Moving to New Zealand
In New Zealand, the median gross salary is €3,128 a month (2025), a single worker on the average wage keeps 79.2% of gross pay after income tax and employee contributions (2025) and unemployment is 5.1% (2025).
New Zealand had GDP per capita of US$49,432 and life expectancy of 82.0 years. Average gross salary was €3,807 per month in 2025.
Do I need a visa for New Zealand?
Across 198 passports, 2 passports enter visa-free and 60 passports need an ETA for New Zealand, while 136 passports are not yet officially determined. Check your passport below.
From the accepted entry-rules ledger (198 passport rules, tourism purpose). Sources checked as of 2026-07-14.
- Per-passport answers with official sources: short-stay entry rules for this country
Visa and entry rules
Sources checked through 22 Oct 2026.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in New Zealand?
The national unemployment rate was about 5.1 % in 2025.
This is the World Bank / ILO modelled estimate series used as the canonical national answer. Other published definitions exist and are shown in the table below.
- National unemployment rate: 5.08 % · Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate), 202538
What is the median gross salary in New Zealand?
The median gross salary was about 3,128 EUR/month in 2025-Q2.
Half of employees earn less than this. Mean gross and national-accounts averages use different definitions and are shown in the table below.
What is the minimum wage in New Zealand?
The statutory minimum wage is about 11.97 EUR/hour, gross (as of 2026-04). Source: Employment New Zealand16
National statutory floor, gross, before tax and social contributions.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross salary, monthly | 3,128 EUR/month | 30 Jun 2025 | Labour market statistics (income): June 2025 quarter10Official · national figure |
| National unemployment rate | 5.08 % | 31 Dec 2025 | Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate), 202538Official · national figure |
| Minimum gross hourly wage | 11.97 EUR/hour | 27 Aug 2026 | Employment New Zealand16Official · national figure |
Public employment service in New Zealand
Official job-search, registration, counselling and training routes. Private recruitment agencies are not included.
Work and Income employment service — Public employment service
A national service does not prove that an office exists in every city. City pages show an office only after an exact address is linked to that city. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Taxes in New Zealand
National rates and comparable published scenarios. Personal tax depends on income, household and residence circumstances.
Benefits newcomers may qualify for in New Zealand
Public schemes where an official source defines an eligible migration or residence status. Amounts and conditions are kept in their native terms.
| Programme | Published amount | Source and application |
|---|---|---|
Accommodation Supplement — Housing support | 70–305 NZD / Weekly | |
Eligibility and amount detailsMaximum weekly Accommodation Supplement varies by area and household category; the 1 April 2026 table ranges from NZD 70 to NZD 305. Work and Income states that an applicant must be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, normally live in New Zealand and intend to stay there, in addition to meeting the accommodation-cost and means conditions. | ||
Emergency Benefit — Arrival and reception support | Amount varies | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe current Work and Income Emergency Benefit page says the payment is available where a person cannot support themselves and does not qualify for another payment. The amount varies with the person's assessed circumstances and the source-defined hardship rules; no fixed national NZD figure is asserted on the current page. The official MSD material states that a person who has made a claim for refugee or protected person status (also known as an asylum seeker), is waiting for or appealing a decline decision to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal, and has a valid visa or permit to be lawfully present in New Zealand may be entitled to the Emergency Benefit, subject to hardship and the other source-defined conditions. Seeker In New Zealand With Valid Visa Waiting Or Appealing Refusal For Emergency Benefit; it does not generalise entitlement to every asylum seeker or every temporary visa holder. | ||
Jobseeker Support — Unemployment support | Amount varies / Weekly | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe 1 April 2026 table gives category-specific Jobseeker Support gross weekly rates from NZD 309.65 for a single 18–19-year-old at home to NZD 760.48 for a couple with children; after-tax rates are also published. The official Work and Income Jobseeker Support page states under ‘Residency status’ that a claimant must be a New Zealand citizen or have a residence class visa, must have lived continuously in New Zealand for at least two years since becoming a citizen or getting a residence class visa, and must be ordinarily resident in New Zealand. Class Visa Holder and retains the age, work-capacity, income and ordinary-residence conditions; it does not publish a generic permanent_resident or lawful_resident label. | ||
