Salaries for SAIPA accountants

[Hero Steel]

So I'm currently studying for a Bcom in Financial Accounting(SAIPA). My University has honours that count as bridging to a CTA for SAICA, but you have to do another year of study. I don't know if I will get in, but my question is how much Saipa Accountants earn during and after their 3 years of articles. From what I can google online that CA's earn like 3 times more than their SAIPA counterparts, but I can't seem to find any salaries that seem legit. Any people who know SAIPA accountants or are SAIPA accountants themselves that can help? It seems like during articles one has to survive on peanut butter and bread.

 

[ThatGuyJD]

So I'm currently studying for a Bcom in Financial Accounting(SAIPA). My University has honours that count as bridging to a CTA for SAICA, but you have to do another year of study. I don't know if I will get in, but my question is how much Saipa Accountants earn during and after their 3 years of articles. From what I can google online that CA's earn like 3 times more than their SAIPA counterparts, but I can't seem to find any salaries that seem legit. Any people who know SAIPA accountants or are SAIPA accountants themselves that can help? It seems like during articles one has to survive on peanut butter and bread.

CA salary can be nice but it's not really all that clear cut on the final salary, experience and connections play a big role. Also the SAICA articles salary isn't great especially if you're not at the big 4 or one of the banks. But yes the SAIPA ones are even worse.

 

[dA_k1D]

My wife is a registered SAICA - in her Article years she earned around 12k before deductions, her first job after Articles she earned 25k before deductions
Her friend who is a registered CA, articles were around the same, but first job after Articles that jumped to 37k

From what I understand, being in finance you can work your way up pretty quickly, so even if you are a SAIPA or SAICA, you'll get a good income after a few years if you work hard

 

[WhoIsJOB]

Really depends on where you're going to work.
I'm 3rd year SAICA and earn just shy of 20k gross, but first year was just more than 10k gross.
From what I've heard, 3rd year SAIPA at our firm earn around 12-14k, but I haven't asked someone outright - I'll find out tomorrow as I'm on an audit with a 3rd year SAIPA colleague helping out.

From clients I've audited and doing salaries, I can say there are people without CA qualifications in accounting positions earning min. 20k at companies, with non-CA FM's earning over R40k with around 5-8years experience.
So it's quite variable and depends heavily where you're going to work.

TL;DR both SAICA and SAIPA clerks live on oats, soup and brown bread (saving on VAT there)
Peanut butter for the first week after salary drops, then it becomes a luxury.

Will report back tomorrow once I've found out

 

[WhoIsJOB]

It's between 10-15k with honours, but other firms pay a bit more.

And I confirmed more cases of SAIPA clerks' salaries jumping at least 2x within the first year of finishing, depending on where you start working.

 

[ThatGuyJD]

And I confirmed more cases of SAIPA clerks' salaries jumping at least 2x within the first year of finishing, depending on where you start working.

Oh absolutely, I'm at a small firm as well, people easily jump 2x know of some people that got above 3x but also there was an experience and timing thing that resulted in that increase.

 

[SuperLlama]

Also remember that JHB salaries are on average higher than other provinces.

 

[dA_k1D]

Hopefully your future salary will be worth the mental scars from this line of work 😅

 

[Hero Steel]

Can anyone in the field maybe give me a ballpark of starting salaries post articles? SAIPA of course

 

[Rad_but_bananas]

Can anyone in the field maybe give me a ballpark of starting salaries post articles? SAIPA of course

Would like to know this as well

 

[Smurf]

Can anyone in the field maybe give me a ballpark of starting salaries post articles? SAIPA of course

It's very hard to say. Depending what industry for one.

Like engineering can pay a financial accountant in excess of 56k gross..

Companies I have audited in my career had book keepers earning 20k gross. It really depends what industry.

I have both SAIPA and SAICA mates and I can honestly tell you some saipa okes are pocketing more money than the CA's.

And out of respect to be a proper CA you need your RA (Registered auditor designation) to be seen as a CA otherwise a normal saica person is just a fancy title for a professional accountant with CTA wow... I might get crucified but that's the way I see it, same with a AGA SA doesn't need to write a board exam which I feel is a bit obscure cause how does one be a qualified person without proving you understand the foundation of work.

 

[LouisABC]

lol RA 🤣

 

[WhoIsJOB]

after seeing what managers go through to get the RA designation, I have two words..

NEIN danke

 

[SuperLlama]

Companies I have audited in my career had book keepers earning 20k gross. It really depends what industry.

https://imgur.com/fdLG4vj

What happens at the client, stays at the client.

 

[Smurf]

https://imgur.com/fdLG4vj

What happens at the client, stays at the client.

