Cape are up to 5% less than those in Gauteng and those in KwaZulu-Natal are up to 9% less.
An electrician earns between R16 851 and R23 121/month in the building and construction industry, while a skilled plumber earns between R14 365 and R18 700/month. Structural engineers come out top in this category with salaries of between R32 206 and R59 218/month.
Salaries in the ICT industry seems to be considerably lower for ICT workers in KwaZulu-Natal,
compared to Gauteng and the Western Cape, where ICT professionals are in high demand, according to the review.
ICT professionals in the Western Cape have the opportunity to earn the most, while salaries for ICT professionals in KZN can be up to 22% less.
Nationally, ICT salaries range from R26 982 to R43 965/month for software development to between R31 912 and R56 083/month for business analysts and between R37 043 and R53 598 for IT management.
The Western Cape salaries come out top in the design, media and arts industry, followed by Gauteng and then KZN.
On average, graphic designers earn between R14 052 and R25 000/month, photographers between R10 639 and R14 870/month and journalists between R18 614 and R30 333/month.
In the finance sector, Gauteng is yet again top as those in the Western Cape earn up to 27% less and those in KZN up to 29% less.
Bookeepers earn on average between R14 584 and R20 478/month, accountants between R28 674 and R42 171/month and chartered accountants between R36 667 and R49 596/month.
Those in the sales industry can earn up to 9% less in the Western Cape and up to 11% less than in KZN than in Gauteng. Estate agents earn between R15 944 and R32 500/month on average, while those in telesales and telemarketing earn between R8 266 and R17 646/month on average.
In the marketing sector, brand managers earn between R29 079 and R45 306/month and communications and public relations employees between R22 553 and R31 715/month.
Personal assistants earn between R15 929 and R24 899/month.
In the manufacturing sector — where Gauteng is again top — a machinist earns between R16 737 and R21 781/month and a skilled artisan between R15 005 and R16 506/month. A plant manager earns on average between R29 685 and R45 100/month. — Fin24