Minimum Family Tax Credit (MFTC) — Minimum-income support | Amount set per household by formula / Weekly | |
Eligibility and amount detailsTop-up formula: where the qualifying family meets the work and Working for Families conditions, MFTC brings family income up to the stated after-tax threshold of NZD 36,604 per year (NZD 43,044 gross threshold in the official 2026 material); the payment is the difference after other relevant income and credits, not a fixed universal amount. Minimum Family Tax Credit is a Working for Families payment. The official Inland Revenue residency page says a claimant qualifies when the claimant is a New Zealand resident, has lived in New Zealand for 12 months in a row at any time, and is a New Zealand tax resident and remains so during the entitlement period. It separately says that the child route is available when the child is a New Zealand resident and present in New Zealand. The page also states that Australian citizens and residents qualify immediately when they are New Zealand tax residents and normally live in New Zealand, while a person holding only a temporary permit or visa is not entitled. These are the source-defined public profiles; the MFTC dependent-child, principal-caregiver, minimum-hours, income and tax conditions also apply. | ||
Working for Families — Family Tax Credit — Family and child support | 123.78–151.91 NZD / Weekly | |
Eligibility and amount detailsFamily Tax Credit rate per child, non-taxable: NZD 151.91 for the first or only child and NZD 123.78 for each second or subsequent child. The official Inland Revenue residency page says a claimant qualifies when the claimant is a New Zealand resident, has lived in New Zealand for 12 months in a row at any time, and is a New Zealand tax resident and remains so during the entitlement period. It separately says that the child route is available when the child is a New Zealand resident and present in New Zealand. The page also states that Australian citizens and residents qualify immediately when they are New Zealand tax residents and normally live in New Zealand, while a person holding only a temporary permit or visa is not entitled. These are the source-defined public profiles; principal-caregiver, dependent-child, income and tax conditions also apply. | ||
ImmigrationDB shows published rules; it does not decide personal eligibility. Confirm your status, contribution record and household circumstances with the responsible authority before applying. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.
Can migrants receive medical care in New Zealand?
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in New Zealand when the official insurance or residence conditions are met.
Language courses and integration in New Zealand
Government programmes, public integration services and exact provider records. The section expands only from fields present in the source; missing prices, refunds or contacts are not replaced with estimates.
English Language Teaching — Intensive Literacy and Numeracy Fund — State Language Course
Tertiary Education Commission
For adult migrants, refugees, adult speakers of other languages.
New Zealand settlement services — Newcomer Adaptation
Immigration New Zealand
For migrants, refugees, newcomers.
Provision of English Language Training (PELT) — State Language Course
Tertiary Education Commission
For eligible migrants.
Welcoming Communities — Welcome Program
Immigration New Zealand
For migrants, refugees, local communities.
Private and nonprofit providers
These records come from the provider's own website. They are useful leads, but are not counted as government-verified or complete.
Provider-supplied record · supplemental Languages International Auckland
27 Princes Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
+64 (9) 309 0615 · info@languages.ac.nz
Open provider websiteLiving and moving context for New Zealand
National median net income was €2,802 per month in 2022. There were 3.611 doctors per 1,000 people.
New Zealand cities by population
The largest published cities appear first. Population is taken from the reusable official city layer; hub labels come from the existing city taxonomy.
Rank New Zealand's cities by what a salary leaves each month
All published cities in New Zealand (112)
60 of 112 shownSearch all cities
Reports with this country
Accepted report pages with a row for this country.
What different occupation groups earn in New Zealand
Median gross weekly earnings by occupation group, from Stats NZ (HLFS income variables, 2024 Q2), shown in source units (NZD/week) and not converted.
| Occupation group | Earnings | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Managers | median 1,726 NZD/week (gross) | 2024 Q2 |
| Professionals | median 1,726 NZD/week (gross) | 2024 Q2 |
| Technicians and Trades Workers | median 1,283 NZD/week (gross) | 2024 Q2 |
| Community and Personal Service Workers | median 1,000 NZD/week (gross) | 2024 Q2 |
| Clerical and Administrative Workers | median 1,247 NZD/week (gross) | 2024 Q2 |
| Sales Workers | median 959 NZD/week (gross) | 2024 Q2 |
| Machinery Operators and Drivers | median 1,260 NZD/week (gross) | 2024 Q2 |
| Labourers | median 1,000 NZD/week (gross) | 2024 Q2 |
Source: Stats NZ (Household Labour Force Survey income by occupation (2024 Q2)) · observed 2024 Q2 · checked 2026-08-01.
