Average salary in New Zealand 2026
NZ$5,907 net a month: that is what the average salary in New Zealand leaves, at NZ$93,116 gross a year in 2025 according to the OECD, once tax and contributions are gone. Among the 31 countries we compare, that is rank 16 on net pay in dollars. Share kept: 76% of gross. New Zealand is the one country on this list where we rely on the OECD alone: we could not open the Stats NZ earnings release itself when this page was written, and a search excerpt is not a reading of the source. Stats NZ publishes median weekly and hourly earnings each quarter, which are worth checking before you negotiate. KiwiSaver is optional here and left out of our net. For a job offer, this amount works as a point of comparison rather than a target, since occupation, city and experience weigh so heavily. The calculator on this page works out your multiple of the reference and your real net.
Your salary, as a multiple of the reference
1.00 ×
| Your net a year | NZ$70,881 |
|---|---|
| Your net a month | NZ$5,907 |
| Share kept | 76% |
| Reference, gross | NZ$93,116 |
| Reference, net | NZ$70,881 |
From gross to net, around the average salary
| Gross salary | Net a year | A month | Kept |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ$46,5580.50 × the average | NZ$39,208 | NZ$3,267 | 84% |
| NZ$69,8370.75 × the average | NZ$55,464 | NZ$4,622 | 79% |
| NZ$93,1161.00 × the average | NZ$70,881 | NZ$5,907 | 76% |
| NZ$139,6741.50 × the average | NZ$101,260 | NZ$8,438 | 72% |
| NZ$186,2322.00 × the average | NZ$131,783 | NZ$10,982 | 71% |
| NZ$279,3483.00 × the average | NZ$188,584 | NZ$15,715 | 68% |
This site’s calculation: Anywhere in New Zealand: income tax is national. KiwiSaver contributions, which most employees can opt out of, student loan repayments, Working for Families and other tax credits are left out.
Ten years of the average wage, OECD
| 2015 | NZ$62,025 |
|---|---|
| 2017 | NZ$65,927 |
| 2019 | NZ$71,627 |
| 2021 | NZ$80,343 |
| 2023 | NZ$87,281 |
| 2025 | NZ$93,116 |
Gross a year in current money, not adjusted for inflation.
The average salary in New Zealand over ten years
From NZ$62,025 in 2015 to NZ$93,116 in 2025: the OECD measures a nominal rise of 50%, inflation not deducted.
Going further
Questions
What is the average salary in New Zealand?
NZ$93,116 gross a year in 2025 according to the OECD, or NZ$7,760 a month. The Stats NZ figures could not be read at source. That is NZ$5,907 net a month on this site's table. Gaps between sources come from who is covered, full-time or not, bonuses or not.
How much is the average salary in New Zealand after tax?
NZ$70,881 a year, or NZ$5,907 a month, for a single person with no children on the 2026/27 table. Tax and contributions take NZ$22,235. At twice this salary, the share kept falls to 71%. No optional deduction is taken here, and pension saving would lower this net.
Does KiwiSaver change net pay in New Zealand?
It reduces it if you join, but it stays optional, so our calculation does not take it out. The ACC earners' levy, on the other hand, is compulsory and counted. On the OECD average wage, each point of KiwiSaver takes about a hundredth of gross, in exchange for savings and an employer contribution.
Sources
Figures 2026, checked on