A person working in New Caledonia typically earns around 87,700 XPF per month. Salaries range from 22,200 XPF (lowest average) to 391,000 XPF (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Salaries vary drastically between different careers. If you are interested in the salary of a particular job, see below for salaries for specific job titles.
Salaries in New Caledonia range from 22,200 XPF per month (minimum salary) to 391,000 XPF per month (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).
The median salary is 80,700 XPF per month, which means that half (50%) of the population are earning less than 80,700 XPF while the other half are earning more than 80,700 XPF. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of the population are earning less than 46,300 XPF while 75% of them are earning more than 46,300 XPF. Also from the diagram, 75% of the population are earning less than 217,000 XPF while 25% are earning more than 217,000 XPF.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher the wage.
Generally speaking, employees having experience from two to five years earn on average 32% more than freshers and juniors across all industries and disciplines.
Professionals with experience of more than five years tend to earn on average 36% more than those with five years or less of work experience.
As you hit the ten years mark, the salary increases by 21% and an additional 14% for those who have crossed the 15 years mark.
Those figures are presented as guidelines only. The numbers become more significant if you consider one job title at a time.
It is well known that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We compared the salaries of professionals at the same level but with different college degrees levels across many jobs, below are our findings.
Workers with a certificate or diploma earn on average 17% more than their peers who only reached the high school level.
Employees who earned a Bachelor's Degree earn 24% more than those who only managed to attain a cerificate or diploma.
Professionals who attained a Master's Degree are awarded salaries that are 29% more than those with a Bachelor's Degree.
Finally, PhD holders earn 23% more than Master's Degree holders on average while doing the same job.
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in New Caledonia costs anywhere from 438,000 CFP Franc(s) to 1,320,000 CFP Franc(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support this tactic. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
The decision really depends on your situation and experience among many other factors. Putting all variables aside, if you can afford the costs of higher education then the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male employees in New Caledonia earn 9% more than their female counterparts on avergae across all sectors.
Male | 90,700 XPF | |
Female | -8% | 83,300 XPF |
Employees in New Caledonia are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 5% every 28 months.
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency
Banking | 1% | |
Energy | 2% | |
Information Technology | 3% | |
Healthcare | 4% | |
Travel | 5% | |
Construction | 6% | |
Education | 7% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in New Caledonia for the year 2022. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
Junoir Level | 3% - 5% | |
Mid-Career | 6% - 9% | |
Senior Level | 10% - 15% | |
Top Management | 15% - 20% |
The difference in increment rates is somehow justified because employers put more effort to retain more experienced staff since they are harder to acquire than less experienced ones.
69% of surveyed staff in New Caledonia reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 31% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 4% to 5% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 31% | |
No Bonus | 69% |
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
Finance | High | |
Architecture | High | |
Sales | High | |
Business Development | High | |
Marketing / Advertising | High | |
Information Technology | Moderate | |
Healthcare | Moderate | |
Insurance | Moderate | |
Customer Service | Moderate | |
Human Resources | Moderate | |
Construction | Low | |
Transport | Low | |
Hospitality | Low |
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Accounting and Finance | |
Accountant | 62,300 XPF |
Accounting Assistant | 46,600 XPF |
Accounting Manager | 130,000 XPF |
Bookkeeper | 41,200 XPF |
Chartered Accountant | 81,500 XPF |
Corporate Treasurer | 119,000 XPF |
Financial Analyst | 105,000 XPF |
Financial Manager | 176,000 XPF |
Internal Auditor | 83,000 XPF |
Administration / Reception / Secretarial | |
Administrative Assistant | 43,300 XPF |
Office Manager | 71,900 XPF |
Receptionist | 32,200 XPF |
Secretary | 37,800 XPF |
Advertising / Grapic Design / Events | |
Art Director | 87,300 XPF |
Creative Director | 85,400 XPF |
Graphic Designer | 52,700 XPF |
Photographer | 46,800 XPF |
Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | |
Aerospace Engineer | 110,000 XPF |
Air Traffic Controller | 90,300 XPF |
Flight Attendant | 59,800 XPF |
Pilot | 145,000 XPF |
Architecture | |
Architect | 103,000 XPF |
CAD Drafter | 44,600 XPF |
Automotive | |
Mechanic | 33,700 XPF |
Service Advisor | 62,400 XPF |
Banking | |
Bank Branch Manager | 154,000 XPF |
Teller | 31,000 XPF |
Bilingual | |
Teacher | 65,500 XPF |
Translator | 81,500 XPF |
Business Planning | |
Business Analyst | 110,000 XPF |
Business Development Manager | 136,000 XPF |
Project Manager | 93,000 XPF |
Care Giving and Child Care | |
Nanny | 34,600 XPF |
Nursery Teacher | 31,100 XPF |
Construction / Building / Installation | |
Civil Engineer | 77,200 XPF |
Construction Project Manager | 137,000 XPF |
Health and Safety Officer | 39,400 XPF |
Customer Service and Call Center | |
Call Center Representative | 32,400 XPF |
Customer Service Manager | 115,000 XPF |
Customer Service Representative | 33,700 XPF |
Engineering | |
Electrical Engineer | 87,500 XPF |
Engineer | 84,800 XPF |
Mechanical Engineer | 78,100 XPF |
Executive and Management | |
Chief Executive Officer | 202,000 XPF |
Chief Financial Officer | 175,000 XPF |
General Manager | 149,000 XPF |
Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering | |
Chef | 54,500 XPF |
Executive Chef | 63,500 XPF |
Hotel Manager | 159,000 XPF |
Travel Agent | 55,300 XPF |
Waiter / Waitress | 26,400 XPF |
Health and Medical | |
Dentist | 215,000 XPF |
Dietitian | 173,000 XPF |
Laboratory Technician | 62,000 XPF |
Nurse | 64,900 XPF |
Human Resources | |
Human Resources Manager | 130,000 XPF |
Human Resources Officer | 53,000 XPF |
Information Technology | |
Computer Technician | 65,800 XPF |
Database Administrator | 81,400 XPF |
Developer / Programmer | 87,200 XPF |
Information Technology Manager | 140,000 XPF |
Network Engineer | 73,200 XPF |
Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | |
Police Officer | 50,200 XPF |
Legal | |
Attorney | 161,000 XPF |
Legal Assistant | 45,700 XPF |
Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | |
Journalist | 97,100 XPF |
Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology | |
Biomedical Engineer | 72,000 XPF |
Pharmacist | 107,000 XPF |
Sales Retail and Wholesale | |
Cashier | 31,700 XPF |
Sales Manager | 156,000 XPF |
Sales Representative | 56,300 XPF |
Teaching / Education | |
Elementary School Teacher | 59,400 XPF |
Secondary School Teacher | 68,400 XPF |
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in New Caledonia earn 11% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 82,400 XPF | |
Public Sector | +11% | 91,200 XPF |