Method and sources for these figures
Median gross weekly earnings in NZD/week from Stats NZ (HLFS income variables, 2024 Q2); ANZSCO-style occupation groups; retained in source units and never converted or merged with EUR/month rows.
Stats NZ — Household Labour Force Survey income by occupation (2024 Q2)
An occupation major group (ISCO or national equivalent) is not a job title: each figure is the average across all occupations in the group, so it is never a salary "for" one profession. Rows from different surveys, periods or statistics are shown as separate rows and are never merged or ranked against each other.
Profession pages for New Zealand: Physician · Teacher · Engineer · Architect · Software developer · Accountant.
New Zealand facts
Current source-backed observations, grouped the way the city pages are, with geographic scope and observation periods.
Population and profile
How many people live in New Zealand?
The published population was 5,290,000 people in 2024. Source: World Bank42
National, resident population scope. Foreign-resident and migration-background figures are separate metrics in the table below.
How many foreign residents live in New Zealand?
The foreign-resident population was 1,426,980 people in 2023. Source: Stats NZ Place and ethnic group summaries — New Zealand (Birthplace, 2023 Census)36
Residents without New Zealand citizenship. The migration-background population is a broader measure and appears in the table below.
Legal, tax and other context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent deposit can be paid in instalments | 1 | 9 Oct 2026 | Lodging a bond13Official · national figure |
| Typical rent deposit | 0.923 months | 1 Dec 2025 | Charging a general bond2Official · national figure |
| Typical rent deposit | 0.923 months | 9 Oct 2026 | A guide to renting a house in NZ48Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context · national figure |
| Public healthcare access for foreign residents | Conditional | 3 Aug 2026 | Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora5Official · national figure |
| Area | 267,710 km² | 31 Dec 2023 | World Bank43Official · national figure |
| Gross-to-net pay for a sample household | single person no children — 83,073 gross → 65,781 net a year (2025, national currency) | 31 Dec 2025 | Taxing Wages 2026 — labour taxation decomposition37Official · country household scenario |
| Population by year | 5,081,700 people (2022) | 1 Jul 2022 | Population, total (SP.POP.TOTL)33Official · country annual series |
| Doctors per 1,000 residents | 3.61 per 1,000 | Not stated | Physicians (per 1,000 people), World Development Indicators32Official · national figure |
| Household electricity price | 0.197 EUR/kWh | 15 Nov 2024 | MBIE Quarterly Survey of Domestic Electricity Prices, 15 November 2024 (summary report sheet QSDEP_Summary_Report)14Official · national figure |
| Employed women | 1,256,832 people | 2023 | tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz36Official · national figure |
| People in full-time employment | 2,077,071 people | 2023 | tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz36Official · national figure |
| Employed men | 1,354,854 people | 2023 | tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz36Official · national figure |
| People employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing | 162,000 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org35Official · national figure |
| People employed in mining and quarrying | 6,000 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org35Official · national figure |
| People employed in manufacturing | 259,000 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org35Official · national figure |
| People employed in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning | 18,000 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org35Official · national figure |
| People employed in water supply, sewerage and waste management | 16,000 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org35Official · national figure |
| People employed in construction | 307,000 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org35Official · national figure |
| People employed in wholesale and retail trade; motor vehicle and motorcycle repair | 384,000 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org35Official · national figure |
| People employed in transportation and storage | 129,000 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org35Official · national figure |
| People employed in accommodation and food services | 154,000 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org35Official · national figure |
| People employed in information and communication | 104,000 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org35Official · national figure |
| People employed in finance and insurance | 96,000 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org35Official · national figure |
| People employed in real estate | 49,000 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org35Official · national figure |
Typical city (median): about 3.3%
Unemployment rate (%)
Settling-in index
How the conditions a newcomer meets in New Zealand compare with the other 35 scored destinations: integration policy, getting by in English, an established foreign community and language courses. Every point comes from the component table below.
Above the median on getting by in English and the size of the foreign community; about the median on integration policy and language courses.
| Component | Reading | Score (0–100) | Weight | Adds | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integration policy (MIPEX) | 59 of 100 | 59 | 35 | 20.6 | MIPEX 2020 |
| Getting by in English (EF EPI) | English is the majority first language | 100 | 25 | 25 | Ceiling: EF does not test English-native countries |
| An established foreign community | 27.0% of residents | 100 | 20 | 20 | Stats NZ Place and ethnic group summaries — New Zealand (Birthplace, 2023 Census) 2023; population 2024 |
| Language courses for newcomers | New Zealand settlement services (Free) | 100 | 20 | 20 | New Zealand settlement services |
Working as… in New Zealand
Open a profession for its available regulation, recognition and work-route evidence.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
What is the unemployment rate in New Zealand?
