Trade Me data shows where NZ's biggest salaries are in 2019

Wednesday, 16 January 2019

The number of job listings on Trade Me increased in the last quarter of 2018.

There's good news for job-seekers – the amount on offer from would-be employers jumped 1.1 per cent over the course of last year.

That's the largest annual increase in the national average wage offered on Trade Me since 2015.

Across the country, the average wage advertised was $61,082 across 74,000 vacancies.

The most lucrative jobs were in IT.

* Wages set to rise amid worker shortage - Trade Me

* Manager sought: $200k a year, no degree required**

IT architects were being paid an average salary of $153,222 a year, followed by IT management roles earning an average $142,029.

'Skilled IT candidates are in high demand across the country and employers are offering more to secure talent with a 3.1 per cent increase in average pay to $110,657. If you're in the IT industry and thinking about your next step, now is a good time to dust off your CV,' said Trade Me Jobs' Anna Miles.

Video interviews are likely to become a more common option for recruiters this year, Trade Me says.

She said while the overall lift in wages was 'modest', it was promising for employees after three years of stagnant wage growth.

'Wages in New Zealand have remained stubbornly low in recent years despite the cost of living in New Zealand increasing steadily during the same period. Throughout 2018 Kiwis saw a spike in petrol, property and rental prices, with little change to their pay packets. We're sure job hunters will be pleased to see there is an opportunity to increase their pay if they want to make a move.'

Miles said it was a result of a skill shortage. 'Employers are finding it tough to find the right people and they're having to put more money on the table to secure the candidates they want as the talent shortage continues. We expect to see wages rise more this year as employers try to woo the people they need away from their current jobs.

Auckland City is the highest-paying area in the country, with an average advertised salary of $72,299 but Wellington is the highest-paying region with an average of $65,131.

Miles said there was a mild increase in listings nationwide in the last quarter of 2018 but most of the growth was in provincial centres.

'The North Island saw some phenomenal growth in the last quarter of the year. Job listings in Taranaki led the pack after a 30 per cent increase on 2017, along with Hawke's Bay which was up 22.8 per cent while vacancies in Gisborne rose 20.3 per cent,' Miles said.

The only regions to see reductions in the number of job listings year-on-year were Auckland (down 2.2 per cent), Canterbury (down 7.5 per cent) and Marlborough (down 10.9 per cent). Wellington was up 3.7 per cent.

She said January and February were a good time to be looking for a new job.

'With the average number of job applications down across the country, an increase in wages and more job listings, it's a job hunter's market.'

She said it was likely that video interviewing would become more common over 2019.

Employees were also becoming more conscious of work -life balance, she said.

TRADE ME'S TIPS TO NAIL YOUR APPLICATION

1. Keep it short and punchy. Six seconds is the average time spent reviewing a CV so you need to stand out, and quickly. Include a brief summary upfront that highlights your personality, attitude, experience, and skills.

2. Be sure to personalise your application to fit the role you are applying for.

3. Have someone else read over your application before you send it to check for typos and grammar.

4. Be persistent and resilient - getting a job takes hard work. Don't give up and don't forget to follow up with the hiring manager.

5. Remember you don't have to have every requirement an employer is looking for, but the more the merrier.