Occupations and Typical Salaries in New Zealand
New Zealand wages are typically lower than the Australian, UK or USA equivalent. This doesn’t mean that the comparable living standards are any less, its just that the cost of living is different.
So don’t be surprised if you are offered when you are offered job in New Zealand that is comparable to your current job, the salary offered is lower than you might be on currently.
Here is an indicative guide to salary ranges for different occupations and jobs:
New Zealand Occupations – typical salaries
| Industry sector |
Nos Employed |
Ave Annual Salary NZ$ |
| Legislators, Administrators, Managers |
158,000 |
$ 57,013 |
| Professionals |
245,300 |
$ 51,376 |
| Technicians / Associate Professionals |
178,400 |
$ 42,869 |
| Clerks |
235,800 |
$ 36,046 |
| Service / Sales Workers |
300,900 |
$ 26,561 |
| Agriculture / Fisheries Workers |
74,100 |
$ 29,474 |
| Trades Workers |
131,500 |
$ 35,173 |
| Plant / Machine Operators &Assemblers |
152,700 |
$ 32,198 |
| Unskilled Occupations |
125,600 |
$ 26,894 |
New Zealand Jobs – typical salaries
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Occupation |
Salary / pay rate in NZD |
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A |
|
| |
Accountant (Chartered – Senior) |
$100,000 – $140,000 |
| |
Agricultural Machinery Operator |
Varies |
| |
Aluminum Joiner |
$10.25-17 per hour |
| |
Analytical Chemist |
$50,000 – $100,000 |
| |
Architect |
$30,000 – $80,000 |
| |
Auto glazier |
$12-21 per hour |
| |
Automotive refinisher |
$15,000 – $50,000 |
| |
Automotive technician |
$10.25-18 per hour |
| |
B |
|
| |
Baker |
$30,000 – $45,000 |
| |
Bricklayer |
$25,000 – $45,000 |
| |
Builder |
$25-40 per hour |
| |
Building Control Official/Inspector |
$33,000 – $55,000 |
| |
Building Project Manager/Site Foreman |
$47,000 – $90,000 |
| |
Butcher |
$12-18 per hour |
| |
C |
|
| |
Civil CAD |
$30,000 – $60,000 |
| |
Coach/Bus builder |
$10.25-22 per hour |
| |
Construction/Maintenance Manager (Roads) |
$47,000 – $90,000 |
| |
Crane Operator |
$40,000 – $60,000 |
| |
D |
|
| |
Dental Assistant |
$10.25-18 per hour |
| |
Dental Technician |
$30,000 – $60,000 |
| |
Dental Therapist |
$25,000 – $47,000 |
| |
Dentist |
Varies |
| |
Die Cutter Operator |
$13-18 per hour |
| |
Dispensing Optician |
$35,000 – $70,000 |
| |
Drain Layer |
$30,000 – $50,000 |
| |
E |
|
| |
Electrical Engineering |
Varies |
| |
Electronic Service Technician |
$25,000 – $50,000 |
| |
Engineering Draughts person |
$30,000 – $60,000 |
| |
F |
|
| |
Fabric Finishing Specialist |
$10.25-25 per hour |
| |
Fibreglass Tradesperson |
$10.25-22 per hour |
| |
Flexographic Printer |
$35,000 – $75,000 |
| |
Flooring Tradesperson |
Up tp $45,000 |
| |
Florist (Senior) |
$15-20 per hour |
| |
Folder Operator |
$25,000 – $50,000 |
| |
Furniture Polisher/Finisher |
$20,000 – $35,000 |
| |
Furniture Upholsterer |
$18,000 – $40,000 |
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G |
|
| |
Gasfitter |
$45,000 – $55,000 |
| |
Glazier |
$12-20 per hour |
| |
Graphic Artist |
$30,000 – $70,000 |
| |
H |
|
| |
Heavy Vehicle Driver |
$10.25-22 per hour |
| |
Hospitality Supervisor |
$50,000 – $100,000 |
| |
Hydrographic Engineer |
$35,000 – $100,000 |
| |
I |
|
| |
Instrument Control Technician |
$50,000 – $70,000 |
| |
Instrumentation Engineer |
$35,000 – $100,000 |
| |
IT Specialist |
$65,000 – $120,000 |
| |
J |
|
| |
Jockey |
Varies |
| |
L |
|
| |
Land Surveyor |
$50,000 – $74,000 |
| |
Land Surveyor’s Technician |
$35,000 – $55,000 |
| |
Line Mechanic/Linesperson |
$19,000 – $32,000 |
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M |
|
| |
Marine cabinet Maker |
$24,000 – $40,000 |
| |
Marine Designer |
$30,000 – $70,000 |
| |
Marine Engineer |
$45,000 – $55,000 |
| |
Marine Laminator |
$25,000 – $40,000 |
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Medical Doctors |
$65,000+ depending on experience |
| |
Medical Physicist |
$60,000 – $100,000 |
| |
Microbiologist |
$30,000 – $70,000 |
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O |
|
| |
Optometrist |
$30,000 – $80,000 |
| |
Osteopath |
$40,000 – $100,000 |
| |
P |
|
| |
Panel Beater |
$25,000 – $50,000 |
| |
Pharmacy technician (Hospital) |
$25,000 – $42,000 |
| |
Plastics Engineer |
$15-25 per hour |
| |
Plastics technician |
$30,000 – $50,000 |
| |
Power Systems (Electrical) Engineer |
$35,000 – $100,000 |
| |
Print Finisher |
$25,000 – $50,000 |
| |
Q |
|
| |
Quantity Surveyor |
$25,000 – $70,000 |
| |
R |
|
| |
Radio Frequency technician |
$28,000 – $55,000 |
| |
Refrigeration Mechanic |
$17 – 26 per hour |
| |
Roofing Supervisor |
$35,000 – $45,000 |
| |
Roofing tradesperson |
$17,000 – $40,000 |
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S |
|
| |
Scaffolder |
$10.25 – 17 per hour |
| |
Screen Printer |
$10.25 – 30 per hour |
| |
Sewing machine technician |
$20,000 – $25,000 |
| |
Sheet-fed Offset printer |
$20,000 – $80,000 |
| |
Sheet metal worker |
$10.25 – $25 per hour |
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Shearer |
$110 per 100 sheep |
| |
Ski and Snowboard Instructors (seasonal) |
$17-$27 per hour |
| |
Specialist-Petroleum Industry |
$30,000 – $100,000 |
| |
Stitcher Operator |
$25,000 – $50,000 |
| |
Stud Groom (Seasonal) |
$230-$350 per week |
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T |
|
| |
Telecommunication Engineer/Technician |
$55 – $120,000 |
| |
Traffic Planner |
$33,000 – $70,000 |
| |
Travel Consultant – Senior |
$35,000 – $70,000 |
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W |
|
| |
Web-offset Printer |
$35,000 – $70,000 |
| |
Winemaker (Viticulturist) |
$40,000 – $100,000 |
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