A program associate in South Africa

International development is as much a business as it is a labor of love, and chances are you won’t choose your next assignment based on the money. That said, compensation is an important part of human resources management, and comprehensive data on salaries and benefits is hard to come by. That’s why Devex is shedding light on the salaries and work of those holding jobs that international development organizations commonly hire for. It’s part of our mission to help aid professionals do good and make informed decisions about their careers. Today’s spotlight is on a program associate contracted by a nongovernmental organization in South Africa. - Position title: program associate - Seniority: midlevel - Position type: full-time, contract-based - Year: 2012 - Sample tasks: support senior staff in preparing project reports, assist in data collection, analysis and management, render administrative support, including fulfilling procurement-related paperwork - Salary: $25,000 per year South Africa’s foreign aid job market Like other members of the BRICS, South Africa is beginning to carve out a reputation as a donor. Its African Renaissance and International Cooperation Fund gave out 327 million South African rand ($38 million) in financial year 2010-2011 and 268 million South African rand in 2011-2012. Plans to establish a full-fledged aid agency have been delayed for a while, but government officials have expressed confidence that the South African Development Partnership Agency will become operational in 2013. Typical of any developing-cum-emerging-donor country, South Africa is home to organizations that focus on development needs at home and those that have worked on aid projects abroad. Learn more about South Africa’s leading global development foundations, consultancies and NGOs, which are also the nation’s top employers of development professionals. Based on our analysis of job ads posted on Devex, there’s a need for technical experts, team leaders and business development officers in the African country. Check out vacancies in South Africa and for program associates. Compensation isn’t everything The details provided in this article were derived from a survey of select development workers stationed in various parts of the globe. Due to the sensitivity of the information, we are keeping the respondents’ identities and organizations confidential. Compensation varies greatly from one job, country or organization to another. Even for the same position, differences in remuneration occur based on educational background, experience and an applicant’s most recent salary, an organization’s need and the sector it operates in, as well as whether it is hiring locally or internationally. Also, some organizations offer more generous benefit packages than others, or they offer perks such as regular travel, training or other career development services that should not be discounted. For senior-level international hires, in particular, benefits such as housing and education allowances often amount to tens of thousands of dollars per year. At the end of the day, aid workers tell us that the chance to help alleviate suffering and lift people out of poverty are well worth any pay cut they may have encountered switching from the private sector. Read more Devex Salary Spotlights!