Teachers

New Zealand needs qualified teachers and it needs them now. Early childhood teachers are in demand, as are primary school teachers. A population explosion in Auckland has boosted schools’ rolls, and a good proportion of primary and high school teachers are nearing retirement age.

There aren’t enough secondary school teachers either. Maths, science and technology staff are particularly hot property.

A secondary school teacher with a three-year degree, a one-year diploma of teaching and five years’ teaching experience would get NZ$58,610 a year. A primary school teacher with three years’ experience would get $42,000 a year

Medical workers

It’s a candidate-short market in health recruitment in New Zealand, so you can generally state where and when you want to work, depending on your field.

New Zealand is actively looking to recruit doctors, specialists, consultants, nurses, radiation technologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, social workers, anaesthetic technicians and operating department practitioners. And the country needs general practitioners in particular.

Midwives employed in the public sector are paid between $30,000 and $70,000 per year. General nurses can earn between $44,000 and $53,000 a year.

Information Technology

New Zealand’s small population means there are fewer workers to choose from.

Programmers can rake in up to $55,000-60,000 in Auckland and Wellington, and senior analyst programmers can take home $95,000 a year. Helpdesk and service managers can earn up to $85,000.

Finance and Accountancy

People with careers in finance and accountancy are literally in the money.

Senior internal auditors make $85,000 a year. Non CA-qualified accountants can get $50,000.

Construction

New Zealand isn’t exempt from the global competition for those skilled in the construction sector.

New Zealand needs project managers and planners, engineers, architects, estimators and cost managers.

Architects with two to five years’ experience can make from $45,000 to 60,000 a year, and senior design engineers about $90,000.