Average Equipment Operator Salary in New Zealand for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Equipment 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 an Equipment Operator Make in New Zealand?

An Equipment Operator working in New Zealand will typically earn around 24,800 NZD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 12,600 NZD to the highest average salary of 39,400 NZD.

Average Annual Salary
24,800 NZD
Average Monthly Salary
2,066 NZD

Lowest Annual Salary
12,600 NZD
Lowest Monthly Salary
1,050 NZD

Highest Annual Salary
39,400 NZD
Highest Monthly Salary
3,283 NZD

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

Equipment 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 Equipment Operator Salaries in New Zealand

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

Salary ranges

We already know that an Equipment Operator can earn between 12,600 NZD and 39,400 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 an Equipment Operator in New Zealand is 24,800 NZD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 24,800 NZD, and 50% of the population earn more than 24,800 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 Equipment Operator salary in New Zealand, 25% of the population are earning less than 15,700 NZD while 75% of the population earn more than 15,700 NZD.

75% of the population earn less than 32,200 NZD, and 25% of the population earn more than 32,200 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.

Equipment 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 equipment 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. An Equipment Operator in New Zealand that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 12,900 NZD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Equipment Operator salary would increase to 19,400 NZD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as an Equipment Operator, the average salary would be 27,800 NZD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 29,600 NZD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. An Equipment Operator with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 35,500 NZD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For an Equipment Operator with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 34,900 NZD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
12,900 NZD
2-5 Years +32%
19,400 NZD
5-10 Years +34%
27,800 NZD
10-15 Years +19%
29,600 NZD
15-20 Years +8%
35,500 NZD
20+ Years +7%
34,900 NZD

Equipment 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 an Equipment 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. An Equipment Operator in New Zealand with a high school education can earn an average salary of 19,400 NZD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. An Equipment Operator in New Zealand with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 28,800 NZD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. An Equipment Operator in New Zealand with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 35,400 NZD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
19,400 NZD
Certificate or Diploma +40%
28,800 NZD
Bachelor's Degree +25%
35,400 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.

Equipment 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 equipment operator will earn an average of 23,600 NZD, while a female equipment operator will earn around 22,400 NZD.

This means that a male equipment operator earns approximately 5% more than a female equipment operator for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in New Zealand

Male
23,600 NZD
Female -5%
22,400 NZD

Equipment 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 an Equipment Operator in New Zealand is around 8% every 17 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 = ( 8 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 6%

What this means is that an Equipment Operator in New Zealand can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 6% 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%

Equipment 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.

An Equipment Operator is a low bonus based job, with 30% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

70% 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 3%.

