Highest paying IT jobs in New Zealand 

We’ve put together information on the highest paying IT jobs in New Zealand based on the findings from the latest Hays Salary Guide FY26/27, With over 7,000 respondents across multiple industries (including technology), drawing on insights from more than 7,000 organisations and professionals to highlight what top roles are earning across the market

While Auckland can be home to the highest average salaries across many sectors, the top earners in IT are not all located in Auckland but in Wellington and Christchurch as well. We've listed the highest reported salaries for each role across a range of New Zealand's IT industry verticals.

Leadership: CIO (up to $350K), Chief Data Officer (up to $350K) and CTO (up to $280K) 

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) remains one of the highest paying jobs in the IT sector in New Zealand, with salaries up to NZ$350k in Auckland. Interestingly, Chief Data Officer matches this, with both the same ceiling and the same national typical of NZ$250k.

In contrast to CIOs, CTOs focus mainly on the technical aspects of their organisation's digital transformation strategy and play a key role in driving innovation. Chief Technical Officers can earn up to $280k in New Zealand.

Cyber Security: OperatArtificial Intelligence: Chief AI Officer (up to $350k), Head of AI (up to $250k), and AI Transformation Lead (up to $255k) ional Technology Cyber Manager (up to $240K)

The last few years of digital transformation and AI development have not just pushed organisations to learn new systems but necessitated the creation of new roles to support business needs. The introduction of Chief AI Officer in both this list and the wider Hays Salary Guide FY26/27 is significant, debuting at $350k in both New Zealand and Australia.

This inclusion has sent a clear signal of how quickly AI leadership has become a premium position, as it sits high on the list of top paying jobs. Alongside this role, Head of AI and AI Transformation Lead roles also rank well, with up to $250k on average for the former and $255k for the latter.

As AI continues to grow, evolve, and become commonplace in the workplace, it has become more necessary for businesses to introduce regulations and roles to manage the boom.

Cyber Security: CISO (up to $350k), Head of Information Security (up to $260k+), and OT/IOT Cyber Manager (up to $240k) 

A strong IT infrastructure is the backbone of many organisations and as such, roles for people who can design, manage and protect complex networks earn high salaries as a result. 

Another leadership position worth highlighting is CISO, or Chief Information Security Officer, which is becoming increasingly important as cyber security remains under the spotlight. 

Cyber security salaries have grown significantly in the past 12 months, which has led to CISOs earning up to $350k in New Zealand. In addition, Head of Information Security roles can earn up to $260k in Auckland, with a national average of $213k, while OT/IOT Cyber Managers can earn up to $240k, with a national average of $200k.

Projects & Change Management: Project Director (up to $260k) 

The constant demands of digital transformation have created the need for robust project management capabilities within organisations. Within the discipline of projects and change management, Project and Transformation Directors have emerged as vital in ensuring the successful planning and execution of complex digital transformation projects, many of which involve multiple stakeholders and large budgets.

In recognition of their importance, Project Directors are the highest paid professionals in projects and change management, earning up to $240k in Auckland, with an overall average of $203k+.

For more information on the highest paying IT jobs inNew Zealand, download our Hays Salary Guide FY26/27.