REMUNERATION

SURVEY 2017
SNAPSHOT
THIS YEAR,
MORE THAN
3,100 MEMBERS

FILLED IN
OUR SURVEY
STEADY AS WE GO
While salaries are relatively static, with
graduate salaries the same as last year and
team leaders up 1.3 percent, engineers are
switching jobs more than ever and getting
more non-salary perks. More than 20 percent
of respondents changed jobs in the past year,
significantly up from 15 percent two years ago.
This year, 67 per cent of engineers received
some kind of non-cash benefit, with health
insurance growing in popularity while cars
and car parks decreased. Also growing is the
“other” category, which includes a diverse
MARKET INTELLIGENCE
The higher uplift in salaries at the lower and
mid ranges we saw from 2014 to 2016 has
slowed a little over the past year. Demand
remains strong, including for international
talent, driven by skill shortages in building
services, structural, water and transport
engineering, architecture, construction
and civil infrastructure. Other salary and
remuneration indicators are consistent with
the results we’re seeing in the Engineering
New Zealand Remuneration Survey.
array of insurances, mobile phones
and wellbeing-related benefits.
This snapshot shows some headline results
broken down into five career stages:
Graduate, Independent practice, Team leader,
Technical manager and General manager.
While the proportion of female respondents
increased to 16.5 per cent, there is a gender
pay gap at every career stage except
Graduate, as Figure 4 illustrates.
Members can download a detailed results
spreadsheet at www.engineeringnz.org,
where you’ll also find information on how to
purchase the results if you aren’t a member.
General confidence in the engineering and
construction economy remains high, with
employers willing to invest in creating new
positions as required. Although levels of
remuneration across the country for similar
positions are comparable, employers in
Auckland and other growth regions are
becoming increasingly more innovative in
offering flexible working conditions, bonuses
(including sign on) and other non-salary
benefits (like temporary accommodation or
use of a vehicle) to attract and retain staff.
 RESPONDENTS EARN A MEDIAN

$4,900
ON TOP OF THEIR BASE SALARY

$92K
MEDIAN BASE
SALARY OF
ENGINEERS
WORKING
FULL TIME

MEDIAN BASE SALARY, PROPORTION OF

FULL TIME ENGINEERS GENERAL MANAGERS

$74K 3.4%
$95K 96.6%
CHURN KEEPS GROWING

20.8% CHANGED JOBS

IN THE PAST YEAR
– UP FROM 19.4% LAST YEAR (AND 15% IN 2015)

RESPONDENTS
ARE BASED IN

3.1%
RURAL
–
25.4%
TOWN
–
71.5%
CITY

16.5% OF
RESPONDENTS
ARE WOMEN
– UP FROM 14.7% LAST YEAR
HOW MUCH DO ENGINEERS EARN
AT DIFFERENT CAREER STAGES?

Figure 1: Proportion
of respondents in
each career stage.

Graduate

Independent practice

Team leader

Technical manager

General manager

Figure 2: Median $200,000

full-time base salary $180,000

$160,000

$140,000

$120,000

$100,000

$80,000

$60,000

$40,000

$20,000

$0
Graduate Independent Team Technical General
practice leader manager manager
Figure 3: Median $250,000
base salary and total
remuneration for
each career stage $200,000

$150,000

$100,000

$50,000

$0
Graduate Independent Team Technical General
practice leader manager manager

Median base salary Total remuneration

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

WHAT MEN AND WOMEN ARE PAID?

Figure 4: Median base $250,000

salary by gender
The size of the circle
shows how many $200,000
women and men
are at each career
stage. The centre of $150,000
the circle shows the
median base salary
for that gender. $100,000
At one career stage
– Graduate – women
have a higher median $50,000
base salary than
men. There were
not enough women $0
General managers to All career Graduate Independent Team Technical General
include female salary stages practice leader manager manager
data for this category.
Male base salary Female base salary
Figure 5: 70%
Qualifications
by gender 60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

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DOES FIRM SIZE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Figure 6: Median base $105,000

salary by firm size
$100,000

$95,000

$90,000

$85,000

$80,000

$75,000
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FIRM SIZE
REGISTRATION, CHARTERED
MEMBERSHIP AND SALARY

Figure 7: Median $250,000

base salary
for Chartered
Professional $200,000
Engineers,
Chartered Members
of Engineering $150,000
New Zealand and
engineers not
working towards $100,000
any registration
or assessed
membership $50,000

$0
Independent Team Technical General
practice leader manager manager

CPEng CMEngNZ Not registered

PERKS

Figure 8: 40%
Non-cash benefits
35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

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SALARY BY FIELD

Figure 9: $160,000
Median salary by
engineering field $140,000

$120,000

$100,000

$80,000

$60,000

$40,000

$20,000

$0
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WHERE ARE ENGINEERS BASED?

Figure 10: Location

of respondents
Auckland
Canterbury
Wellington
Waikato
Otago-Southland

Bay of Plenty

Hawke’s Bay,
Gisborne, Northland
Tasman, Nelson,
Marlborough,
West Coast
Taranaki

Manawatu, Whanganui
WHERE DO ENGINEERS EARN THE MOST?

Figure 11: Median base $120,000

salary by location
$100,000

$80,000

$60,000

$40,000

$20,000

$0
Auckland Canterbury Wellington Rest of Rest of
North Island South Island

WHAT TYPE OF WORK PAYS THE MOST?

Figure 12: $160,000

Median base salary
by work type $140,000

$120,000

$100,000

$80,000

$60,000

$40,000

$20,000

$0
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www.engineeringnz.org