HOW TO FIND A JOB IN NEW ZEALAND

Amazing nature, quiet way of life, lack of corruption and crime, as well as economic stability, this is not a complete list of benefits of labor migration to New Zealand. It is quite natural that every year a huge number of foreigners from all over the planet come to this country for employment purposes.

Unlike many European countries, work in New Zealand for applicants from abroad in 2025 is available in many sectors. This applies primarily to highly skilled professionals, holders of scarce professions.

New Zealand

New Zealand's immigration policy is somewhat similar to Australia's. That is, every year the local authorities publish special lists of professions for which there is a shortage of personnel among the locals, so these jobs can be filled by foreigners. The current lists can be seen here.

The vast majority of New Zealand's population, some 5.2 million in 2025, is fluent in English. The local economy has become more industrialized in recent decades, with agriculture employing no more than 7% of workers. Unemployment in New Zealand is about 3-4%, and inflation does not exceed 6%.

Below, we'll talk more about how to find a job in New Zealand and how to find a job, review the professional immigration procedure for foreigners, and find out what jobs and salaries are available in 2025.

Employment in New Zealand

As mentioned above, finding a job in New Zealand is conditional on a foreign applicant having a profession that is in demand for the local economy. Undoubtedly, the level of qualifications, experience, education, command of the English language and other skills provide an indisputable advantage in employment and the successful conclusion of a contract with a New Zealand employer. This is usually a prerequisite for obtaining a work visa.

However, even if the foreigner's profession is not on the list of scarce skills, the chance of employment remains. However, in this case, find a job in New Zealand will be much harder. You will need to stock up on a fair amount of persistence and patience. The main difficulty is to find an employer who will need to prove to the local authorities that the vacancy does not apply to any of the New Zealanders. To do this, there is a special test in the local labor market.

Work in New Zealand can be carried out both on a short-term basis and on a long-term basis, which means permanent residence in this country. In each case, it is required to obtain a work visa in advance from the diplomatic office of New Zealand. Let's look at the main variants of visas that allow foreigners to work on New Zealand territory.

Types of work visas to New Zealand

How to find a job in New Zealand

Resident Visa. Long-term work visas are issued to skilled foreign specialists, for whose professions there is a demand in New Zealand, provided that a work contract is concluded with a local employer. The document is usually issued for an indefinite period, but only after the immigrant has been lawfully employed for at least two years on a temporary visa.

Skilled Migrant. This type of visa is based on a points system. Factors such as age (no older than 55 years), experience, qualifications, proficiency in English, health, and availability of a job offer are taken into consideration. Ideally, one must score at least 140 points, but there are exceptions.

Temporary Work Visas. Allow you to live and work in New Zealand for 3-5 years, with the possibility of further registration of a long-term visa. They are often issued to foreigners for seasonal work, for example, in forestry or agriculture, for scientific research, religious activities, and so on.

Read more about the types of work visas and requirements for foreign workers at the official immigration portal of New Zealand – immigration.govt.nz.

How to find a job in New Zealand. Job search.

Successful search for jobs and available vacancies in New Zealand for foreigners directly depends on the persistence of the applicant. First of all, pay attention to major cities such as Auckland and Wellington. The bulk of applicants from abroad are sent to these regions. Very often in the services of foreign workers need the services of large corporations.

If you are confident in your abilities consider the option of sending an offer of employment directly to the employer. After all, not always vacancies are publicly available. Here are examples of large companies in New Zealand – Fletcher Building, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation, Telecom New Zealand, Goodman Fielder. Visit forums and communicate with immigrants living in New Zealand, or better yet, fly to the country as a tourist.

Prepare and format your resume and cover letter competently. List your main skills and work experience. Be sure to check the recognition of qualifications in New Zealand on a special website – nzqa.govt.nz. Next, let's look at the main job search options in New Zealand without intermediaries.

Popular New Zealand job search sites

seek.co.nz

trademe.co.nz

careers.govt.nz

newkiwis.co.nz

International resources for employment in New Zealand

careerjet.co.nz

nz.indeed.com

Websites of prominent New Zealand newspapers

New Zealand Herald

The Dominion Post

If you cannot find a job in New Zealand on your own, you can always turn to one of the specialized recruitment agencies. To find a company, use the resource – yellow.co.nz.

Salary and jobs in New Zealand

Salary and jobs in New Zealand

Jobs in New Zealand are available in many sectors of the economy. From temporary jobs in agriculture to high-tech industries. Specialists in health care and education are often needed. The average salary in New Zealand in 2025 is 40.40 New Zealand dollars per hour (about 24 U.S. dollars). Salary and jobs in New Zealand so looks the situation with the annual salary by occupation (thousands of dollars):

  • Doctors – 75-250

  • Bankers – 55-100

  • Engineers – 45-100

  • Pharmacists – 65-85

  • IT specialists – 35-60

  • Teachers and social workers – 45-75

  • Certified nurses – 65

  • Interior designers – 35-95

As you can see, the range of possible pay is quite varied. Experience, qualifications and work experience are taken into account, and the same applies to foreigners. In any case the standard of living in the country is high and labor is paid decently. Since April 1, 2025 the minimum wage in New Zealand is NZ$23.50 per hour.

If you take the available jobs in New Zealand in 2025, first of all, carefully analyze the list of professions in short supply (link at the beginning of the article).

There are several lists, for example, for foreign specialists, whose services are badly needed. There is also a list of general shortage vacancies, the demand for which extends to almost the entire territory of the country. In this case the process of labor migration to New Zealand can significantly accelerate.

Let us highlight the main sectors where there are vacancies in New Zealand for foreigners in 2025:

  • agriculture and forestry

  • construction

  • manufacturing

  • education

  • medicine

  • information technologies

  • tourism

  • finance

  • science

  • transport

This is not a complete list of possible employment opportunities in New Zealand. You need to keep your hand on the pulse and keep checking for updates. Finding a job in this country is quite realistic.

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Comments  

# BHASKARA DAKAYA 2023-06-15 15:41
I am looking any job in New Zealand
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# Arun kumar 2024-02-11 07:49
Hello sir,
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