The national unemployment rate was about 5.1 % in 2025. Source: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate), 2025.
How many people live in New Zealand?
The published population was 5,290,000 people in 2024. Source: World Bank.
What is the median gross salary in New Zealand?
The median gross salary was about 3,128 EUR/month in 2025-Q2. Source: Labour market statistics (income): June 2025 quarter.
What is the minimum wage in New Zealand?
The statutory minimum wage is about 11.97 EUR/hour, gross (as of 2026-04). Source: Employment New Zealand.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 23). Moving to New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 1e36bd7f4af9377e752e69364b69e72a]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/countries/new-zealand/ Retrieved 2026-10-23. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_moving-to-new-zealand-population-rent-salary-jobs-taxes_2eed8b5bef81,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Moving to New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-23},
version = {1e36bd7f4af9377e752e69364b69e72a},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/countries/new-zealand/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-23. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Moving to New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes](https://immigrationdb.com/countries/new-zealand/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 1e36bd7f4af9377e752e69364b69e72a; retrieved 2026-10-23; built 2026-10-23.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
Every number above comes from one of these records. Open the original source for its geographic scope and publication date.
- Average annual wages stats.oecd.org · checked 2026-07-26
- Charging a general bond tenancy.govt.nz · checked 2026-10-09
- GDP per capita (current US$), World Development Indicators api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- Globalization and World Cities (GaWC), Loughborough University gawc.lboro.ac.uk · checked 2026-08-03
- Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora healthnz.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-03
- Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) data.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-13
- Inland Revenue (ird.govt.nz) ird.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-03
- Inland Revenue Department, New Zealand ird.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-03
- INZ 1028 Fees Guide — May 2026 INZ 1028 Fees Guide · immigration.govt.nz · checked 2026-10-09
- Labour market statistics (income): June 2025 quarter stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-11
Show 38 more sources
- Letting fees and key money tenancy.govt.nz · checked 2026-10-09
- Life expectancy at birth, total (years), World Development Indicators api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- Lodging a bond tenancy.govt.nz · checked 2026-10-09
- MBIE Quarterly Survey of Domestic Electricity Prices, 15 November 2024 (summary report sheet QSDEP_Summary_Report) mbie.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-18
- Minimum Wage Act 1983, section 11B (40-hour 5-day week) legislation.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-25
- Minimum wage rates and types employment.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-17
- MIPEX mirovni-institut.si · checked 2026-08-03
- New Zealand Government govt.nz · checked 2026-08-02
- NZ Police Historical Murder Rate Report 1926-2023 police.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-05
- OECD — Average usual weekly hours worked on the main job, full-time employees OECD · sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-09-18
- OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-03
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-05
- OECD Income Distribution Database: median equivalised disposable household income sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-07-26
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-05
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-05
- Our World in Data (UNODC-backed grapher export) ourworldindata.org · checked 2026-08-03
- Physicians (per 1,000 people) data.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-13
- Physicians (per 1,000 people), World Development Indicators api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- Population, total (SP.POP.TOTL) api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-29
- Public holidays and anniversary dates — 2026 public holiday table Public holidays and anniversary dates · employment.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-25
- sdmx.oecd.org sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-12
- Stats NZ Place and ethnic group summaries — New Zealand (Birthplace, 2023 Census) Stats NZ Place and ethnic group summaries · tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-18
- Taxing Wages 2026 — labour taxation decomposition Taxing Wages 2026 · sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-07-29
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate), 2025 api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-09-11
- Using eVisas and visa labels immigration.govt.nz · checked 2026-10-09
- WHO GHO RS_196/RS_198 ghoapi.azureedge.net · checked 2026-09-05
- WHO GHO RS_196/RS_198 ghoapi.azureedge.net · checked 2026-09-05
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank Open Data api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-07
- World Bank Open Data api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-07
- World Bank SP.POP.TOTL api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-09-05
- www.stats.govt.nz stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-02
- A guide to renting a house in NZ trademe.co.nz · checked 2026-10-09