True xD But lucky we speaking a few years ago

it always bothered me that when you audit clients and look at the salaries people earning especially the book keeper and you got to fix there basic stuff just to realise the amount of money earned for the state of disaster of those figures.

 

[TheJudge]

True xD But lucky we speaking a few years ago

it always bothered me that when you audit clients and look at the salaries people earning especially the book keeper and you got to fix there basic stuff just to realise the amount of money earned for the state of disaster of those figures.

Happens in many professions. When I was a pupil advocate I went to a consultation with a senior partner of a big firm.

Guy was bragging about the amount they earned off various big clients. Consult is going merrily and attorney is commenting on various legal aspects of the case but it's clear he knows fuckall.

I see my pupil master giving me the "look" and I know my disbelief is starting to show, quickly put back the "yes wise man" look for the attorney.

Found the same in corporate, an entire layer of highly paid folk whose expertise is on paper only.

 

[aiccc]

Relative is taking home 6k after deductions. (articles auditor) end of 2nd year.

She can barely afford petrol. forget food. She stays with her sister. (also a CA). Leaves home before 6am

 

[Smurf]

Happens in many professions. When I was a pupil advocate I went to a consultation with a senior partner of a big firm.

Guy was bragging about the amount they earned off various big clients. Consult is going merrily and attorney is commenting on various legal aspects of the case but it's clear he knows fuckall.

I see my pupil master giving me the "look" and I know my disbelief is starting to show, quickly put back the "yes wise man" look for the attorney.

Found the same in corporate, an entire layer of highly paid folk whose expertise is on paper only.

Agree fully with you there!

sometimes a guy that has drive and willing to learn has more experience than a person that thinks they know everything and a piece of paper

 

[Smurf]

Relative is taking home 6k after deductions. (articles auditor) end of 2nd year.

She can barely afford petrol. forget food. She stays with her sister. (also a CA). Leaves home before 6am

It is sad bud when you a clerk they exploit cheap labour on you cause you do not have a choice but to complete articles.

 

[SuperLlama]

It is sad bud when you a clerk they exploit cheap labour on you cause you do not have a choice but to complete articles.

So true.

You see a first year clerk with zero experience but with CTA+ITC getting double/triple a third year clerk with just a BCom.

 

[ThatGuyJD]

So true.

You see a first year clerk with zero experience but with CTA+ITC getting double/triple a third year clerk with just a BCom.

They're either paying the ITC clerk too much or the Bcom way too little. Our highest is like 1.5 and that's ITC to currently studying to Bcom.

 

[SuperLlama]

They're either paying the ITC clerk too much or the Bcom way too little. Our highest is like 1.5 and that's ITC to currently studying to Bcom.

Wow, at least your partners are super-nice?
CTA and ITC have like R1.5-2.5 difference but I've seen Bcom and CTA differ by factor of 2.

 

[ThatGuyJD]

Wow, at least your partners are super-nice?
CTA and ITC have like R1.5-2.5 difference but I've seen Bcom and CTA differ by factor of 2.

Or just they just don't pay anyone well...

That's a massive difference, wow.

 

[LouisABC]

And then they finish articles, think they can get R700k, newly qualified with some recruitment agent telling me how wonderful this person is.

15CVs later and finally you pick someone up, which some recruiter did not try to promote, whom actually has some common sense.

Anyways, gotta thank SAICA for qualifying every tom, dick and harry.

And nope, this is not limited to finance. Go and check laywers, doctors, engineers, etc.

Heck, even IT is taking an hammering with all the FB qualified network engineers and programmers these days.

And @Smurf, articles these days area joke. Clerks have no idea what they are doing or why, they only follow what the tool say they should do and ticking is done by cheap labour in mauritius or india. Again, there is some good candidates, by good luck finding them, most jump the boat and get a secondment and never come back. Risk based audit is gone and ticking a R15 milk invoice in a multi billion rand company makes audit sense now.

 

[TheJudge]

And then they finish articles, think they can get R700k, newly qualified with some recruitment agent telling me how wonderful this person is.

15CVs later and finally you pick someone up, which some recruiter did not try to promote, whom actually has some common sense.

Anyways, gotta thank SAICA for qualifying every tom, dick and harry.

And nope, this is not limited to finance. Go and check laywers, doctors, engineers, etc.

Heck, even IT is taking an hammering with all the FB qualified network engineers and programmers these days.

And @Smurf, articles these days area joke. Clerks have no idea what they are doing or why, they only follow what the tool say they should do and ticking is done by cheap labour in mauritius or india. Again, there is some good candidates, by good luck finding them, most jump the boat and get a secondment and never come back. Risk based audit is gone and ticking a R15 milk invoice in a multi billion rand company makes audit sense now.

In law I found that many of the 'bad' candidates actually we're the good ones. When academic smarts gives way to rational application of legal principles (because understanding the facts is just as important as the law).

