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Market Insights Employment and salary trends Salary insights Revealed: New Zealand's highest paying regions
Revealed: New Zealand's highest paying regions
5 min read
· Written by SEEK

Revealed: New Zealand's highest paying regions

Salaries are slowly rising across New Zealand, but which region is paying the most? We reveal the latest salary trends and where the highest-paying jobs are located

Wage growth has remained sluggish in recent years, despite New Zealand’s unemployment rate at its lowest level in a decade. However, it may be time to prepare for a lift. The latest data from SEEK shows salaries are creeping higher across the country. So which region is leading the way?

Explore highest paying jo bs

AucklandChristchurchHamiltonWellington Select

Rank Industry Role type 2018 salary
1Information & Communication TechnologyManagement$129,870
2Information & Communication TechnologyArchitects$127,839
3AccountingFinancial Managers & Controllers$124,510
4Insurance & SuperannuationManagement$124,333
5Real Estate & PropertyRetail & Property Development$123,476
6Banking & Financial ServicesCorporate Finance & Investment Banking$120,979
7EngineeringManagement$120,175
8Mining, Resources & EnergyManagement$119,500
9ConstructionManagement$119,325
10ConstructionProject Management$117,417
11LegalGeneralists - In-house$117,364
12Banking & Financial ServicesManagement$115,690
13Information & Communication TechnologyConsultants$115,121
14AccountingManagement$114,036
15LegalConstruction Law$113,793
16Information & Communication TechnologyProduct Management & Development$113,327
17AccountingStrategy & Planning$113,181
18Human Resources & RecruitmentManagement - Internal$113,080
19Consulting & StrategyManagement & Change Consulting$112,853
20Banking & Financial ServicesTreasury$112,666

Source: SEEK Salary Report, July 2017 - June 2018 vs July 2016 - June 2017

Rank Industry Role type 2018 salary
1Information & Communication TechnologyManagement$130,862
2Marketing & CommunicationsProduct Management & Development$124,761
3Healthcare & MedicalMedical Specialists$119,750
4AccountingFinancial Managers & Controllers$119,727
5Real Estate & PropertyRetail & Property Development$114,326
6Education & TrainingManagement - Universities$113,928
7Information & Communication TechnologyArchitects$113,780
8EngineeringManagement$112,467
9ConstructionProject Management$111,740
10Banking & Financial ServicesCorporate Finance & Investment Banking$110,555
11ConstructionManagement$110,349
12Banking & Financial ServicesStockbroking & Trading$107,857
13Human Resources & RecruitmentManagement - Internal$107,619
14AccountingManagement$106,971
15Consulting & StrategyStrategy & Planning$106,511
16Insurance & SuperannuationManagement$105,937
17LegalGeneralists - In-house$105,750
18Consulting & StrategyManagement & Change Consulting$104,821
19Banking & Financial ServicesCompliance & Risk$104,375
20Banking & Financial ServicesManagement$104,259

Source: SEEK Salary Report, July 2017 - June 2018 vs July 2016 - June 2017

Rank Industry Role type 2018 salary
1Mining, Resources & EnergyManagement$125,833
2Information & Communication TechnologyConsultants$123,000
3Insurance & SuperannuationManagement$121,250
4Information & Communication TechnologyArchitects$120,714
5Information & Communication TechnologyManagement$115,571
6ConstructionManagement$113,920
7Education & TrainingManagement - Universities$111,944
8EngineeringManagement$111,285
9AccountingFinancial Managers & Controllers$110,978
10EngineeringProject Management$107,463
11ConstructionContracts Management$106,402
12Consulting & StrategyStrategy & Planning$105,416
13ConstructionProject Management$104,349
14Design & ArchitectureUrban Design & Planning$103,203
15Consulting & StrategyManagement & Change Consulting$102,812
16Banking & Financial ServicesAccount & Relationship Management$102,500
17Banking & Financial ServicesManagement$101,875
18Information & Communication TechnologyProgramme & Project Management$101,826
19Education & TrainingManagement - Schools$101,250
20Information & Communication TechnologyProduct Management & Development$100,000

Source: SEEK Salary Report, July 2017 - June 2018 vs July 2016 - June 2017

Rank Industry Role type 2018 salary
1Real Estate & PropertyRetail & Property Development$142,777
2Healthcare & MedicalMedical Specialists$135,227
3Insurance & SuperannuationManagement$134,250
4Information & Communication TechnologyArchitects$131,356
5Banking & Financial ServicesBanking - Corporate & Institutional$131,000
6Information & Communication TechnologyManagement$130,655
7Mining, Resources & EnergyManagement$126,805
8Banking & Financial ServicesTreasury$123,541
9AccountingManagement$122,346
10Human Resources & RecruitmentManagement - Internal$121,708
11Banking & Financial ServicesManagement$120,243
12EngineeringManagement$119,897
13AccountingFinancial Managers & Controllers$117,848
14Consulting & StrategyManagement & Change Consulting$113,419
15Information & Communication TechnologySales - Pre & Post$113,403
16Marketing & CommunicationsManagement$113,402
17Information & Communication TechnologyProduct Management & Development$113,023
18ConstructionProject Management$112,605
19ConstructionPlanning & Scheduling$112,600
20Information & Communication TechnologySecurity$112,306

Source: SEEK Salary Report, July 2017 - June 2018 vs July 2016 - June 2017

Ben Pearson, General Manager – Wellington at Beyond Recruitment, says salaries are on the rise across the country. “Daily we are seeing salary negotiation, which is generally successful, so it’s not surprising to see this playing out as a trend,” he says.

This is supported by the latest data from SEEK, which shows that salaries are looking up across New Zealand’s five biggest regions this year. Wellington led the way with a 2.7% lift and recorded an average advertised salary of $84,466. This may be due to the high proportion of public sector workers, who in many cases earn more than those in the private sector./p>

Salaries in Auckland were up by 2.4% and the average pay packet was $78,415. In Hamilton, salaries increased by 1.6% with an average of $71,700. Meanwhile, Christchurch recorded the lowest growth in salaries with a 1.3% increase and an average of $74,948.

Wellington led the list of highest-paying roles, taking out the top five spots this year. First place went to Retail & Property Development ($142,777 average). With an expected population growth of around 50,000 people over the next 30 years, property development is a key part of Wellington City’s Urban Growth Plan.

“There is increasing demand for Estimation, Quantity Surveyors and Site Engineering skills, which are the more technically specialist property roles,” says Pearson. “We have seen some upward salary movement in these areas. The increase is probably also affected by high talent demand in Auckland, which is drawing talent from Wellington and other parts of New Zealand. This is placing upward pressure on remuneration nationally.”

Medical specialists in Wellington are the second biggest earners in the country ($135,227 average) while management roles in the region’s superannuation and insurance industry placed third with an average salary of $134,250.

Information Architects in Wellington came in fourth place with an average salary of $131,356. Mark Nielsen, Chief Executive Oficer – APAC at Talent International, says Information Architects are attracting high salaries in the nation’s capital due to the Government’s digital transformation program. “There is a strong demand for IT professionals in the public sector as the government responds to changes in the digital world,” he says. “I don’t see demand slowing down for some time and this will continue to have an effect on salaries.”

Meanwhile, roles in Wellington’s Corporate and Institutional Banking sector recorded the fifth highest salaries. Nielsen says this may be due to increasing demand for professionals with ICT skills in the banking industry. “Banks and the financial services sector are transforming,” he says. “They need professionals who can lead and support this in their key divisions.”

With wages on the rise across the regions, employers would be wise to review their salary levels. There may be more to life than money, but it’s one of the greatest incentives when it comes to attracting top talent.

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