Average Fire Fighter Salary in New Zealand for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Fire Fighter 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 Fire Fighter Make in New Zealand?

A Fire Fighter working in New Zealand will typically earn around 51,900 NZD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 25,400 NZD to the highest average salary of 86,400 NZD.

Average Annual Salary
51,900 NZD
Average Monthly Salary
4,325 NZD

Lowest Annual Salary
25,400 NZD
Lowest Monthly Salary
2,116 NZD

Highest Annual Salary
86,400 NZD
Highest Monthly Salary
7,200 NZD

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

Fire Fighter 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 Fire Fighter Salaries in New Zealand

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

Salary ranges

We already know that a Fire Fighter can earn between 25,400 NZD and 86,400 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 Fire Fighter in New Zealand is 57,800 NZD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 57,800 NZD, and 50% of the population earn more than 57,800 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 Fire Fighter salary in New Zealand, 25% of the population are earning less than 35,400 NZD while 75% of the population earn more than 35,400 NZD.

75% of the population earn less than 78,200 NZD, and 25% of the population earn more than 78,200 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.

Fire Fighter 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 fire fighter 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 Fire Fighter in New Zealand that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 29,600 NZD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Fire Fighter salary would increase to 36,700 NZD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Fire Fighter, the average salary would be 54,100 NZD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 65,800 NZD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Fire Fighter with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 74,000 NZD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Fire Fighter with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 78,700 NZD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
29,600 NZD
2-5 Years +34%
36,700 NZD
5-10 Years +48%
54,100 NZD
10-15 Years +22%
65,800 NZD
15-20 Years +9%
74,000 NZD
20+ Years +8%
78,700 NZD

Fire Fighter 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 Fire Fighter 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 Fire Fighter in New Zealand with a high school education can earn an average salary of 32,200 NZD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Fire Fighter in New Zealand with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 49,700 NZD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Fire Fighter in New Zealand with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 84,500 NZD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
32,200 NZD
Certificate or Diploma +57%
49,700 NZD
Bachelor's Degree +68%
84,500 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.

Fire Fighter 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 fire fighter will earn an average of 55,700 NZD, while a female fire fighter will earn around 51,300 NZD.

This means that a male fire fighter earns approximately 9% more than a female fire fighter for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in New Zealand

Male
55,700 NZD
Female -9%
51,300 NZD

Fire Fighter 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 Fire Fighter in New Zealand is around 8% every 18 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 ÷ 18 ) × 12  = 5%

What this means is that a Fire Fighter in New Zealand can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 5% 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%

Fire Fighter 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 Fire Fighter is a low bonus based job, with 34% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

66% 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
34%
No Bonus
66%

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 Fire Fighter

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

Job Title Category Salary
Accreditation Coordinator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 84,800 NZD
Accreditation Manager Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 114,600 NZD
Advocate Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 74,000 NZD
Armed Security Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 66,200 NZD
Company Guard Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 31,700 NZD
Control Room Operator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 29,600 NZD
Correctional Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 55,700 NZD
Criminal Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 105,800 NZD
Facility Monitor Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 57,900 NZD
Fire Chief Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 107,700 NZD
Fire Dispatcher Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 51,500 NZD
Fire Education Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 92,300 NZD
Fire Extinguisher Technician Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 32,900 NZD
Fire Inspector Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 100,700 NZD
Fire Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 96,400 NZD
Fire Prevention Engineer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 83,800 NZD
Fire Prevention Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 77,400 NZD
Fire Protection Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 87,400 NZD
Forensic Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 90,300 NZD
Forensic Science Technician Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 100,300 NZD
Fraud and Forensic Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 102,700 NZD
Fraud Examiner Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 112,700 NZD
Grants Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 128,200 NZD
Intellectual Property Associate Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 95,000 NZD
Intelligence Research Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 150,100 NZD
Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 107,300 NZD
Jail Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 43,400 NZD
Juvenile Probation Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 70,600 NZD
Juvenile Supervision Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 69,400 NZD
Lock-Smith Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 29,100 NZD
Parole Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 52,000 NZD
Police Captain Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 117,100 NZD
Police Communications Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 74,000 NZD
Police Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 54,200 NZD
Police Patrol Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 53,300 NZD
Prison Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 41,500 NZD
Prisoner Custody Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 36,700 NZD
Private Detective / Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 107,300 NZD
Security Adviser Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 105,200 NZD
Security Guard Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 29,600 NZD
Security Management Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 147,900 NZD
Security Manager Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 151,800 NZD
Security Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 34,000 NZD
Security Supervisor Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 83,300 NZD
Security Systems Installer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 75,400 NZD
Security Technician Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 35,500 NZD
Surveillance Operator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 36,800 NZD
Traffic Controller Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 59,000 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 63,100 NZD
Christchurch 60,500 NZD
Hamilton 51,800 NZD
Rotorua 49,400 NZD
Wellington 58,200 NZD

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