Office Administrator Salary in South Africa

An office administrator supervises routine office tasks, including organizing file systems, drafting strategies, implementing new projects, assigning tasks to employees, etc. The average office administrator makes anywhere around R307,400 per year.

Occupation:	Office Administrator
Monthly Salary Range:	R 12650 – R 39841
Average Monthly Salary:	R 26245.5
Description:	An office administrator organizes routine operations, including preparing payrolls, designing fills, approving supply requisites, and more.
Minimum Qualification:	High school diploma (NSC National Senior Certificate) with NQF Level 4.

Are you planning to work as an office administrator? Want to know more about office administrator salary prospects specific to your profile? Keep reading this guide.

Office Administrator Salary Overview

To become an office administrator in South Africa, you only need an NSC certificate with NQF level 4 and a business major. An average office administrator’s salary in the country is approximately R25,616 per month, which is R307,400 annually.

The median salary for office administrators is R311,700 annually, meaning that half the workforce earns a higher value. Speaking of percentiles, around 25% of the workforce earn less than R207,700, whereas the other 75% makes more than this value.

Extras

Unfortunately, office administration is considered a low-bonus-based field. Typically, only 30% of the registered staff receive bonuses yearly, while 70% don’t get any. The reported amount of the bonus ranges between 1 and 4% of their annual salary.

Salary Structure

Office administrator, as a position, does not follow a typical hierarchy. Their annual and monthly salary depends on several factors, including their expertise, company, and gender. Let us discuss them all briefly, one by one, to get an idea of the salary scale.

Level of Experience

When deciding your salary as an office administrator, the first thing to note is your expertise and the years you have served in the market. The thumb rules state that a longer serving time offers a higher pay scale and vice versa. Here is a breakdown of the office administrators’ salaries based on experience.

Level of Experience	Average Yearly Salary
Less than two years	R175,900
2 to 5 years	R227,600
5 to 10 years	R315,700
10 to 15 years	R388,100
15 to 20 years	R419,400
More than 20 years	R444,300

Gender

Though it should not be, gender is vital in deciding your salary as an office administrator. According to popular statistics, there is a 7% salary gap between male and female office administrators in South Africa. Let us see how both genders are paid each year in this position.

Gender	Average Salary
Male Office Administrator Salary	R313,700
Female Office Administrator Salary	R292,000

City of Allocation

The city you are posted to also matters a lot when determining an office administrator’s salary. The metro cities are typically paid higher than remote areas due to big company setups. Here are a few cities and their average office administrator salaries across South Africa.

City of Allocation	Average Yearly Salary
Bloemfontein	R273,300
Cape Town	R327,800
Durban	R327,800
Johannesburg	R299,500
Port Elizabeth	R288,700
Pretoria	R307,400

Responsibilities of an Office Administrator

An office administrator essentially maintains the office services through various tasks. They are responsible for helping the team reach its full potential through communication, supervision, and training. Here are a few professional responsibilities of an office administrator in a company setup.

• Supporting office operations by monitoring staff and office systems.
• Maintaining routine tasks, including preparing payroll, controlling correspondence, reviewing supply requisition, assigning clerical tasks, and managing files.
• Designing and implementing office policies, keeping the establishment’s standards and procedures intact.
• Providing references for protection, transfer, and retrieval of records.
• Scheduling and assigning tasks and assignments to employees.
• Maintaining the office staff by selecting, orienting, recruiting, and training them.
• Drafting annual budgets and achieving financial objectives.
• Following up on work results regularly.

FAQs

What is the average office administrator’s salary?

An average office administrator makes around R25,616 per month.

How much does an expert office administrator earn in South Africa?

An expert office administrator can earn up to R478,100 per year.

Do you need a degree to become an office administrator?

No, you do not need a formal degree to get hired as an office administrator. Rather, you need an NSC certificate with NQF Level 4.

What is the starting package of an office administrator in SA?

An entry-level office administrator in SA earns anywhere around R12,650 per month.

What is the median salary of an office administrator?

The median salary of an office administrator is approximately R311,700 per year.

Finally, an office administrator makes a notable amount each month despite not being a high bonus-based job. I hope this guide has been helpful for people planning to work as an administrator in a corporate setup.