Average Illustrator Salary in Cook Islands for 2026

In this article, we will look at the average Illustrator salary for 2026 in Cook Islands 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 Illustrator Make in Cook Islands?

An Illustrator working in Cook Islands will typically earn around 41,900 NZD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 17,740 NZD to the highest average salary of 66,820 NZD.

Average Annual Salary41,900 NZD
Average Monthly Salary3,491 NZD
Average Lowest Salary17,740 NZD
Lowest Monthly Salary1,478 NZD
Average Highest Salary66,820 NZD
Highest Monthly Salary5,568 NZD

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

Illustrator 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 Illustrator Salaries in Cook Islands

So we've looked at the average salaries an Illustrator will earn in Cook Islands. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that an Illustrator can earn between 17,740 NZD and 66,820 NZD on average in Cook Islands. 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 Illustrator in Cook Islands is 45,560 NZD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 45,560 NZD, and 50% of the population earn more than 45,560 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 Illustrator salary in Cook Islands, 25% of the population are earning less than 28,720 NZD while 75% of the population earn more than 28,720 NZD.

75% of the population earn less than 58,520 NZD, and 25% of the population earn more than 58,520 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.

Illustrator Salary by Experience Level in Cook Islands

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 Illustrator 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 Illustrator in Cook Islands that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 21,560 NZD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Illustrator salary would increase to 29,840 NZD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as an Illustrator, the average salary would be 42,320 NZD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 50,660 NZD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. An Illustrator with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 55,320 NZD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For an Illustrator with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 58,800 NZD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years-
21,560 NZD
2-5 Years+34%
29,840 NZD
5-10 Years+48%
42,320 NZD
10-15 Years+22%
50,660 NZD
15-20 Years+9%
55,320 NZD
20+ Years+8%
58,800 NZD

Illustrator Salary by Education Level in Cook Islands

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 Illustrator in Cook Islands 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 Illustrator in Cook Islands with a high school education can earn an average salary of 25,160 NZD.
  • Certificate or Diploma. An Illustrator in Cook Islands with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 31,940 NZD.
  • Bachelor's Degree. An Illustrator in Cook Islands with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 44,540 NZD.
  • Master's Degree. An Illustrator in Cook Islands with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 58,860 NZD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School-
25,160 NZD
Certificate or Diploma+18%
31,940 NZD
Bachelor's Degree+45%
44,540 NZD
Master's Degree+31%
58,860 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 Cook Islands is around 23,500 to 70,600 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.

Illustrator 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 Cook Islands, a male illustrator will earn an average of 45,600 NZD, while a female illustrator will earn around 35,420 NZD.

This means that a male illustrator earns approximately 29% more than a female illustrator for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Cook Islands

Male-
45,600 NZD
Female-29%
35,420 NZD

Illustrator Average Pay Raise in Cook Islands

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 Illustrator in Cook Islands is around 7% every 29 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Cook Islands is around 4% every 29 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 = ( 7 ÷ 29 ) × 12  = 3%

What this means is that an Illustrator in Cook Islands can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 3% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Cook Islands for 2026

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

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

Banking-
6%
Energy-
3%
Information Technology-
9%
Healthcare-
6%
Travel-
3%
Construction-
9%
Education-
6%

Illustrator Bonus and Incentive Rates in Cook Islands

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 Illustrator is a low bonus based job, with 16% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

84% 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-
16%
No Bonus-
84%

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 Cook Islands earn approximately 15% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector-
58,000 NZD
Private Sector-15%
50,560 NZD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to an Illustrator

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to an Illustrator in Cook Islands.

Job TitleCategorySalary
3D ArtistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment50,580 NZD
3D DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment49,700 NZD
3D GeneralistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment38,780 NZD
3D Visualization SpecialistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment48,640 NZD
Acrobatic RiggerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment35,560 NZD
ActorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment69,180 NZD
Art AdministratorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment54,180 NZD
Art DirectorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment64,620 NZD
Art LeadMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment65,920 NZD
Associate Media DirectorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment55,220 NZD
Associate ProducerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment73,980 NZD
Broadcast AssociateMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment38,260 NZD
Broadcast News AnalystMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment48,760 NZD
Broadcast TechnicianMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment31,520 NZD
Broadcast and Sound EngineerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment46,980 NZD
Broadcasting JournalistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment64,300 NZD
Broadcasting PresenterMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment64,720 NZD
CAS EngineerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment54,560 NZD
Camera Equipment RepairerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment35,500 NZD
Camera OperatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment31,380 NZD
Cartoonist / AnimatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment47,720 NZD
Censorship ExecutiveMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment60,920 NZD
ChoreographerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment43,760 NZD
ColoristMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment26,080 NZD
Communications ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment72,540 NZD
CorrespondentMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment56,460 NZD
Dance DirectorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment50,340 NZD
DancerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment45,580 NZD
Director of PhotographyMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment56,140 NZD
Disc JockeyMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment34,360 NZD
Editorial AssistantMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment26,280 NZD
Events ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment53,120 NZD
Graphic DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment34,960 NZD
Industrial DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment33,960 NZD
Instructional DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment31,980 NZD
JournalistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment61,580 NZD
Makeup ArtistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment32,420 NZD
Media Design ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment93,220 NZD
Media Equipment OperatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment30,800 NZD
Media Operations ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment66,100 NZD
Media PlannerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment47,400 NZD
Media ProducerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment61,840 NZD
Media Product Development ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment87,760 NZD
Media Production ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment80,500 NZD
Media Program DirectorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment95,600 NZD
Media Relation ExecutiveMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment99,280 NZD
Media Relations ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment88,240 NZD
Media Sales ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment94,380 NZD
Movement and Dance CoordinatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment52,540 NZD
Multimedia CoordinatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment34,120 NZD
Multimedia DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment34,540 NZD
Music ConsultantMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment45,580 NZD
MusicianMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment38,620 NZD
News AssociateMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment46,980 NZD
News ReporterMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment65,940 NZD
Post Production AssistantMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment34,080 NZD
ProducerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment84,880 NZD
Product DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment34,360 NZD
Product PlannerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment45,560 NZD
Production ArtistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment46,400 NZD
Production AssistantMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment34,080 NZD
Production DirectorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment72,180 NZD
Production TechnicianMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment31,400 NZD
Program ResearcherMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment58,240 NZD
Promotion CoordinatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment41,180 NZD
Sound EngineerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment42,960 NZD
Sound Engineering TechnicianMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment26,780 NZD
Stage TechnicianMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment26,660 NZD
Sub EditorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment31,960 NZD
Television Executive ProducerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment98,440 NZD
Transmission EngineerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment48,760 NZD
Video EditorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment38,060 NZD
Video ProducerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment48,300 NZD
VideographerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment48,200 NZD
Visual DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment48,940 NZD

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