Attorney Average Salary in New Zealand 2023
How much money does an Attorney make in New Zealand?
LOW
83,100
NZD AVERAGE
181,000
NZD HIGH
287,000
NZD
A person working as an Attorney in New Zealand typically earns around 181,000 NZD per year. Salaries range from 83,100 NZD (lowest) to 287,000 NZD (highest).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Attorney salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Attorney Salary Distribution in New Zealand
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
Salary Range
Attorney salaries in New Zealand range from 83,100 NZD per year (minimum salary) to 287,000 NZD per year (maximum salary).
Median Salary
The median salary is 195,000 NZD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Attorney(s) are earning less than 195,000 NZD while the other half are earning more than 195,000 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.
Percentiles
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Attorney(s) are earning less than 125,000 NZD while 75% of them are earning more than 125,000 NZD. Also from the diagram, 75% of Attorney(s) are earning less than 260,000 NZD while 25% are earning more than 260,000 NZD.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
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
Attorney Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does experience and age affect your pay?
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 Attorney salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
An Attorney with less than two years of experience makes approximately 94,300 NZD per year.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 126,000 NZD per year, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 186,000 NZD per year, 48% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, Attorney(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 227,000 NZD per year, 22% 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 247,000 NZD per year, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 268,000 NZD per year, 8% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Attorney average salary change by experience in New Zealand
| 0 - 2 Years | 94,300 NZD | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +34% | 126,000 NZD |
| 5 - 10 Years | +48% | 186,000 NZD |
| 10 - 15 Years | +22% | 227,000 NZD |
| 15 - 20 Years | +9% | 247,000 NZD |
| 20+ Years | +8% | 268,000 NZD |
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Attorney Salary Comparison By Education
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary difference between different Attorney(s) who have the same experience but different education levels.
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 Attorney salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Bachelor's Degree, the average salary of an Attorney is 108,000 NZD per year.
While someone with a Master's Degree gets a salary of 169,000 NZD per year, 57% more than someone having a Bachelor's Degree degree.
A PhD gets its holder an average salary of 283,000 NZD per year, 68% more than someone with a Master's Degree.
Attorney average salary difference by education level in New Zealand
| Bachelor's Degree | 108,000 NZD | |
| Master's Degree | +57% | 169,000 NZD |
| PhD | +68% | 283,000 NZD |
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 40,500 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 the thoery. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Attorney Salary Comparison By Gender
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Attorney employees in New Zealand earn 6% more than their female counterparts on average.
| Male | 186,000 NZD | |
| Female | -5% | 176,000 NZD |
Salary Comparison By Gender in New Zealand for all Careers
Attorney Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in New Zealand
How much are annual salary increments in New Zealand for Attorney(s)? How often do employees get salary raises?
Attorney
Attorney(s) in New Zealand are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 12% every 16 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 months.
New Zealand / All Professions
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.
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
Annual Increment Rate By Industry 2022
| 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.
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Attorney Bonus and Incentive Rates in New Zealand
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
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An Attorney is considered to be a high 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.
13% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 87% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 5% to 9% of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | 87% | |
| No Bonus | 13% |
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: | 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.
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.
Attorney Average Hourly Wage in New Zealand
87 NZD per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) in New Zealand is 87 NZD. This means that the average Attorney in New Zealand earns approximately 87 NZD for every worked hour.
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.
Attorney VS Other Jobs
The average salary for Attorney is 54% more than that of Legal. Also, Legal salaries are 21% more than those of All Jobs.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Administrative Law Judge | 270,000 NZD |  +49% |
| Arbitrator | 119,000 NZD |  -34% |
| Associate Attorney | 121,000 NZD | -33% |
| Attorney | 181,000 NZD | +0% |
| Bailiff | 56,700 NZD | -69% |
| Barrister | 49,400 NZD | -73% |
| Candidate Attorney | 105,000 NZD | -42% |
| Conciliator | 90,300 NZD | -50% |
| Contracts Manager | 106,000 NZD | -41% |
| Contracts Negotiator | 88,100 NZD | -51% |
| Conveyancing Secretary | 51,700 NZD | -71% |
| Corporate Counsel | 141,000 NZD | -22% |
| Counsel | 130,000 NZD | -28% |
| Court Clerk | 44,700 NZD | -75% |
| Court Judicial Assistant | 71,300 NZD | -61% |
| Court Liaison Specialist | 87,300 NZD | -52% |
| Court Reporter | 73,100 NZD | -60% |
| Court Representative | 57,600 NZD | -68% |
| Crown Prosecution Service Lawyer | 266,000 NZD | +47% |
| Immigration Executive | 133,000 NZD | -26% |
| In House Counsel | 131,000 NZD | -27% |
| Intellectual Property Specialist | 89,400 NZD | -51% |
| Judge Advocate | 211,000 NZD | +17% |
| Law Clerk | 42,300 NZD | -77% |
| Lawyer | 194,000 NZD | +7% |
| Legal Administrative Assistant | 51,900 NZD | -71% |
| Legal Advisor | 115,000 NZD | -36% |
| Legal Assistant | 51,400 NZD | -72% |
| Legal Associate | 85,000 NZD | -53% |
| Legal Consultant | 109,000 NZD | -40% |
| Legal Counsel | 142,000 NZD | -21% |
| Legal Editor | 87,500 NZD | -52% |
| Legal Executive | 179,000 NZD | -1% |
| Legal Executive Secretary | 51,600 NZD | -71% |
| Legal IP Officer | 47,900 NZD | -73% |
| Legal Officer | 55,900 NZD | -69% |
| Legal Services Director | 211,000 NZD | +17% |
| Legal Services Manager | 225,000 NZD | +25% |
| Legal Support Worker | 37,300 NZD | -79% |
| Legislative Liaison | 85,500 NZD | -53% |
| Litigation Attorney | 235,000 NZD | +30% |
| Litigation Paralegal | 116,000 NZD | -36% |
| Magistrate Judge | 279,000 NZD | +54% |
| Paralegal | 70,200 NZD | -61% |
| Patent Attorney | 147,000 NZD | -19% |
| Staff Attorney | 147,000 NZD | -19% |
Salary Comparison By City
| City | Average Salary |
| Auckland | 202,000 NZD |
| Christchurch | 196,000 NZD |
| Hamilton | 182,000 NZD |
| Rotorua | 171,000 NZD |
| Wellington | 191,000 NZD |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
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 |
