A person working in Engineering in New Zealand typically earns around 82,100 NZD per year. Salaries range from 26,000 NZD (lowest average) to 174,000 NZD (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Salaries vary drastically between different Engineering careers. If you are interested in the salary of a particular job, see below for salaries for specific job titles.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Acoustics Engineer | 81,000 NZD |
Assembly Engineering Technician | 63,200 NZD |
Assistant Chief Engineer | 96,900 NZD |
Associate Engineer | 72,900 NZD |
Autocad Operator | 51,400 NZD |
Automation Engineer | 91,200 NZD |
Avionic System Support Engineer | 79,000 NZD |
Biochemical Engineer | 75,600 NZD |
BMS Engineer | 82,800 NZD |
Bridge and Lock Tender | 45,600 NZD |
Broadcast Engineer | 85,200 NZD |
CAD Design Engineer | 87,800 NZD |
CAD Designer | 50,900 NZD |
CAE Engineer | 81,400 NZD |
Ceramics Engineer | 75,800 NZD |
Civil Engineer | 90,500 NZD |
Commissioning Engineer | 79,900 NZD |
Communications Engineer | 89,900 NZD |
Condition Monitoring Engineer | 74,900 NZD |
Contract Associate Engineer | 77,000 NZD |
Control Systems Engineer | 80,200 NZD |
Controls Engineer | 85,200 NZD |
Controls Software Engineer | 76,000 NZD |
Corrosion Engineer | 75,000 NZD |
Design Engineer | 85,800 NZD |
Drafter | 53,300 NZD |
Drafting Manager | 93,500 NZD |
Drilling Engineer | 86,100 NZD |
Electrical Draughtsman | 43,200 NZD |
Electrical Engineer | 93,100 NZD |
Electrical Engineering Manager | 116,000 NZD |
Electromechanical Engineering Technologist | 91,400 NZD |
Electromechanical Equipment Assembler | 42,600 NZD |
Energy Engineer | 92,400 NZD |
Engine Assembler | 37,000 NZD |
Engineer | 90,500 NZD |
Engineering Account Manager | 93,300 NZD |
Engineering Chief Designer | 93,600 NZD |
Engineering Consultant | 113,000 NZD |
Engineering Key Account Manager | 121,000 NZD |
Engineering Lab Technician | 77,400 NZD |
Engineering Planning Manager | 118,000 NZD |
Engineering Production Manager | 156,000 NZD |
Engineering Project Analyst | 102,000 NZD |
Engineering Project Coordinator | 103,000 NZD |
Engineering Project Director | 169,000 NZD |
Engineering Project Manager | 118,000 NZD |
Engineering Research and Development Manager | 133,000 NZD |
Engineering Safety Coordinator | 65,600 NZD |
Engineering Sales Manager | 114,000 NZD |
Engineering Technician | 65,600 NZD |
Engineering Technologist | 66,900 NZD |
Environmental Engineer | 80,200 NZD |
Equipment Engineer | 78,900 NZD |
Equipment Engineering Manager | 109,000 NZD |
Estimator | 69,800 NZD |
Fabrication Specialist | 59,600 NZD |
Fabricator | 40,400 NZD |
Facade Engineer | 83,200 NZD |
Fiber Analyst | 51,200 NZD |
Field Engineer | 90,800 NZD |
Field Engineering Manager | 141,000 NZD |
Fire Engineer | 87,800 NZD |
Fitter and Turner | 26,800 NZD |
Forestry Strategic Planner | 96,400 NZD |
Generation Engineer | 89,000 NZD |
Genetic Engineer | 89,400 NZD |
Geological Engineer | 86,100 NZD |
Geotechnical Engineer | 93,900 NZD |
Heavy Equipment Mechanic | 45,100 NZD |
Highway Engineer | 84,100 NZD |
HSE Professional | 76,400 NZD |
HVAC Engineer | 94,800 NZD |
HVAC Supervisor | 78,900 NZD |
Industrial Engineer | 82,100 NZD |
Industrial Engineering Technologist | 80,000 NZD |
Instrument Engineer | 84,200 NZD |
Instrumentation and Control Engineer | 86,300 NZD |
Instrumentation Engineer | 82,600 NZD |
Instrumentation Manager | 87,200 NZD |
Irrigation Engineer | 79,100 NZD |
Licensed Aircraft Engineer | 87,800 NZD |
Locomotive Engineer | 80,000 NZD |
Maintenance Engineer | 80,700 NZD |
Maintenance Fitter | 28,700 NZD |
Maintenance Manager | 87,500 NZD |
Manufacturing Engineer | 79,200 NZD |
Marine Engineer | 87,400 NZD |
Materials Engineer | 81,400 NZD |
Materials Researcher | 80,000 NZD |
Materials Technician | 63,500 NZD |
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer | 87,300 NZD |
Mechanical Design Engineer | 88,500 NZD |
Mechanical Designer | 75,600 NZD |
Mechanical Engineer | 93,400 NZD |
Mechanical Engineering Manager | 118,000 NZD |
Mechanical Inspector | 79,200 NZD |