Received Bonus
30%
No Bonus
70%

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 an Equipment Operator

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

Job Title Category Salary
Assembly Foreman Factory and Manufacturing 25,800 NZD
Assembly Line Worker Factory and Manufacturing 27,000 NZD
Assembly Supervisor Factory and Manufacturing 39,100 NZD
Assistance Maintenance Manager Factory and Manufacturing 92,500 NZD
Assistant Shipping Manager Factory and Manufacturing 87,900 NZD
Chemical Equipment Controller Factory and Manufacturing 60,100 NZD
Chemical Technican Apprentice Factory and Manufacturing 49,700 NZD
CNC Machinist Factory and Manufacturing 59,200 NZD
CNC Operator Factory and Manufacturing 58,800 NZD
CNC Programmer Factory and Manufacturing 66,900 NZD
Colour Technologist Factory and Manufacturing 33,600 NZD
Contracts Manager Factory and Manufacturing 115,600 NZD
Data Collection Coordinator Factory and Manufacturing 45,000 NZD
Demand Planner Factory and Manufacturing 41,300 NZD
Derrick Operator Factory and Manufacturing 26,200 NZD
Director of Manufacturing Factory and Manufacturing 160,700 NZD
Dock Worker Factory and Manufacturing 24,800 NZD
Drying Technician Factory and Manufacturing 27,000 NZD
Export Sales Coordinator Factory and Manufacturing 80,200 NZD
Factory Superintendent Factory and Manufacturing 44,300 NZD
Factory Worker Factory and Manufacturing 27,700 NZD
Failure Analysis Technician Factory and Manufacturing 41,100 NZD
Fiberglass Laminator Factory and Manufacturing 28,900 NZD
Food Technologist Factory and Manufacturing 50,300 NZD
Forklift Driver Factory and Manufacturing 26,300 NZD
Forklift Operator Factory and Manufacturing 26,900 NZD
Forming Machine Operator Factory and Manufacturing 30,800 NZD
Furnace Operator Factory and Manufacturing 27,600 NZD
Gas Appliance Repairer Factory and Manufacturing 26,400 NZD
General Warehouse Associate Factory and Manufacturing 48,600 NZD
Heavy Equipment Operator Factory and Manufacturing 36,600 NZD
HSE Manager Factory and Manufacturing 116,400 NZD
Industrial Engineer Factory and Manufacturing 88,000 NZD
Industrial Machinery Mechanic Factory and Manufacturing 58,200 NZD
Industrial Production Manager Factory and Manufacturing 152,900 NZD
Industrial Safety and Health Engineer Factory and Manufacturing 86,800 NZD
Intake Operator Factory and Manufacturing 34,300 NZD
Key Account Manager Factory and Manufacturing 127,700 NZD
Lift Truck Operator Factory and Manufacturing 27,300 NZD
Loading Supervisor Factory and Manufacturing 49,700 NZD
Logistic Coordinator Factory and Manufacturing 65,800 NZD
Logistics Clerk Factory and Manufacturing 31,700 NZD
Machine Operator Factory and Manufacturing 25,800 NZD
Machinist Factory and Manufacturing 25,500 NZD
Maintenance Manager Factory and Manufacturing 107,300 NZD
Maintenance Store Clerk Factory and Manufacturing 29,300 NZD
Manufacturing Engineer Factory and Manufacturing 82,200 NZD
Manufacturing Engineering Manager Factory and Manufacturing 130,400 NZD
Manufacturing Engineering Technologist Factory and Manufacturing 95,000 NZD
Manufacturing Manager Factory and Manufacturing 151,800 NZD
Manufacturing Operative Factory and Manufacturing 46,700 NZD
Manufacturing Production Technician Factory and Manufacturing 36,500 NZD
Manufacturing Supervisor Factory and Manufacturing 77,300 NZD
Manufacturing Technician Factory and Manufacturing 29,100 NZD
Materials Manager Factory and Manufacturing 114,900 NZD
Materials Supervisor Factory and Manufacturing 73,500 NZD
Mechanical Fitter Engineer Factory and Manufacturing 90,600 NZD
Mechanical Foreman Factory and Manufacturing 27,600 NZD
Merchandise Planner Factory and Manufacturing 48,200 NZD
Metrology Engineer Factory and Manufacturing 81,600 NZD
Operations Engineer Factory and Manufacturing 84,500 NZD
Operations Manager Factory and Manufacturing 141,000 NZD
Order Management Coordinator Factory and Manufacturing 72,800 NZD
Order Processing Manager Factory and Manufacturing 117,100 NZD
Order Selector Factory and Manufacturing 31,700 NZD
Package Handler Factory and Manufacturing 27,300 NZD
Packaging Manager Factory and Manufacturing 84,300 NZD
Packer Factory and Manufacturing 27,000 NZD
Packing Deputy Supervisor Factory and Manufacturing 71,400 NZD
Planning Manager Factory and Manufacturing 130,500 NZD
Plant Manager Factory and Manufacturing 139,100 NZD
Precision Instrument Repairer Factory and Manufacturing 42,600 NZD
Process Technician Factory and Manufacturing 33,800 NZD
Product Manager Factory and Manufacturing 134,100 NZD
Production Analyst Factory and Manufacturing 119,700 NZD
Production Director Factory and Manufacturing 168,700 NZD
Production Engineer Factory and Manufacturing 91,900 NZD
Production Engineering Supervisor Factory and Manufacturing 128,200 NZD
Production Inspector Factory and Manufacturing 95,400 NZD
Production Laborer Factory and Manufacturing 23,300 NZD
Production Manager Factory and Manufacturing 163,500 NZD
Production Operator Factory and Manufacturing 36,400 NZD
Production Scheduler Factory and Manufacturing 67,900 NZD
Production Supervisor Factory and Manufacturing 88,600 NZD
Production Technician Factory and Manufacturing 36,400 NZD
Production Worker Factory and Manufacturing 34,300 NZD
Quality Control Analyst Factory and Manufacturing 111,700 NZD
Quality Control Inspector Factory and Manufacturing 92,000 NZD
Quality Control Manager Factory and Manufacturing 130,500 NZD
Service Technician Factory and Manufacturing 35,400 NZD
SHEQ Officer Factory and Manufacturing 40,300 NZD
Shipping Manager Factory and Manufacturing 139,100 NZD
Small Engine Mechanic Factory and Manufacturing 45,600 NZD
Spray Painter Factory and Manufacturing 26,500 NZD
Sterile Processing Technician Factory and Manufacturing 30,200 NZD
Structural Welder Factory and Manufacturing 22,800 NZD
Supply Chain Operative Factory and Manufacturing 79,600 NZD
Technical Operator Factory and Manufacturing 33,000 NZD
Technology Development Manager Factory and Manufacturing 146,700 NZD
Testing Technician Factory and Manufacturing 59,500 NZD
Toolmaker Factory and Manufacturing 43,400 NZD
Warehouse Forklift Operator Factory and Manufacturing 26,500 NZD
Warehouse Operative Factory and Manufacturing 29,900 NZD
Warehouse Worker Factory and Manufacturing 30,800 NZD
Warranty Handler Factory and Manufacturing 49,700 NZD
Welder Factory and Manufacturing 26,200 NZD
Workshop Manager Factory and Manufacturing 100,900 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 27,600 NZD
Christchurch 27,800 NZD
Hamilton 22,400 NZD
Rotorua 23,000 NZD
Wellington 22,400 NZD

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