Average Dragline Operator Salary in New Zealand for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Dragline Operator salary for 2024 in New Zealand and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the New Zealand dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the NZD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Dragline Operator Make in New Zealand?

A Dragline Operator working in New Zealand will typically earn around 42,700 NZD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 22,600 NZD to the highest average salary of 64,400 NZD.

Average Annual Salary
42,700 NZD
Average Monthly Salary
3,558 NZD

Lowest Annual Salary
22,600 NZD
Lowest Monthly Salary
1,883 NZD

Highest Annual Salary
64,400 NZD
Highest Monthly Salary
5,366 NZD

These are average salaries for a Dragline Operator in New Zealand and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Dragline Operator to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Dragline Operator salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Dragline Operator Salaries in New Zealand

So we've looked at the average salaries a Dragline Operator will earn in New Zealand. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Dragline Operator can earn between 22,600 NZD and 64,400 NZD on average in New Zealand. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Dragline Operator in New Zealand is 43,400 NZD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 43,400 NZD, and 50% of the population earn more than 43,400 NZD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Dragline Operator salary in New Zealand, 25% of the population are earning less than 29,300 NZD while 75% of the population earn more than 29,300 NZD.

75% of the population earn less than 54,100 NZD, and 25% of the population earn more than 54,100 NZD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Dragline Operator Salary by Experience Level in New Zealand

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average dragline operator salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Dragline Operator in New Zealand that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 25,400 NZD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Dragline Operator salary would increase to 30,600 NZD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Dragline Operator, the average salary would be 44,900 NZD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 53,500 NZD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Dragline Operator with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 58,700 NZD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Dragline Operator with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 61,600 NZD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
25,400 NZD
2-5 Years +29%
30,600 NZD
5-10 Years +38%
44,900 NZD
10-15 Years +24%
53,500 NZD
15-20 Years +7%
58,700 NZD
20+ Years +7%
61,600 NZD

Dragline Operator Salary by Education Level in New Zealand

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Dragline Operator in New Zealand based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Dragline Operator in New Zealand with a high school education can earn an average salary of 33,000 NZD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Dragline Operator in New Zealand with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 55,300 NZD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
33,000 NZD
Certificate or Diploma +65%
55,300 NZD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in New Zealand is around 40,500 to 122,000 NZD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Dragline Operator Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In New Zealand, a male dragline operator will earn an average of 45,000 NZD, while a female dragline operator will earn around 40,200 NZD.

This means that a male dragline operator earns approximately 12% more than a female dragline operator for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in New Zealand

Male
45,000 NZD
Female -12%
40,200 NZD

Dragline Operator Average Pay Raise in New Zealand

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Dragline Operator in New Zealand is around 11% every 14 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in New Zealand is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 11 ÷ 14 ) × 12  = 9%

What this means is that a Dragline Operator in New Zealand can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 9% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in New Zealand for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in New Zealand.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
2%
Energy
4%
Information Technology
6%
Healthcare
8%
Travel
1%
Construction
3%
Education
5%

Dragline Operator Bonus and Incentive Rates in New Zealand

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Dragline Operator is a low bonus based job, with 31% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

69% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus
31%
No Bonus
69%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in New Zealand earn approximately 5% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
97,900 NZD
Private Sector -5%
93,100 NZD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Dragline Operator

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Dragline Operator in New Zealand.

Job Title Category Salary
Assistant Yard Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 84,800 NZD
Associate Analyst Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 97,300 NZD
Associate Landman Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 40,700 NZD
Auxiliary Equipment Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 36,600 NZD
Biomass Plant Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 43,100 NZD
Biomass Power Plant Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 124,500 NZD
Chemical Plant Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 71,700 NZD
Chief Contract Compliance Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 90,000 NZD
Completions Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 83,300 NZD
Cost Controller Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 66,100 NZD
Cost Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 87,500 NZD
Crude Oil Marketing Representative Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 95,300 NZD
Dispatcher Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 34,900 NZD
Distribution Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 119,700 NZD
Driller Offsider Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 34,100 NZD
Dump Truck Driver Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 34,300 NZD
Electric and Gas Operations Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 206,700 NZD
Energy Advisor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 137,100 NZD
Energy Analyst Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 119,700 NZD
Energy Auditor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 112,700 NZD
Energy Dispatch Director Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 150,100 NZD
Energy Technical Assistant Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 54,100 NZD
Energy Technical Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 107,700 NZD
Energy Technical Support Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 105,800 NZD
Energy Technical Trainer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 77,100 NZD
Engineering Geologist Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 164,100 NZD
Exploration Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 158,700 NZD
Field Safety Auditor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 94,200 NZD
Fluids Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 83,000 NZD
Fuel Cell Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 94,800 NZD
Fuel Cell Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 44,300 NZD
Fuels Handler Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 42,000 NZD
Gas Compressor Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 39,100 NZD
Gas Distribution Plant Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 76,000 NZD
Gas Supply Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 141,000 NZD
Geologist Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 158,900 NZD
Geophysicist Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 158,900 NZD
Geothermal Production Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 151,800 NZD
Geothermal Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 59,500 NZD
HSE Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 86,400 NZD
HSE Officer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 55,700 NZD
HSE Supervisor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 64,100 NZD
HSEQ Administrator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 59,800 NZD
Inspector Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 79,600 NZD
Instructor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 69,700 NZD
Instrument Designer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 71,700 NZD
Lead Technical Field Advisor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 114,300 NZD
Logistics and Tool Coordinator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 76,800 NZD
Maintenance Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 88,700 NZD
Maintenance Superintendent Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 78,500 NZD
Material Controller Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 57,100 NZD
Mine Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 82,300 NZD
Mine Surveyor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 95,100 NZD
Mining Project Administrator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 77,000 NZD
Mining Project Assistant Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 61,300 NZD
Mining Project Controls Consultant Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 100,700 NZD
Mining Project Coordinator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 75,500 NZD
Mining Project Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 85,500 NZD
Mining Project Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 107,700 NZD
Mining Site Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 114,300 NZD
Mining Team Leader Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 95,900 NZD
NDT Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 53,600 NZD
Oil Service Unit Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 45,600 NZD
Oil Trader Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 109,700 NZD
Oilwell Pumper Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 31,700 NZD
Petroleum Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 100,700 NZD
Petroleum Geologist Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 152,900 NZD
Petroleum Pump System Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 48,600 NZD
Petroleum Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 51,100 NZD
Pipeline Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 35,100 NZD
Power Coordinator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 51,400 NZD
Power Plant Operations Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 167,100 NZD
Power Plant Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 69,800 NZD
Radio Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 38,000 NZD
Reliability Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 87,500 NZD
Reservoir Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 80,000 NZD
Risk Analyst Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 109,700 NZD
Roughneck Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 94,100 NZD
Scaffolder Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 60,400 NZD
Shutdown Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 76,000 NZD
Solar Energy Installation Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 127,600 NZD
Solar Energy Systems Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 93,600 NZD
Solar Photovoltaic Installer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 57,100 NZD
Solar Thermal Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 51,400 NZD
Supply Operations Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 140,700 NZD
Sustainability Specialist Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 142,300 NZD
System Development Advisor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 98,900 NZD
Tanker Truck Driver Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 34,900 NZD
Utility Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 47,800 NZD
Wind Energy Project Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 125,400 NZD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in New Zealand, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Auckland 45,300 NZD
Christchurch 45,700 NZD
Hamilton 38,000 NZD
Rotorua 37,300 NZD
Wellington 41,500 NZD

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