Mechatronics Engineer | 92,500 NZD |
Mining Engineer | 87,100 NZD |
Oil and Petrochemical Engineer | 92,400 NZD |
Optical Engineer | 82,000 NZD |
Optical Instrument Assembler | 45,100 NZD |
PCB Assembler | 31,700 NZD |
Photonics Engineer | 96,900 NZD |
Photonics Technician | 75,600 NZD |
Pipeline Engineer | 78,100 NZD |
Piping Designer | 44,200 NZD |
Piping Engineer | 78,900 NZD |
Planning Engineer | 89,900 NZD |
Pressure Vessel Inspector | 40,900 NZD |
Principal Cost Engineer | 89,400 NZD |
Principal Engineer | 86,400 NZD |
Principal Support Engineer | 82,500 NZD |
Process Engineer | 80,000 NZD |
Process Operator | 50,400 NZD |
Product Development Engineer | 89,000 NZD |
Product Development Technician | 64,100 NZD |
Product Engineer | 85,000 NZD |
Product Safety Engineer | 77,000 NZD |
Production Engineer | 88,400 NZD |
Project Engineer | 91,400 NZD |
Proposal Manager | 109,000 NZD |
Purchasing Engineer | 78,500 NZD |
Quality Assurance Engineer | 81,700 NZD |
Rail Engineer | 87,800 NZD |
Robotics Engineer | 95,000 NZD |
Robotics Technician | 72,600 NZD |
Safety Engineer | 83,300 NZD |
Safety Inspector | 63,900 NZD |
Safety Manager | 101,000 NZD |
Safety Officer | 44,600 NZD |
Sales Engineer | 92,100 NZD |
Scheduling Engineer | 80,100 NZD |
Service Engineer | 87,900 NZD |
Solar Engineer | 92,200 NZD |
Staff Engineer | 86,300 NZD |
Static Equipment Engineer | 86,100 NZD |
Stationary Engineer | 78,200 NZD |
Stress Engineer | 78,800 NZD |
Structural Analysis Engineer | 79,300 NZD |
Structural Designer | 72,600 NZD |
Structural Engineer | 83,900 NZD |
Structural Technician | 52,500 NZD |
Supply Chain Specialist | 83,500 NZD |
Surveyor | 66,000 NZD |
Technical Affairs Officer | 43,400 NZD |
Technical Assistant | 41,900 NZD |
Technical Engineer | 70,900 NZD |
Technical Support Engineer | 74,900 NZD |
Tender Engineer | 75,600 NZD |
Test Development Engineer | 86,900 NZD |
Transportation Engineer | 83,500 NZD |
Validation Engineer | 77,800 NZD |
Verification Engineer | 83,100 NZD |
Wastewater Engineer | 84,800 NZD |
Wind Energy Engineer | 86,400 NZD |
Wind Energy Operations Manager | 108,000 NZD |
Work Planner | 59,500 NZD |
Engineering salaries in New Zealand range from 26,000 NZD per year (minimum average salary) to 174,000 NZD per year (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).
The median salary is 87,000 NZD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working in Engineering are earning less than 87,000 NZD while the other half are earning more than 87,000 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 people working in Engineering are earning less than 50,900 NZD while 75% of them are earning more than 50,900 NZD. Also from the diagram, 75% of people working in Engineering are earning less than 138,000 NZD while 25% are earning more than 138,000 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 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 Zealand costs anywhere from 40,500 New Zealand Dollar(s) to 122,000 New Zealand Dollar(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 Zealand who work in Engineering earn 5% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 84,200 NZD | |
Female | -5% | 80,100 NZD |
Engineering professionals in New Zealand are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 9% every 15 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 2021. 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.
Engineering is considered to be a moderate bonus-based field 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.
43% of surveyed staff in Engineering reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 57% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 2% to 7% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 57% | |
No Bonus | 43% |
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 Engineering is 16% less than that of All Jobs.
City | Average Salary |
Auckland | 91,100 NZD |
Christchurch | 87,000 NZD |
Hamilton | 78,900 NZD |
Rotorua | 75,300 NZD |
Wellington | 83,800 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 |