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What do teachers earn in NZ?

Author

Sophia Bowman

Updated on February 19, 2026

What do teachers earn in NZ?

Pay for secondary school teachers varies depending on experience and qualifications. Graduate secondary school teachers usually earn between $52,000 and $57,000 a year. Secondary school teachers with two to five years' experience usually earn $58,000 to $71,000.

Moreover, what is the minimum wage for teachers in NZ?

$23.97 an hour

Subsequently, question is, do teachers get paid during school holidays NZ? Permanent teachers are normally paid through each holiday, including the summer break. Teachers who were appointed to permanent positions after the start of the school year (including those employed in the last term of the year) will also normally be paid through the summer vacation (clause 4.8. 2(a) STCA).

Moreover, how much do teachers get paid an hour NZ?

The average salary for a teacher is $29.90 per hour in New Zealand.

How much do relief teachers get paid in NZ?

Pay rates vary between approximately $NZ180. 00 and $NZ260. 00 gross per day . There are a number of different pay rates.

What is the highest paying job in NZ?

The 11 Highest Paying Jobs in New Zealand
Job TitleLowHigh
1. CEO/Managing Director$120k$4.5m
2. Surgeon – Private sector$151k$600k
3. Judge$334k$490k
4. Chief Financial Officer (CFO)$180k$350k

How much does an early childhood teacher earn NZ?

Graduate early childhood teachers usually start on about $45,000 to $71,000 a year. Assistant head early childhood teachers usually earn $71,000 to $74,000. Head early childhood teachers who are responsible for staff can earn $74,000 to $80,000.

How much do principals get paid NZ?

1 Where the salary rate of a Principal (as specified in clause 3.1.

Part 3: Remuneration.

Decile Funding – Decile 1 or 2 School
U-GradeRate effective 2 June 2018Rate effective 20 August 2019
1$3,855$4,375
2$4,375$4,375
3$4,746$4,746

Is there a teacher shortage in New Zealand?

The Education Ministry has forecast a shortfall of 30 secondary teachers in the city this year, falling to 20 next year but rising to to 60 by 2023. The figures were also better than previous years - in 2019 the ministry forecast a shortage of 130 secondary teachers in Auckland.

What subject do teachers get paid the most?

If you're a chemistry buff, you're in luck — chemistry is one of the highest-paid subjects to teach in high schools. Chemistry teachers typically major in chemistry or a related field during their undergraduate education.

Do teachers get paid more with Masters?

According to the National Council on Teacher Quality, “On average, a master's degree earns teachers an additional $2,760 in their first year of teaching compared to a bachelor's degree. According to their findings, 88 of the country's biggest districts increase the salaries of teachers who earn a master's degree.

What country pays teachers the most?

10 Countries With The Highest Teachers Salary In The World
  1. Switzerland. Average Salary – $110,000.
  2. Luxembourg. Average Salary – $100,000.
  3. Canada. Average Salary – $74,000.
  4. Germany. Average Salary – $70,000.
  5. Netherlands. Average Salary – $67,000.
  6. Australia. Average Salary – $67,000.
  7. United States. Average Salary – $60,000.
  8. Ireland. Average Salary – $53,000.

Do teachers get annual leave NZ?

From 1 January 2018 teachers employed full-time are entitled to nine days sick leave per annum. From 1 January 2018 teachers employed part-time are entitled to sick leave on a proportionately reduced basis provided the entitlement is not less than five days per annum.

Are teachers well paid in New Zealand?

Graduate secondary school teachers usually earn between $52,000 and $57,000 a year. Secondary school teachers with two to five years' experience usually earn $58,000 to $71,000. Secondary school teachers with more than five years' experience usually earn $71,000 to $80,000.

Can you survive on a teacher salary?

Living on a teacher salary is more than possible and it doesn't necessarily mean you can't have any fun. As long as you know what money is coming in monthly, what needs to go out to bills monthly, and use what's left responsibly, you will not have to stress about money (as much).

How much a teacher earns an hour?

All K-12 Teachers Median Hourly Rate by Job
JobAverage
High School Teacher$21.86
Special Education Teacher, Preschool, Kindergarten, or Elementary School$16.33
Middle School Teacher$19.81
Primary School Teacher$15.04

How much do first year teachers earn?

Graduates can earn $70,652 plus superannuation in their first year of teaching and may see themselves reaching a higher salary band as a classroom teacher of up to $105,376 in a shorter period of time.

How much money does a teacher earn a day?

