How much money does a person working in Engineering make in New Zealand?
Average Yearly Salary
82,500 NZD
( 6,870 NZD monthly)
LOW
26,100
NZD
AVERAGE
82,500
NZD
HIGH
174,000
NZD
All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
A person working in Engineering in New Zealand typically earns around 82,500 NZD. Salaries range from 26,100 NZD (lowest average) to 174,000 NZD (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).
Salary Variance
The provided figure represents the median compensation that encompasses housing, transportation, and other perks. The salaries within the Engineering domain in New Zealand exhibit significant discrepancies across various professions. In case you seek information about the remuneration of a specific position, please refer to the salaries listed below for respective job titles.
Salaries for specific jobs
Engineering | |
3D Printing Engineer | 75,700 NZD |
Acoustics Engineer | 81,000 NZD |
Assembly Engineering Technician | 63,200 NZD |
Assistant Chief Engineer | 96,900 NZD |
|
Associate Engineer | 72,900 NZD |
AutoCAD Drafter | 50,600 NZD |
Autocad Operator | 51,400 NZD |
Automation Engineer | 91,200 NZD |
Automation Engineer | 86,200 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 |
Chemical Engineer | 86,000 NZD |
Civil Drafter | 53,300 NZD |
Civil Engineer | 90,500 NZD |
Civil Site Engineer | 84,800 NZD |
Civil Technician | 52,900 NZD |
Cognitive Engineer | 82,800 NZD |
Commissioning Engineer | 79,900 NZD |
Communications Engineer | 89,900 NZD |
Condition Monitoring Engineer | 74,900 NZD |
Contract Associate Engineer | 77,000 NZD |
Contract Engineer | 81,400 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 |
Director of Engineering | 179,000 NZD |
Drafter | 53,300 NZD |
Drafting Manager | 93,500 NZD |
Drilling Engineer | 86,100 NZD |
Drilling Foreman | 26,400 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 Manager | 118,000 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 Leader | 109,000 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 |
Human Machine Interface Engineer | 78,300 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 |
Instrument Technician | 45,400 NZD |
Instrumentation and Control Engineer | 86,400 NZD |
Instrumentation Designer | 70,600 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 |
Nanotechnology Engineer | 86,500 NZD |
Natural Language Processing Engineer | 90,700 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 |
Regional Field Engineer | 95,800 NZD |
Remote Sensing Engineer | 83,000 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 |
Security Engineer | 89,800 NZD |
Service Engineer | 87,900 NZD |
Smart Home Engineer | 92,500 NZD |
Solar Engineer | 92,200 NZD |
Staff Engineer | 86,400 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 |
Subsea Engineer | 109,000 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 |
Test Engineer | 84,400 NZD |
Transportation Engineer | 83,500 NZD |
Urban Engineer | 83,400 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 |
Wireless Engineer | 91,500 NZD |
Work Planner | 59,500 NZD |
Engineering Jobs Pay Scale and Salaries in New Zealand
Share This Chart Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/new-zealand/engineering/median-and-salary-distribution-yearly-new-zealand-engineering.jpg Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison
5% of people earn
87,600 NZD or more
10% of people earn
72,400 to 87,600 NZD
20% of people earn
39,000 NZD or less
65% of people earn
39,000 to 72,400 NZD
Minimum Salary 26,100 NZD |
Median 76,200 NZD |
Maximum 174,000 NZD |
Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range
All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.
Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary
Salaries in Engineering in New Zealand range from 26,100 NZD (starting average salary) to 174,000 NZD (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher). To clarify, the number presented is not the legally mandated minimum wage. Rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that involved thousands of participants and professionals from across the entire country.
Median Salary
The median income in the field of Engineering is 76,200 NZD, implying that half of the workforce in New Zealand earns less than this figure, and the other half earns more. It represents the central value of salaries. As a rule of thumb, you would prefer to be part of the group earning above the median wage, situated on the right-hand side of the salary distribution chart.
