Average Crown Prosecution Service Lawyer Salary in New Zealand for 2026
A crown prosecution service lawyer in New Zealand earns about 265,800 NZD a year. That's 177% above the national average of 95,900 NZD.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in New Zealand sit around 127,600 NZD a year, while the very top stretches to 417,800 NZD. Everything on this page is in New Zealand dollar (NZD, symbol $), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in New Zealand, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does a crown prosecution service lawyer make in New Zealand?
A typical crown prosecution service lawyer working in New Zealand brings home around 22,150 NZD a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 127,600 NZD, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 417,800 NZD for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior crown prosecution service lawyer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.
How crown prosecution service lawyer pay ranges in New Zealand
A good way to think about salary in New Zealand is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all crown prosecution service lawyers in New Zealand earn less than 275,800 NZD a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 183,900 NZD (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 360,200 NZD (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of crown prosecution service lawyers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 127,600 NZD. The highest stretch to 417,800 NZD, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
Crown prosecution service lawyer pay by experience in New Zealand
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a crown prosecution service lawyer in New Zealand, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical crown prosecution service lawyer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years150,100 NZD
- 2-5 Years+42% from previous212,500 NZD
- 5-10 Years+31% from previous278,500 NZD
- 10-15 Years+23% from previous341,400 NZD
- 15-20 Years+7% from previous365,400 NZD
- 20+ Years+9% from previous399,000 NZD
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 42%. That is the point at which a crown prosecution service lawyer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
Crown prosecution service lawyer pay by education in New Zealand
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving crown prosecution service lawyer pay in New Zealand. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average crown prosecution service lawyer salary in New Zealand broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Bachelor's Degree210,600 NZD
- Master's Degree+27% from previous268,200 NZD
- PhD+47% from previous393,000 NZD
Crown prosecution service lawyer gender pay gap in New Zealand
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and New Zealand is no exception. Male crown prosecution service lawyers in New Zealand earn an average of 272,500 NZD a year, while female crown prosecution service lawyers earn around 259,700 NZD. That works out to a 5% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
Crown Prosecution Service Lawyer gender pay gap
5%
Men earn this much more than women on average in New Zealand.
Pay raises for a crown prosecution service lawyer in New Zealand
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in New Zealand sees a raise of about 12% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in New Zealand, the national average raise is around 8% every 16 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in New Zealand:
- Banking2%
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel1%
- Construction
- Education
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Crown prosecution service lawyer bonus rates in New Zealand
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
62% of crown prosecution service lawyers in New Zealand reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a crown prosecution service lawyer a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary. The remaining 38% of crown prosecution service lawyers reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in New Zealand
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
Crown prosecution service lawyer: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in New Zealand is about 5% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
5%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in New Zealand on average.
Crown prosecution service lawyer salary by city in New Zealand
Crown prosecution service lawyer pay is not even across New Zealand. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Auckland
- Christchurch
- Wellington
- Hamilton
- Rotorua
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | City | 276,200 NZD | 293,500 NZD | 128,400-438,000 NZD |
| Christchurch | City | 266,300 NZD | 275,800 NZD | 128,200-417,800 NZD |
| Wellington | City | 258,700 NZD | 260,300 NZD | 127,700-399,400 NZD |
| Hamilton | City | 241,800 NZD | 241,800 NZD | 121,800-374,100 NZD |
| Rotorua | City | 238,300 NZD | 245,400 NZD | 114,900-375,700 NZD |
Crown Prosecution Service Lawyer in New Zealand: FAQs
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How much does a crown prosecution service lawyer make per month in New Zealand?
A crown prosecution service lawyer in New Zealand earns about 22,150 NZD a month before tax, based on an annual average of 265,800 NZD.
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What's the salary range for a crown prosecution service lawyer in New Zealand?
Entry-level crown prosecution service lawyers in New Zealand start near 127,600 NZD. Top-end pay reaches around 417,800 NZD. The middle 50% of earners sit between 183,900 and 360,200 NZD.
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Is the median crown prosecution service lawyer salary in New Zealand higher or lower than the average?
The median is 275,800 NZD, higher than the average of 265,800 NZD. Half of crown prosecution service lawyers in New Zealand earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for crown prosecution service lawyers in New Zealand?
Men working as a crown prosecution service lawyer in New Zealand earn around 5% more than women on average (272,500 vs 259,700 NZD a year).
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Do crown prosecution service lawyers in New Zealand get bonuses?
About 62% of crown prosecution service lawyers in New Zealand reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.
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Do crown prosecution service lawyers earn more in the public or private sector in New Zealand?
In New Zealand, the public sector pays a crown prosecution service lawyer about 5% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do crown prosecution service lawyers in New Zealand get a pay raise?
A crown prosecution service lawyer in New Zealand sees a raise of around 12% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.