NZ PAY PACKETS RISE BY 3.1%

NZPA

Thursday 28th July 2011

The average New Zealand salary package rose by 3.1 % between January and June this year*, according to data released today by seek.co.nz.

Up $2,141, the average annual salary is now $72,277 for roles advertised on New Zealand's largest job source. And the growth in pay packets isn't limited to the country's main cities:

"Increases in salaries across a variety of regions and industries in the last six months shows it's not just the big cities and white collar industries that are seeing solid growth," says Janet Faulding, General Manager of SEEK New Zealand.

"Average pay packets have experienced phenomenal growth in the Tasman region, with a 15.4% increase over the last six months, while Hawkes Bay and Marlborough had significant increases of 9.4% and 8.4% respectively."

The West Coast is also proving to be a gold mine in the average salary stakes, notching up a 5.1% increase in pay packets over the last six months to post an average salary package of $82,916, which is over $10,000 higher than the national average. West Coast also knocks Wellington off its perch at the top of the table.

"In January, Wellington topped the table as the location with the country's highest average salary. While their average salary package is currently over $4,500 higher than the Auckland average, they are now in second spot behind the West Coast," says Janet Faulding.

Average salaries in Auckland grew by 3.4%, to $73,355 while Taranaki was the only other region that registered above the national average.

Average NZ salary packages by region (based on jobs advertised on seek.co.nz)
Location Average Salary Package*
West Coast $82,916
Wellington $77,981
Auckland $73,355
Taranaki $72,725
National Average $72,277
Waikato $67,259
Tasman $66,883
Canterbury $66,808
Hawkes Bay $65,351
Marlborough $65,086
Bay of Plenty $64,959
Northland $64,583
Southland $63,850
Otago $63,598
Manawatu $61,326
Gisborne $55,000

More specifically, roles in Community Services and Development experienced the biggest jump in salaries, growing by 19.5% in the last six months to an average wage of $65,508. The second fastest growing industry was Real Estate and Property, posting an 11.2% increase, with an average salary of $77,917.

Mining, Resources and Energy experienced the third highest growth with a 10.5% increase and an average salary of $111,378.
Average NZ salary packages by classification (based on jobs advertised on seek.co.nz)
Classification Average Advertised Salary Growth in Salary since January
Community Services & Development $65,508 19.5%
Real Estate & Property $77,917 11.2%
Mining, Resources & Energy $111,378 10.5%
Education & Training $67,610 7.6%
Marketing & Communications $79,016 6.0%
Accounting $76,510 5.6%
Retail & Consumer Products $49,173 5.4%
Human Resources & Recruitment $78,370 4.7%
Science & Technology $66,080 3.8%
Call Centre & Customer Service $45,768 2.7%

"The potential for higher pay is often considered to be one of the main reasons why people decide to start looking for a new job. The sustained growth we have seen in salaries over the past six months is great news for job hunters who are looking to earn more money by changing roles," says Janet Faulding.

"For employers looking to retain good staff now is an ideal time to look at salary packages. If budgets are unable to stretch to cover pay rises, why not consider non-monetary perks such as extra annual leave or flexible hours to show your employees that you value their skills and want to keep them".

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