On average, they make $348.88 per day, $1.16 per minute, or $69.60 per hour guaranteed.

Where do teachers get discounts in New Zealand?

NZ Secondary Teachers
  • Noel Leeming: Generally cost + 10% on almost all products in store.
  • Whitcoulls: 10% off all store items excluding sale items.
  • School Ready Kids have educational resources for the classroom.
  • Westpac offer no fees on mortgages for govt employees - need to say you are a teacher and show card then they record on your file.

Do high school teachers get paid more than primary?

Salaries for primary school teachers are 36 per cent higher than the OECD average, and salaries for high school teachers are 22 per cent higher. Not only is pay higher, teachers get to the top pay scale in seven years compared with the OECD average of 25 years.

What do nurses earn in NZ?

Graduate registered nurses earn $54,000 a year. Registered nurses with three to seven years' experience usually earn $62,000 to $77,000. Senior registered nurses with more experience and responsibility usually earn $79,000 to $130,000.

Do teachers get a pay rise every year?

As the annual salary of teachers is assessed every year by the government and the DfE when changes are made pay scales are updated and all teachers are awarded a pay rise. Crossing the threshold onto to upper pay range is normally done every two years.

Do teachers get paid through holidays?

Do Teachers Get Paid Holidays? In a sense, teachers do get paid holidays, but it is not like a normal profession. Typically, teachers are only paid for their contract period of ten months. However, they can spread the payment out over twelve months.

How many holidays do teachers get NZ?

That person gets four weeks annual leave (20 days), more than two weeks of statutory holidays (11 days), plus free weekends (104 days). That's 135 non-work days in a year. Subtracting from 365 gives a total of 230 days of work annually.

What qualifications do I need to teach in New Zealand?

Entry requirements
  • a specialist subject degree followed by a one-year Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Secondary) or a Master of Teaching (Secondary)
  • a Bachelor of Education (Technology)
  • a Bachelor of Teaching conjoint degree (a combination of teaching and specialist subjects).

Do primary and secondary teachers get paid the same?

It's exactly the same for primary teachers as secondary. You do a degree such as Maths, English Literature, Geography etc.

How much do doctors get paid NZ?

Registrars working for a district health board (DHB) usually earn between $72,000 and $182,000 a year. Qualified physicians working for a DHB usually earn between $155,000 and $219,000. Physicians working in the private sector can earn more than this. Those at the top level can earn up to $600,000.

What is a good salary New Zealand?

Average salary in New Zealand is 82,259 NZD / year. The most typical earning is 51,014 NZD.

What is the minimum wage in NZ?

Hours and wages
Type of minimum wagePer hour8 hour day
Adult$20.00$160.00
Starting-out$16.00$128.00
Training$16.00$128.00

Do relief teachers get sick pay?

Sick leave for short-term relievers

If a short-term reliever has signed on to relieve at your school on a specific day and they then take sick leave on that day, they are entitled to paid sick leave if they have entitlements accrued.

How does relief teaching work in NZ?

Calendars. Relief Teachers have the ability to block out days they are unable to work. When a School requires a Reliever, whether its in a few hours or in a few months time, they are able to view that Relievers Calendar. When Schools have upcoming courses, Schools can book Relievers ahead of time!

How do relief teachers get paid?

Relief teacher pay in NSW is paid at a daily rate, based on years of training and experience, which is loaded to include a component for sick leave and vacation pay. When relief teaching, pay is based on being employed full-time for four weeks to a year or part-time for two terms or more.

How is part-time teachers pay calculated?

Hourly rate of pay

For part-time teachers, this would be their annual salary divided by the proportion of the 1,265 hours they are contracted to work. For example, for a teacher on a 0.8 full-time equivalent contract, contracted to work 1,012 hours, you would divide the teacher's annual salary by 1,012.

Are teachers in demand in New Zealand?

Yes, they're needed. School principals at both primary (grade 1 to 4-7) and secondary schools (high school) levels, and early childhood centre managers are reporting difficulties in recruiting teachers.

What is my MoE number NZ?

Your payslip

If you can't remember your MoE number, you can find it on a previous payslip, or ask your school's payroll administrator. This is NOT the same as your teacher registration number. Novopay requires a 7-digit MoE number.

How do you become a relief teacher?

Top 10 tips on becoming a highly requested relief teacher
  1. Get there early.
  2. Find out if the work is pre-set.
  3. Bring your own resources.
  4. Introduce yourself to everyone.
  5. Ask about the students.
  6. Make yourself familiar.
  7. Find out about routines.
  8. Know your groups.