Percentiles and Salary Scale
Two values that are highly correlated with the median are the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution diagram, it is possible to determine that 25% of individuals employed in Engineering in New Zealand earn less than 57,000 NZD, while 75% of them earn more. Additionally, the diagram reveals that 75% of individuals earn less than 94,300 NZD, while 25% earn more than that.
Pay Scale Structure
Data was regrouped into brackets to provide a better understanding of what salaries can be expected. This approach was deemed more accurate than relying solely on the average salary, as it offers greater insights into the distribution of salaries in the field of Engineering in New Zealand. The analysis revealed that roughly 65% of all reported salaries fell within the range of 39,000 NZD to 72,400 NZD. Approximately 20% of salaries were below the 39,000 NZD mark, while 10% ranged from 72,400 NZD to 87,600 NZD. Only 5% of individuals earned a gross salary of 87,600 NZD or higher.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does a person's salary progress over time?
Share This Chart Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/images/salary-by-experience.jpg 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 in Engineering in New Zealand 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.
Change in salary based on experience varies drastically from one location to another and depends hugely on the career field as well. The data displayed here is the combined average of many different jobs. To view accurate figures, choose a specific job title.
“ On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark. ”
Salary Comparison By Education
How does the education level affect your salary?
Share This Chart Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/images/salary-comparison-by-education.jpg Change in salary based on education varies drastically from one location to another and depends hugely on the career field as well. The data displayed here is the combined average of multiple jobs. To view accurate figures, choose a specific job title.
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 degree levels across many jobs in Engineering in New Zealand, 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 certificate 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.
Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in New Zealand costs anywhere from 40,700 NZD to 122,000 NZD and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
Employees can't expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming they 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 to 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 the situation and experience among many other factors. Putting all variables aside, if a person can afford the costs of higher education then the return on investment is definitely worth it. Degree costs can be recovered roughly in a year or so.
Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Engineering / New Zealand
Share This Chart Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/new-zealand/engineering/salary-comparison-by-gender-yearly-new-zealand-engineering.jpg Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? In the field of Engineering in New Zealand, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 5%.
Male | | 84,600 NZD |
Female | -5% | 80,500 NZD |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary Comparison By Gender in New Zealand for all Careers
Share This Chart Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/new-zealand/salary-comparison-by-gender-yearly-new-zealand.jpg
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Engineering / New Zealand
How much are annual salary increments in New Zealand for individuals working in Engineering? How often do employees get salary raises?
Professionals working in Engineering 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.
Share This Chart Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/new-zealand/engineering/annual-salary-increment-rate-new-zealand-engineering.jpg The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.
New Zealand / All Professions
Share This Chart Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/new-zealand/annual-salary-increment-rate-new-zealand.jpg The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare 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.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
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
“The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in New Zealand is 6%.”
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Share This Chart Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/images/salary-increment-world.jpg Salary Packages and Schemes
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
Bonus and Incentive Rates / Engineering / New Zealand
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Share This Chart Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/new-zealand/engineering/annual-salary-bonus-rate-new-zealand-engineering.jpg
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% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe 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.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
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.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
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: A graphics designer working for a graphics designing company. | Example: A graphic designer in the marketing department of a hospital. |
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.
“Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.”
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
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.
Hourly Average Wage / Engineering / New Zealand
40 NZD
per hour The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Engineering in New Zealand is 40 NZD.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.
Hourly Wage = Annual Salary / ( 52 x 5 x 8 )
About The Hourly Pay Rate
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 fixed 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.
What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working in Engineering in New Zealand is 13 NZD. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Salary Comparison By City
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in New Zealand is 5% on average across all career fields.
Private Sector | | 94,900 NZD |
Public Sector | +5% | 99,900 NZD |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide
What is considered to be a good and competitive salary in Engineering in New Zealand?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 76,200 NZD and 94,300 NZD. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
Base / Basic Salary
The base salary for jobs in Engineering in New Zealand ranges from 26,100 NZD to 57,000 NZD. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn 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