The cost of living in New Zealand

Salaries for entry-level jobs are normally paid weekly. For more skilled jobs, you could be paid every fortnight or sometimes (but rarely) every month.

The pay depends, of course, on the type of work, but also on the number of hours you work each week.

The minimum wage is $23.50 an hour (as of 2025).

With this wage, you earn about:

You can check your rough gross pay and net pay by entering your expected salary into a PAYE calculator.

As of 2024, the median weekly salary is $1,343 gross per week. Of course, this is a median wage. Without a highly skilled or specialised job, it’s difficult for working holiday makers to expect this type of wage. A number of employee organisations in New Zealand estimate that the minimum wage needed to live adequately in New Zealand should be closer to $33 per hour (gross).

Fruit pickers are usually paid by the bin. However, no matter how much you pick or how fast you are, employers are required by law to pay you at least the minimum wage (the law also allows the employer to fire you if you are too slow).

Here are just a few examples of average hourly salaries (gross):

• Waiter: $24
• Chef: between $25 and $32
• Kitchen hand: $24
• Call centre operator: between $24 and $32
• Private teacher/tutor: between $28 and $39
• Orchard work (pruning, thinning, picking, packhouse, etc.): between $24 and $25 (up to $29 for supervisors)
• Nanny: between $24 and $30
• Labourer (landscaper, carpenter, painter, furniture mover, etc.): between $24 and $41
• Software developer/graphic designer: between $28 and $44

This data comes from Careers New Zealand. This excellent government website offers a database of more than 400 professions’ average salary (per hour or per year), job descriptions, and available opportunities in specific sectors.