What is the median wage?
The median wage is the wage for which half of workers earn below and half of workers earn above. I.e. the median wage is the "middle" amount if all wages from lowest to highest were sorted in order.
Current NZ Median Wage: $31.61
The median hourly wage of $31.61 is based on data from Statistics New Zealand as of 30/06/2023. Median weekly earnings from salaries and wages is $1,273 including ordinary time and overtime.
Median Wage Calculations
Median wage and immigration
The median wage in New Zealand is used as a threshold for various visa requirements, and it is updated annually based on the June median wage published by Stats NZ from the previous year.
This rate is applied to determine eligibility for certain visas, such as the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), where jobs must pay at least the median wage unless an exemption applies. The median wage also influences pay thresholds for other visa types, including the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa and the Transport Work to Residence Visa.
Median Wage Articles
How equal has wage growth been over the last 10 years?
How does growth in the minimum wage and living wage stack up against growth in the median wage and average wage in New Zealand over the last 10 years?