Average Kitchen Staff Salary in New Zealand for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Kitchen Staff 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 Kitchen Staff Make in New Zealand?

A Kitchen Staff working in New Zealand will typically earn around 31,700 NZD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 17,000 NZD to the highest average salary of 51,500 NZD.

Average Annual Salary
31,700 NZD
Average Monthly Salary
2,641 NZD

Lowest Annual Salary
17,000 NZD
Lowest Monthly Salary
1,416 NZD

Highest Annual Salary
51,500 NZD
Highest Monthly Salary
4,291 NZD

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

Kitchen Staff 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 Kitchen Staff Salaries in New Zealand

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

Salary ranges

We already know that a Kitchen Staff can earn between 17,000 NZD and 51,500 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 Kitchen Staff in New Zealand is 32,300 NZD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 32,300 NZD, and 50% of the population earn more than 32,300 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 Kitchen Staff salary in New Zealand, 25% of the population are earning less than 20,100 NZD while 75% of the population earn more than 20,100 NZD.

75% of the population earn less than 42,700 NZD, and 25% of the population earn more than 42,700 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.

Kitchen Staff 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 kitchen staff 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 Kitchen Staff in New Zealand that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 20,300 NZD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Kitchen Staff salary would increase to 22,400 NZD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Kitchen Staff, the average salary would be 33,300 NZD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 39,700 NZD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Kitchen Staff with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 45,000 NZD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Kitchen Staff with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 48,200 NZD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
20,300 NZD
2-5 Years +29%
22,400 NZD
5-10 Years +38%
33,300 NZD
10-15 Years +24%
39,700 NZD
15-20 Years +7%
45,000 NZD
20+ Years +7%
48,200 NZD

Kitchen Staff 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 Kitchen Staff 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 Kitchen Staff in New Zealand with a high school education can earn an average salary of 27,300 NZD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Kitchen Staff in New Zealand with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 44,900 NZD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
27,300 NZD
Certificate or Diploma +65%
44,900 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.

Kitchen Staff 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 kitchen staff will earn an average of 33,600 NZD, while a female kitchen staff will earn around 30,200 NZD.

This means that a male kitchen staff earns approximately 11% more than a female kitchen staff for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in New Zealand

Male
33,600 NZD
Female -11%
30,200 NZD

Kitchen Staff 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 Kitchen Staff in New Zealand is around 9% every 16 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 = ( 9 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 7%

What this means is that a Kitchen Staff in New Zealand can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 7% 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%

Kitchen Staff 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 Kitchen Staff 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 Kitchen Staff

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

Job Title Category Salary
All Rounder Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 40,300 NZD
Assistant Executive Housekeeper Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 26,100 NZD
Assistant Food and Beverage Controller Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 53,500 NZD
Assistant Food and Beverage Director Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 125,400 NZD
Assistant Hospitality Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 127,700 NZD
Assistant Storekeeper Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 26,900 NZD
Assistant Tour Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 63,800 NZD
Baker and Pastrycook Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 32,900 NZD
Bakery Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 74,100 NZD
Bakery Superintendent Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 46,200 NZD
Banquet Captain Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 36,900 NZD
Banquet Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 52,300 NZD
Banquet Server Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 32,200 NZD
Bar Attendant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 29,600 NZD
Bar Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 64,200 NZD
Bar Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 45,000 NZD
Barista Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 40,500 NZD
Bartender Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 36,900 NZD
Bellman Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 29,300 NZD
Beverage Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 73,500 NZD
Bistro Attendant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 32,900 NZD
Buffet Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 54,100 NZD
Buffet Host Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 30,200 NZD
Buffet Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 66,200 NZD
Butcher and Slaughterer Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 27,100 NZD
Cafeteria Assistant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 32,900 NZD
Cafeteria Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 59,700 NZD
Cafeteria Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 45,000 NZD
Cake Decorator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 36,500 NZD
Casino Shift Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 114,600 NZD
Chain Store Customer Support Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 51,800 NZD
Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 61,400 NZD
Chef De Cuisine Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 86,300 NZD
Club Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 114,300 NZD
Cluster Director Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 151,800 NZD
Cluster Revenue Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 114,600 NZD
Cocktail Server Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 32,200 NZD
Coffee Shop Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 102,700 NZD
Concierge Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 29,100 NZD
Confectionery Baker Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 36,500 NZD
Conference and Sales Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 56,100 NZD
Conference Services Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 71,800 NZD
Cook Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 51,600 NZD
Corporate Sous Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 83,800 NZD
Corporate Travel Consultant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 83,800 NZD
Croupier Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 44,800 NZD
Culinary Assistant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 29,600 NZD
Culinary Associate Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 26,200 NZD
Demi Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 60,800 NZD
Dietary Aide Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 64,100 NZD
Dining Room Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 56,800 NZD
Dishwasher Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 24,200 NZD
Duty Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 69,800 NZD
Events Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 45,600 NZD
Executive Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 68,200 NZD
Executive Pastry Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 55,100 NZD
Fast Food Cook Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 49,200 NZD
Fast Food Shift Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 51,800 NZD
Fine Dining Cook Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 83,300 NZD
Fine Dining Restaurant Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 83,200 NZD
Fleet Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 140,200 NZD
Food and Beverage Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 112,700 NZD
Food Consultant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 95,900 NZD
Food Safety Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 69,400 NZD
Food Server Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 29,600 NZD
Food Service Director Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 109,700 NZD
Food Service Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 121,800 NZD
Food Service Sales Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 74,100 NZD
Food Service Worker Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 30,200 NZD
Front Desk Agent Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 33,600 NZD
Front Desk Clerk Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 35,000 NZD
Front Office Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 66,700 NZD
Guest Service Executive Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 103,600 NZD
Guest Service Representative Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 39,600 NZD
Head Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 69,700 NZD
Head Concierge Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 43,100 NZD
Hospitality Director Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 184,700 NZD
Hostess / Host Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 35,300 NZD
Hotel Desk Clerk Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 36,600 NZD
Hotel Maid Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 26,500 NZD
Hotel Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 175,100 NZD
Hotel Sales Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 130,500 NZD
Hotel Service Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 95,000 NZD
Hotel Staff Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 32,200 NZD
Inventory Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 38,000 NZD
Kitchen Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 62,500 NZD
Kitchen Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 49,300 NZD
Line Cook Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 51,400 NZD
Luggage Porter Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 26,400 NZD
Motel Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 103,600 NZD
Pastry Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 49,800 NZD
Pastrycooking and Baking Assistant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 33,300 NZD
Production Operator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 47,100 NZD
Quality, Health and Safety Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 57,200 NZD
Receptionist Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 33,000 NZD
Regional Restaurant Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 130,500 NZD
Restaurant Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 117,100 NZD
Restaurant Server Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 30,800 NZD
Room Reservations Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 111,700 NZD
Room Service Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 112,700 NZD
Sous Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 65,500 NZD
Special Events Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 74,100 NZD
Supervisor of Food Services Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 77,100 NZD
Tour Consultant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 86,100 NZD
Tour Guide Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 54,200 NZD
Tour Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 73,500 NZD
Travel Agent Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 63,000 NZD
Travel Consultant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 87,500 NZD
Waiter / Waitress Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 31,200 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 34,000 NZD
Christchurch 32,900 NZD
Hamilton 30,800 NZD
Rotorua 29,600 NZD
Wellington 33,200 NZD

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