[Divemaster]

There have been numerous threads about wages in NZ and how low they are compared to UK and other countries around the world.

Well maybe its time we try and answer this for people about to embark to NZ, for others who are already there and for the rest who feel - Am i being ripped off.

What i propose is that people email me a few bits of information and i will put it together and then post it back on this thread.

Ok, i hear you all muttering and gasping, he will know our business and us Brits (sorry to other nationalities) just dont discuss one's wages, even if they do stink.

The solution is simple. There are plenty of sites out there giving free email, so sign up and once you have sent your info close the account or abandon it - Its that simple really. I wont reply to any emails. Doing it this way and not posting the info on the thread keeps everyone secure. Please dont sign it for this reason or give names.

So for the hard part. The information i think is relavent to everybody is as follows:

1) Job Title - Please try and use a title that people know.

2) Temp Or Perm - This allows part time workers to add as well.

3) Sector - Private or Government

4) Location - Where you work and not where you live.

5) Salary NZ$ - Please only give your basic.

6) Perks - Car, Pension, Medical, Overtime etc

7) Your Age

8) Your Gender

9) Leaving Salary in UK In Pounds (£) - Basic only

If i missed anything out then post on this thread and i will add if its relavent for comparing.

Please send the info to the following email nzsalary@yahoo.co.uk On the subject line please put NZSALARY. The reason for this is if the email account gets attacked by spam then only the spam will automatically get trashed.


If you are a housewife / househusband (must be PC here) who does part time please add as well, this enables others to see what they may get once little Joey is at school.

I will post new threads once a week or more if the demand is high.

So please come on, lets help each other and send me the info. You never know, you may not be getting what you are worth and hopefully this info will be more realistic than what you read in books, papers, sites etc.

Thanks

Phil

[MattA]

Good idea mate.

[willsken]

This is pretty easy for me being a teacher. No secrets here!! 6 years teaching = $ 58,327, I am head of computing = $7000 + a retention point $1000 All in all $66,327 PA. Hope that helps to get the ball rolling. :)

Permanent position.

No perks, except LOADS of holidays and 3.30pm finishes.

Hawke’s Bay (bonus)

In UK about £35,000

Female

[suebeenz]

I don't know if this has already been posted, but this is pretty interesting read:

http://www.hays-hps.co.nz/salary/

(and here's the overview of it)
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0706/S00024.htm

[Timbo]

A good idea there Phil, and good on you for entering into the spirit of the forum.
A general feel for salary rates (albeit a tad outdated) can be found from the home page of ENZ. It ceratainly is not as comprhensive as your survey, but its a start.

http://www.emigratenz.org/Work.html

[Lupin]

I've done this for my husband as he's the wage earner atm and was in the UK:

1) newly qualified Mental Health Nurse
2) full time permanent
3) District Health Board
4) Hawkes Bay.
5) $40,000 + approx 20% in 'penals' (anti-social hours enhancment in UK).
6) um, free coffee and as much overtime as you want, the usual training and post-grad opportunities
7) 28
8) male
9) 18,500GBP* +anti-social hours enhancement, perhaps also 20% (I think)


*whatever the newly qualified pay is, can't exactly remember.

[Charlosparky]

OK here's another that should be pretty standard throughout the trade

ELECTRICIAN

Rate $25 per hour (just gone up to $26.50)
X40 hrs = $1000 per week
x52 wks = $52000 per year
location- whangarei
full time

Rate in UK
£15 per hour
x40 hrs =£600 per wk
x52 = £31200 per yr

to earn the same in NZ as the UK you would need $82680, or to put it another way the NZ wage is like a drop to £19622 (based on £1 = $2.65) yes this is simplistic but we reckon the costs of items here in NZ are pretty much the same as in the UK, so the wage drop makes things generally more expensive. Slightly off topic this but still relevent eh?

[BaldyBeardyBloke]

Having literally just secured employment, here's my two penneth from my job hunting:

1) Job Title - Please try and use a title that people know.

IT - 3rd level infrstructure support engineer (MCSE CCNE type level)


2) Temp Or Perm - This allows part time workers to add as well.

Both


3) Sector - Private or Government

Private, although govt salaries for this work look pretty similar.


4) Location - Where you work and not where you live.

Waikato (Hamilton & surrounds)


5) Salary NZ$ - Please only give your basic.

$40 - $50 per hour for contract work
$70K to $85K permanent

Implications from talking to agencies, and scouring seek.co.nz is that Auckland/Welly salaries for the same would be:

$50 - $65 per hour for contract work
$80K to $95K permanent


6) Perks - Car, Pension, Medical, Overtime etc

None for me, the bigger the employer the better for this e.g. govt or the likes of Telecom or Fonterra are good.

7) Your Age

38


8) Your Gender

Male


9) Leaving Salary in UK In Pounds (£) - Basic only

£38K, although I earned about 60% on top via overtime, bonuses etc.


to earn the same in NZ as the UK you would need $82680, or to put it another way the NZ wage is like a drop to £19622 (based on £1 = $2.65) yes this is simplistic but we reckon the costs of items here in NZ are pretty much the same as in the UK, so the wage drop makes things generally more expensive. Slightly off topic this but still relevent eh?


To earn the equivalent of my UK basic I would need to earn $100,000. To earn what I brought in including extra's I would need to be getting $159,000. I'm actually going to be earning $83,000, so in very simplistic terms I've taken a 50% pay cut.

These are quite scary figures. They demonstrate the difference in salaries quite well, but the camparisons really should happen between related NZ work, not NZ to UK. Also remember any cash you bring over from the UK, e.g. from house sale equity is worth significantly more over here. There are lots of things to consider not just plain old NZ$ vs UK£.

Having said that, if your driver for coming to NZ is simply to earn a fortune, then my advice would be don't bother, you won't.