A person working as an User Experience UX Designer in New Zealand typically earns around 64,900 NZD per year. Salaries range from 34,400 NZD (lowest) to 98,700 NZD (highest).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. User Experience UX Designer salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
User Experience UX Designer salaries in New Zealand range from 34,400 NZD per year (minimum salary) to 98,700 NZD per year (maximum salary).
The median salary is 61,000 NZD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as User Experience UX Designer(s) are earning less than 61,000 NZD while the other half are earning more than 61,000 NZD. 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 User Experience UX Designer(s) are earning less than 42,900 NZD while 75% of them are earning more than 42,900 NZD. Also from the diagram, 75% of User Experience UX Designer(s) are earning less than 75,100 NZD while 25% are earning more than 75,100 NZD.
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 your wage. We broke down User Experience UX Designer salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
An User Experience UX Designer with less than two years of experience makes approximately 39,500 NZD per year.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 48,500 NZD per year, 23% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 68,800 NZD per year, 42% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, User Experience UX Designer(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 80,400 NZD per year, 17% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 88,400 NZD per year, 10% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 93,500 NZD per year, 6% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
0 - 2 Years | 39,500 NZD | |
2 - 5 Years | +23% | 48,500 NZD |
5 - 10 Years | +42% | 68,800 NZD |
10 - 15 Years | +17% | 80,400 NZD |
15 - 20 Years | +10% | 88,400 NZD |
20+ Years | +6% | 93,500 NZD |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down User Experience UX Designer salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is High School, the average salary of an User Experience UX Designer is 48,500 NZD per year.
While someone with a Certificate or Diploma gets a salary of 67,800 NZD per year, 40% more than someone having a High School degree.
A Bachelor's Degree gets its holder an average salary of 96,100 NZD per year, 42% more than someone with a Certificate or Diploma.
High School | 48,500 NZD | |
Certificate or Diploma | +40% | 67,800 NZD |
Bachelor's Degree | +42% | 96,100 NZD |
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male User Experience UX Designer employees in New Zealand earn 5% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 66,400 NZD | |
Female | -5% | 63,200 NZD |
User Experience UX Designer(s) in New Zealand are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% every 16 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 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 | 2% | |
Energy | 4% | |
Information Technology | 6% | |
Healthcare | 8% | |
Travel | 1% | |
Construction | 3% | |
Education | 5% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in New Zealand 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.
An User Experience UX Designer is considered to be a low bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
73% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 27% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 1% to 3% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 27% | |
No Bonus | 73% |
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.
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.
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.
The average salary for User Experience UX Designer is 29% less than that of Advertising / Grapic Design / Events. Also, Advertising / Grapic Design / Events salaries are 6% less than those of All Jobs.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Advertising Account Executive | 111,000 NZD | ![]() |
Advertising Account Manager | 121,000 NZD | ![]() |
Advertising Account Planner | 60,500 NZD | ![]() |
Advertising Coordinator | 79,400 NZD | ![]() |
Advertising Manager | 153,000 NZD | ![]() |
Advertising Operations Manager | 151,000 NZD | ![]() |
Advertising Strategic Planner | 106,000 NZD | ![]() |
Advertising Team Leader | 87,500 NZD | ![]() |
Animator | 69,500 NZD | ![]() |
Art Director | 91,200 NZD | ![]() |
Artist | 81,200 NZD | ![]() |
Artworker | 57,000 NZD | ![]() |
Assistant Art Director | 76,000 NZD | ![]() |
Audiosual Technician | 55,000 NZD | ![]() |
Broadcast Administrator | 104,000 NZD | ![]() |
Catering Sales | 62,200 NZD | ![]() |
Catering Trainer | 69,100 NZD | ![]() |
Commercial and Industrial Designer | 54,700 NZD | ![]() |
Conference Organiser | 71,100 NZD | ![]() |
Content and Media Production Lead | 113,000 NZD | ![]() |
CopyWriter | 64,200 NZD | ![]() |
Creative Designer | 70,600 NZD | ![]() |
Creative Director | 99,300 NZD | ![]() |
Designer | 56,600 NZD | ![]() |
Desktop Publisher | 44,000 NZD | ![]() |
Director of Graphic Design | 90,700 NZD | ![]() |
Events and Promotions Manager | 149,000 NZD | ![]() |
Exhibit Display Coordinator | 74,200 NZD | ![]() |
Exhibit Display Manager | 94,500 NZD | ![]() |
Finisher | 49,400 NZD | ![]() |
Graphic Artist | 59,300 NZD | ![]() |
Graphic Designer | 61,700 NZD | ![]() |
Graphics Design Supervisor | 83,500 NZD | ![]() |
Imagery Analyst | 58,100 NZD | ![]() |
Imaging Technologist | 55,600 NZD | ![]() |
Interaction Designer | 50,700 NZD | ![]() |
Media Planner | 77,200 NZD | ![]() |
Media Production Coordinator | 71,600 NZD | ![]() |
Media Production Manager | 123,000 NZD | ![]() |
Media Project Manager | 132,000 NZD | ![]() |
Media Relations Representative | 105,000 NZD | ![]() |
Media Sales Executive | 123,000 NZD | ![]() |
Multimedia Specialist | 55,600 NZD | ![]() |
Photographer | 54,900 NZD | ![]() |
PPC Campaign Manager | 94,000 NZD | ![]() |
Print Production Manager | 104,000 NZD | ![]() |
Product and Brand Manager | 157,000 NZD | ![]() |
Sales Promotion Manager | 151,000 NZD | ![]() |
Sketch Artist | 70,700 NZD | ![]() |
Social Media Executive | 118,000 NZD | ![]() |
Technical Typist | 43,400 NZD | ![]() |
User Experience UX Designer | 64,900 NZD | ![]() |
UX Designer | 57,600 NZD | ![]() |
City | Average Salary |
Auckland | 75,300 NZD |
Christchurch | 72,300 NZD |
Hamilton | 59,900 NZD |
Rotorua | 59,300 NZD |
Wellington | 70,000 NZD |
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in New Zealand earn 5% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 94,600 NZD | |
Public Sector | +5% | 99,600 NZD |