The highest paying jobs in New Zealand 2023 - 2024

The 18 highest paying jobs in New Zealand in 2023-2024
The Hays Salary Guide gives insight into recruitment trends and provides salary data for over a thousand jobs across New Zealand. With this data, we’ve created the following list revealing which jobs pay the most across 18 key industries.Legal: Equity Partner ($350K)
Equity Partners are the highest earners in New Zealand’s legal industry. Equity partners in leading Auckland firms earn an average of $350K or more, while those working in Christchurch and Wellington report an average of $250K.Executive: CEO and MD ($500K)
In companies bringing in between $50m-$500m, the typical income is for CEOs and Managing Directors $600K. Other senior executive leadership positions are also highly lucrative.Policy & Strategy: Policy Manager (up to $170K)
As noted in our Salary Guide, in 2022, we’ve noticed a 36% increase in permanent employees for policy & strategy related roles, and that 47% of employers in this area are prepared to increase salaries by up to 3%. While the impact of the pandemic is still fresh, it has created opportunities for New Zealand’s policy and strategy professionals to pioneer new policies to cover things like hybrid working arrangements.Accountancy & Finance: Senior Commercial Manager/Director ($205K)
The top-paying jobs in New Zealand for accountancy & finance professionals belong to senior qualified accountants in firms generating more than $300 million. The highest earners are Senior Commercial Managers/Directors at $205K. This is followed by Group Financial Controllers ($200K) and Managers/Heads of Financial Planning/Analysis ($170K).Property: Development Director (up to $408K)
Development Directors are the top earners in New Zealand’s property market, with a high salary range between $306-408K. Following them are Development Managers ($194K-265K) and Client-side Project Directors ($173K-214K).Procurement: Commercial Manager ($140K)
Despite New Zealand’s adept handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, procurement, like many industries, was forced to adapt, with the biggest changes felt in the public sector. But with a renewed sense of optimism, a wide array of lucrative job opportunities have emerged for procurement professionals, with Commercial Managers having the highest typical salary at $140K.Construction: Construction Manager (up to $224K)
Since it’s tied to the property market, it’s no surprise that New Zealand’s construction sector is also a significant contributor to the nation’s economic growth. As a result, the local market for construction jobs is ripe with lucrative job offers, especially on the South Island, where there is a shortage of candidates to meet rising project volumes.Technology: CIO ($220K)
Highly skilled tech professionals in New Zealand have enjoyed increasingly competitive salaries over the last few years, underpinning the growing importance placed on technology across almost all industry verticals. The ongoing digital transformation of industries across New Zealand guarantees a range of competitive job prospects for those with the right skills and experience, with many roles having average salaries between $140-200K.Marketing & Digital: Executive Director of Communications ($220K)
Across New Zealand’s marketing & digital sector, the highest earners are in PR & Communications, with Executive Directors of Communications earning an average of $220K, followed by Directors of Communications at $200K.Human Resources: Head of HR/HR Director ($250K)
Human resources professionals have become some of the most essential since the impact of COVID-19. With greater demands for flexible work arrangements and transparency between employers and their staff, skilled HR professionals can become truly indispensable members of their organisation, with competitive salaries to reflect this fact.Architecture: BIM/CAD Manager ($130K)
The jobs market for professionals in architecture has improved significantly since the outbreak of COVID-19. Shortages in skilled candidates have helped to inflate architecture job salaries offered by employers working with a limited talent pool.Engineering: Civil & Structural Associate ($160K)
Engineering specialists in New Zealand are in high demand as the rate of project approvals increases. This puts experienced engineers in a great position to negotiate highly competitive salaries to ensure an excellent standard of living for many years to come.Contact Centres: Director of Customer Service ($145K)
Currently, the job with the highest salary in New Zealand’s contact centres belongs to Directors of Customer Service, earning $145K on average. This is followed by Operations Managers ($115K), Contact Centre Managers ($105K), and Sales/Telesales Managers ($95K).Logistics: Supply Chain Director ($160K)
The pandemic has caused significant changes in New Zealand’s logistics sector, with greater collaboration between firms, increased reliance on sea freight and the relocation of facilities to regional areas being key trends. In the coming years, we expect the biggest salary increases will occur in port cities like Hamilton and Tauranga.Office Support: Executive Assistant ($85K)
After demonstrating their ability to excel in remote working environments during the pandemic, flexible work arrangements are now a standard expectation for New Zealand’s office support professionals. We’ve noticed employers embracing this and even offering four-day working weeks and health insurance as added benefits.Find more of New Zealand’s highest paying jobs
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