Same when I studied physics, the best in first year dropped away and were eclipsed by the 'bad' students who became passionate about certain areas of study.

Hell, the biggest lurkers I knew are the most successful now, they mixed street smarts with book smarts with great success.

 

[LouisABC]

In law I found that many of the 'bad' candidates actually we're the good ones. When academic smarts gives way to rational application of legal principles (because understanding the facts is just as important as the law).

Same when I studied physics, the best in first year dropped away and were eclipsed by the 'bad' students who became passionate about certain areas of study.

Hell, the biggest lurkers I knew are the most successful now, they mixed street smarts with book smarts with great success.

Yep, that does happen. Seen it as well, but some people just stay bad.

And some are just lazy.

But there are success stories. Some candidates actual push themselves to improve and work smarter.


Edit - in articles you can go with the flow, or actually go and push the boundaries and look for opportunities and excel. But alas, most are happy to just tick it off, which is the wrong mentality, as you as an individual loose expertise, not the firm. The big firms, be it lawyers, accountants, etc has resources to create a great platform. Article clerks need to use it to their advantage.

 

[SuperLlama]

And then they finish articles, think they can get R700k, newly qualified with some recruitment agent telling me how wonderful this person is.

With Sapro and Makosi there are guys with only ITC or less getting 600k+

Yep, that does happen. Seen it as well, but some people just stay bad.

And some are just lazy.

But there are success stories. Some candidates actual push themselves to improve and work smarter.


Edit - in articles you can go with the flow, or actually go and push the boundaries and look for opportunities and excel. But alas, most are happy to just tick it off, which is the wrong mentality, as you as an individual loose expertise, not the firm. The big firms, be it lawyers, accountants, etc has resources to create a great platform. Article clerks need to use it to their advantage.

Agreed. But that's the same wherever you go.
Its that with some firms the supervisor/manager's bonuses are tied to meeting budget/profits. This lead to just enough or less audit budgets and guys are put under pressure to tick and move on.
But yeah, most clerks I seen are like "what and how" should I do it and not "why" are we doing this.
I think the budget driven culture isn't conducive to open learning.

 

[Smurf]

And then they finish articles, think they can get R700k, newly qualified with some recruitment agent telling me how wonderful this person is.

15CVs later and finally you pick someone up, which some recruiter did not try to promote, whom actually has some common sense.

Anyways, gotta thank SAICA for qualifying every tom, dick and harry.

And nope, this is not limited to finance. Go and check laywers, doctors, engineers, etc.

Heck, even IT is taking an hammering with all the FB qualified network engineers and programmers these days.

And @Smurf, articles these days area joke. Clerks have no idea what they are doing or why, they only follow what the tool say they should do and ticking is done by cheap labour in mauritius or india. Again, there is some good candidates, by good luck finding them, most jump the boat and get a secondment and never come back. Risk based audit is gone and ticking a R15 milk invoice in a multi billion rand company makes audit sense now.

I 100% Agree with you!

some SAICA people just think they know everything and they are better cause hey I'm a CA now, instead of listening to a peer that has more experience in the field or that has read something that could be of real value they just get looked upon...

Sad what has become of the audit enviroment, all the risk is still there but we choose to make life easier to select stupid samples instead of focusing what is the real issue.

Skilled labour is leaving, young experienced persons are getting shot down for not having the required experience instead of helping and conveying your knowledge to someone to help them grow, you rather keep it to yourself cause you are afraid of them taking your job.

Heck if you can help someone to grow and make life easier, be that person

 

[Smurf]

With Sapro and Makosi there are guys with only ITC or less getting 600k+



Agreed. But that's the same wherever you go.
Its that with some firms the supervisor/manager's bonuses are tied to meeting budget/profits. This lead to just enough or less audit budgets and guys are put under pressure to tick and move on.
But yeah, most clerks I seen are like "what and how" should I do it and not "why" are we doing this.
I think the budget driven culture isn't conducive to open learning.

But lets be honest, with clerks the bosses nor managers are that involved. It is your 2nd and 3rd clerks training there fellow clerk to grow.

They only doing what they were learned, its not like in the olden days where you found something of materiality you report. These days its like what is the amount compare it to the profits is it material i.e making a loss or profit is it affecting by this much margin... No lets move on won't cause any damage kind of thing.

Take your ticking and bashing if you do a compilation you do not really care about income statement or balance sheet as long as everything agrees to the working papers cause there is no risk. The difference comes in if you take pride in your work you will treat a compilation as a audit and make sure you do random testing as well.

 

[ThatGuyJD]

The difference comes in if you take pride in your work you will treat a compilation as a audit and make sure you do random testing as well.

And then get kakked out by the partner because you took too long to do the work.