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Work in New Zealand: Requirements and opportunities
You can find here everything you need to know about work in New Zealand: salaries, types of jobs, and job search applications.
If working in New Zealand is one of your near-term goals, here’s all the information you need to start your job search in this amazing country, known for its relaxed lifestyle, good pay, and strong labor policies.
We’ve put together a guide to help you know where to start your job search, which opportunities are worth applying for, and what salaries you can expect in different roles and professions.
We’ve also gathered the platforms where you can submit your CV and included some practical tips to keep in mind as you start your journey into New Zealand’s workforce.
Advantages of working in New Zealand
New Zealand is a great place to grow professionally, with opportunities that let you gain valuable experience and earn better pay. Here are a few of the benefits it offers:
- Competitive salary: The country has one of the highest base salaries in the world, allowing its workers to enjoy a good quality of life.
- Employment guarantees: Along with competitive pay, the country also protects its workers by ensuring jobs meet all legal requirements for fair employment.
- Work flexibility: Jobs in New Zealand often offer flexible hours and responsibilities, making it easier for employees to balance work with family and social life.
- High quality of life: The country boasts high quality of life indices for its inhabitants, with social security and a strong healthcare system.
- High value placed on skilled labor: Experienced professionals with strong educational backgrounds are highly sought after by large companies, and they often receive higher pay as a result.
Requirements for working in New Zealand
To work legally in New Zealand, there are several requirements set by the authorities for immigrants. Here, we’ll go over the general requirements in detail:
- Valid passport: Your passport must be valid and have a long validity period.
- Work permit: New Zealand offers different types of visas that allow you to work and study, or even work and holiday. You can explore the option that best fits your needs and nationality. Some countries have agreements that make it easier for their citizens to obtain a visa.
- IRD number (Income Tax): You must obtain this code for tax purposes, but above all to avoid excessive charges.
- Finances: It’s recommended to have at least $2,500 saved to cover housing, food, and other expenses during your first few months, until you start receiving your paycheck.
- Have a job offer or contract: To qualify for certain work visas, you need a formal job offer or a signed employment contract with a New Zealand employer.
- Criminal record: It is important that you have no issues with the authorities in your country. You must be free of any criminal charges.
- Medical examinations: Some jobs will require you to prove that you are in good physical and mental health.
Tips for starting work in New Zealand
Here are some key tips to keep in mind when starting your job search in New Zealand. Make sure to take note so you can refer back to them:
- Check exactly what visa you need: As mentioned, New Zealand offers several types of visas that allow you to work. Find the one that best fits your goals. Remember, you can work and study, combine work with a holiday, or simply obtain a visa just to work.
- Research the companies you can apply to work for: This allows you to focus your career goals where you truly want them. It’s recommended to visit New Zealand company websites to learn more about them.
- Gather all your personal documentation and have it translated: Make sure not to leave out any information or documents you might need at any point during your job search.
- Stay connected at all times: Staying connected is key for keeping up with emails while applying for jobs in New Zealand. Holafly offers monthly plans with data from 25 GB up to unlimited, which can be shared across devices and used in over 170 countries. You can also use a New Zealand eSIM for unlimited data for as long as you need, without any roaming fees.
- Translate your resume into New Zealand style: Take some time to see how resumes are usually done in New Zealand. You’ll need to adjust yours depending on the job you’re applying for. Keep it short and make sure it’s free of spelling errors.
Types of jobs in New Zealand for foreigners
These are the professions and trades you can pursue as a foreigner in New Zealand. Keep in mind that most of them require experience and formal education, so it’s a good idea to have your qualifications translated and ready to show potential employers.
New Zealand often hires foreign workers in healthcare roles, such as psychologists, general practitioners, nurses, and specialists in various fields that strengthen the country’s health sector.
Construction is another sector looking to expand and modernize the country, with projects ranging from housing and highway improvements to various infrastructure plans. This creates demand for professionals like industrial, mechanical, and civil engineers, as well as architects, masons, and painters.
In terms of trades, hospitality is one of the sectors that hires the most foreigners, due to the high number of tourists and a shortage of local workers. Opportunities in this area include cleaning, maintenance, electrical work, and plumbing.
The most in-demand jobs in New Zealand for foreigners
New Zealand currently has high demand for certain professions and trades that cannot be fully met with local workers, so there are opportunities for you to fill these roles.
The country is in need of teachers at all levels, from early childhood to secondary education. There is also demand for doctors across all specialties to fill positions in hospitals and clinics throughout the country.
Agriculture and rural work are among the fastest-growing sectors in the country, creating demand for professionals in farming, crop management, gardening, and other rural trades.
Tourism also needs staff for roles like waitstaff, bartenders, chefs, and cleaners. Similarly, the hospitality sector hires foreigners to fill positions in housekeeping, front desk services, and guest assistance.
Salaries and cost of living in New Zealand
Pay in New Zealand depends on where you work. Urban areas usually offer higher salaries, but living costs like rent and groceries are also greater, so it’s a trade-off between income and expenses.
On average, someone earning the minimum wage in New Zealand makes around $27,000 per year. However, this can vary depending on your education, experience, and the type of work you do.
For example, consider whether your profession or trade is in demand, as this can give you an advantage when negotiating your monthly salary based on your skills and experience.
Project management roles are well paid, with salaries over $100,000 per year. Lawyers can earn around $85,000, while communications specialists in high-level positions can make up to $300,000 annually.
In terms of trades, roles like supermarket cashiers, call center assistants, and car cleaners can earn around $23 per hour. However, these jobs often come with shorter hours or are temporary positions.
Other roles, such as office assistants or video and photo editors, can earn $30 or more per hour, making them some of the best-paid positions. On the other hand, jobs like babysitting, dog walking, or cleaning start at around $9 per hour.
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Where can you find job opportunities in New Zealand?
To improve your chances of finding work in New Zealand, it’s best to search on official job apps and company websites. This ensures your resume reaches a real recruiter and keeps your personal information safe.
To help you with this, we are going to recommend some websites that may be useful for your job search:
- Indeed: This is one of the best-known job search apps internationally, as recruiters tend to post their best offers on this app.
- Seek: This website brings together job offers for qualified personnel and is very popular in New Zealand.
- Trade Me: It’s a multifunction app where you can find everything from second-hand items for sale to job listings. On this platform, you’re more likely to come across temporary positions and roles in trades.
- Careerjet: It’s another app that lists a wide range of job opportunities, catering both to professionals and to workers with specific skills and experience.
Another way to look for work is through New Zealand government platforms, which often feature job openings specifically for foreigners along with migration programs. Websites like Jobs.govt.nz and New Zealand Now are good places to check available positions.
Frequently asked questions about working in New Zealand
New Zealand offers several types of visas that allow you to work, including student visas with limited work hours, working holiday visas, visas for skilled and unskilled workers, and even resident visas that let you work freely.
Under labor regulations, every employee, regardless of their profession or trade, must earn at least the government-set minimum wage, which is around $2,400.
The standard workweek in New Zealand is 40 hours, though some jobs may require longer hours, with overtime pay provided for the extra time.
The length of a work visa depends on its type. For example, the Accredited Employer Work Visa can be valid for up to five years, while a Working Holiday visa typically lasts 12 months.
Yes, this is a requirement you can’t skip, as you’ll need to submit your resume in English and the interview will also be conducted in English. Most jobs involve interacting with others, so strong communication skills in English are essential.
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