How Many Kiwi Jobs Now Pay Six Figures?

Once considered the benchmark for a “high salary,” six-figure pay packets are now more common across a growing number of industries in New Zealand.

According to a report by RNZ, new data compiled by Infometrics principal economist Nick Brunsdon, using Linked Employer-Employee Data (LEED) from Stats NZ, shows that at least a dozen industries are paying median wages above $100,000.

Over the past decade, the country’s median wage has climbed from around $67,000 to nearly $80,000. However, in some sectors, pay levels are significantly higher, RNZ reported.

Mining Leads the Way

Coal, oil, gas, and metal ore mining was the highest-paid industry, with workers earning a median income of $136,770 and a mean of $144,450. About 7,470 people are currently employed in the sector.

Computer systems design and related services followed closely, with a median annual salary of $125,630, reflecting the strong demand for IT professionals to manage and integrate hardware, software, and communication technologies, as reported by RNZ.

Exploration and other mining support services ranked third, with a median salary of $124,960, while auxiliary finance and insurance services recorded a median of $124,390. General finance roles also made the top five, with a median wage of $122,020.

Private Sector Dominance

According to RNZ, Brunsdon noted that the private sector generally has greater capacity to pay higher salaries, with the notable exception of hospitals. He said hospital wages were likely boosted by highly paid specialists such as surgeons. Manufacturing salaries, he added, may also be inflated by shift loadings that help push workers into the six-figure bracket.

Lower-Paid Industries Lag Behind

At the other end of the scale, food and beverage services recorded a median income of just $40,170, while food retailing workers earned $45,030, RNZ reported.

Factors Driving Pay Gaps

Brunsdon cautioned that the data does not take into account hours worked, meaning that industries with higher proportions of part-time workers may appear to have lower pay.

He also pointed to the effects of aggressive minimum wage increases in recent years, which lifted pay at the lower end and created a “knock-on effect” for those earning just above minimum levels.

However, despite these gains, Brunsdon said there is little current momentum for significant wage growth. “People are generally pretty grateful to keep the job they’ve got rather than push the boat out and try to get paid more,” he said. Job hopping, which often drives wage increases, has slowed, as reported by RNZ.

Looking Ahead

While the economy may be at a turning point, Infometrics expects recovery to be gradual. “It’s sort of expected to be a prolonged recovery, which means that it could be some years until we start to get that sort of heat back in the economy that contributes to strong wage growth,” Brunsdon said, reported RNZ