Average Salary in NZ
Median and average pay for New Zealand employees in the June 2026 quarter, from Stats NZ. Median figures come from the Household Labour Force Survey and average figures from the Quarterly Employment Survey. All figures are before tax.
Median weekly earnings
$1,419
About $73,788 a year at 52 weeks. $35.96 an hour at the median.
Average weekly earnings, full-time equivalent
$1,730
About $89,960 a year at 52 weeks, including overtime.
What does that pay come to after tax?
The take-home pay calculator applies PAYE, ACC, KiwiSaver and student loan to any salary.
Median earnings (June 2026 quarter)
From the Household Labour Force Survey income supplement. Wages and salaries only, before tax.
| Group | Weekly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| All employees | $1,419 | $35.96 |
| Men | $1,538 | $36.92 |
| Women | $1,280 | $34.95 |
| Full-time | Not published | $38.00 |
| Part-time | Not published | $28.49 |
A year earlier (June 2025 quarter), median weekly earnings were $1,381 and median hourly earnings were $35.00. Median weekly income from all sources, including people with no or negative income, was $962 ($959 a year earlier). The gender pay gap, calculated from median hourly earnings, was 5.3 percent (5.2 percent a year earlier).
Average earnings (June 2026 quarter)
From the Quarterly Employment Survey. Weekly earnings are for full-time equivalent employees and include overtime.
| Sector | Weekly (FTE) | Ordinary-time hourly |
|---|---|---|
| All sectors | $1,730 | $44.62 |
| Private sector | $1,642 | $42.46 |
| Public sector | $2,062 | $52.59 |
A year earlier, average weekly earnings were $1,679 and average ordinary-time hourly earnings were $43.39.
Median or average: which one to use
The median is the middle of the range: half of employees earn less and half earn more. The average adds every wage and divides by the number of workers, so a small number of very high earners lifts it above the median. Stats NZ states that changes to median pay are more representative of pay changes for most workers than changes to mean pay.
The two sets of figures come from different surveys, one of households and one of employers, so the gap between them is not only a median-versus-mean effect. To see what a pay rate looks like against the legal floor, the minimum wage rates page lists every adult, starting-out and training rate, and the tax rates page shows where a salary falls in the income tax brackets.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in NZ?
Stats NZ's Quarterly Employment Survey puts average weekly earnings (including overtime) for full-time equivalent employees at $1,730 in the June 2026 quarter, and average ordinary-time hourly earnings at $44.62. Multiplying the weekly figure by 52 weeks gives about $89,960 a year before tax; that annual figure is our arithmetic, not a Stats NZ statistic.
What is the median income in NZ?
Median weekly earnings from wages and salaries were $1,419 in the June 2026 quarter, and median hourly earnings were $35.96. Median weekly income from all sources, including people with no or negative income, was $962. All income figures are gross, before tax.
Why is the average higher than the median?
The average (mean) adds every wage and divides by the number of workers, so high earners pull it up. The median is the middle worker: half earn less and half earn more. Stats NZ uses the median for its gender pay gap because changes in median pay are more representative of pay changes for most workers than changes in the mean. The two figures also come from different surveys, so they are not directly comparable.
What is the average hourly wage in NZ?
Median hourly earnings from wages and salaries were $35.96 in the June 2026 quarter. Full-time workers had a median of $38.00 and part-time workers $28.49. The Quarterly Employment Survey average ordinary-time hourly figure is $44.62.
How much more do men earn than women in NZ?
The gender pay gap was 5.3 percent in the June 2026 quarter, compared with 5.2 percent a year earlier. Median hourly earnings were $36.92 for men and $34.95 for women; median weekly earnings were $1,538 and $1,280.
How much of the average salary do you keep after tax?
Use the take-home pay calculator on this site to turn a gross salary into pay after PAYE, the ACC earners' levy, KiwiSaver and any student loan repayment. The Stats NZ figures on this page are all before tax.
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