January 10th, 2002
The wages and salaries of truck drivers and production workers rose faster than general managers' and computer
programmers' pay last year, the Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern) reports.
The National Salary and Wage Survey data usually shows the pay rates of those with advanced skills, for example in
electronics and information technology, besides being much higher than for unskilled work, also grow faster. Not so last
year.
The pay for several lower skilled types of jobs for the year ended July last year went up faster than for many high
fliers, said Graeme Perfect, the person in charge of EMA's long running annual survey.
"Last year, according to the 600 plus survey respondents, the average pay for computer programmers and analysts slipped
back marginally to $52,146 per annum," he said.
"On the other hand, after two years of no increases, the average annual pay for over 400 truck drivers rose 14.25 per
cent to reach $32,622. This was more than for computer operators which went up 13 per cent to $42,953.
"Senior librarians and library managers who were amongst the leaders for pay increases last year, were not so successful
this time; their aggregated national average pay last year was up 14.9 per cent whereas this year their pay went up just
5.3 per cent to reach $47,820."
"The 21 job categories in the attached table were drawn from the National Wage & Salary Survey included a total of 208 job types. Our analysis of the basic wages and salaries paid in these positions
highlights the speed that people with advanced skills can recoup the investment in their education and training.
"The information presented covers only basic wages and salaries, not other remuneration such as overtime, bonus
payments, cars, super or health insurance cover. The New Zealand wide survey has been carried out every year for the
past seven years to monitor regional differences in pay as well as aggregating data into upper and lower quartile bands.
"There seems to have been a degree of catch up going on last year for some sectors. That's not surprising with the
pressure on in some sectors of the economy and in rural areas.
"Significant fluctuations in wage rates can be expected from year to year because of such factors, as well as for
similar jobs in different sized organisations and in different industries," Mr Perfect said.
"The number of employers contributing data on job categories varies too.
"No matter what careers people are thinking about pursuing, and regardless of last year's figures, higher qualifications
usually translate into higher pay. 2001 went against the long term and was an aberration in that respect."
Pay rates for various job types
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
RECEPTIONIST/TYPIST/DATA ENTRY
No of Employees
590
352
369
368
290
303
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
26,923
26,875
27,151
27,168
28,321
29,329
% Change 1996-2000
5.0
Chge from prev. year: + 3.6%
ACCOUNTS CLERK
No of Employees
n/a
302
325
253
208
222
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
n/a
27,482
28,071
29,698
29,359
35,311
% Change 1996-2000
6.8
Chge from prev. year: + 20.2%
CUSTOMER SERVICE CLERK
No of Employees
1162
1104
661
936
704
916
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
25,302
25,848
30,035
30,439
30,323
30,619
% Change 1996-2000
19.8
Chge from prev.yr: + 0.98%
MACHINIST, APPAREL
No of Employees
272
304
321
195
220
204
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
19,061
19,891
19,694
20,051
22,000
24,421
% Change 1996-2000
15.4
Chge from prev. yr: +11%
WAREHOUSE/STOREPERSON (UNSKILLED)
No of Employees
509
440
470
373
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
21,273
22,014
n/a
n/a
21,789
24,328
% Change 1996-2000
2.4
Chge from prev. yr: +11.65%
PRODUCTION WORKER (SEMI SKILLED)
No of Employees
2197
2795
2508
3457
2041
1931
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
22,982
24,004
23,795
24,455
25,440
27,981
% Change 1996-2000
10.7
Chge from prev. yr: +10%
FITTER WELDER AND FITTER TURNER
No of Employees
972
869
836
611
735
444
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
31,864
34,875
34,506
35,570
36,819
38,265
% Change 1996-2000
15.5
Chge from prev. yr: 3.92%
SHOP SALESPERSON - SKILLED
No of Employees
456
317
247
235
913
255
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
22,452
23,856
25,206
24,921
24,375
26,823
% Change 1996-2000
8.5
Chge from prev. yr: +10%
DRIVER - GENERAL ROAD TRANSPORT
No of Employees
220
258
274
360
313
401
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
25,713
25,122
28,670
29,511
28,552
32,622
% Change 1996-2000
11.04
Chge from prev. yr: +14.25%
STAFF NURSE/REGISTERED NURSE
No of Employees
4001
3558
2212
2392
1332
1456
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
36,216
36,497
36,926
38,298
39,468
39,280
% Change 1996-2000
8.9
Chge from prev. yr: - 0.47%
SALES REP/COMMERCIAL TRAVELLER
No of Employees
897
755
627
822
519
372
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
33,883
34,831
36,300
37,331
35,966
37,945
% Change 1996-2000
6.1
Chge from prev. year: + 5.5%
HUMAN RESOURCES/PERSONNEL OFFICER
No of Employees
142
108
117
115
104
99
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
42,530
43,168
44,377
46,839
46,448
48,448
% Change 1996-2000
9.2
Chge from prev. yr: +5.37%
MARKETING/BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
No of Employees
166
108
111
126
141
95
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
69,658
73,134
72,165
76,014
78,086
89,047
% Change 1996-2000
12.1
Chge from prev. yr: +14%
GENERAL MANAGER (UNDER 50 EMPLOYEES)
No of Employees
224
167
189
205
132
136
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
73,796
76,773
81,682
81,052
83,578
83,822
% Change 1996-2000
13.2
Chge from prev. yr: + 0.3%
GENERAL MANAGER (50 - 199 EMPLOYEES)
No of Employees
169
117
149
135
110
100
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
92,772
92,687
96,036
105,204
101,567
108,025
% Change 1996-2000
13.4
Chge from prev. yr: +6.36%
MANAGING DIRECTOR (50 - 199 EMPLOYEES)
No of Employees
68
51
66
87
85
90
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
119,696
120,259
117,927
119,560
127,513
127,722
% Change 1996-2000
6.5
Chge from prev. yr: + 0.2%
INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGER
No of Employees
118
91
124
102
103
96
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
64,123
66,707
69,020
73,818
74,443
76,767
% Change 1996-2000
16.1
Chge from prev. yr: +3.12%
ANALYST/PROGRAMMER AND COMPUTER SYSTEMS ENGINEER
No of Employees
303
267
305
609
306
112
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
46,062
45,989
47,566
50,448
52,932
52,146
% Change 1996-2000
14.9
Chge from prev. yr: - 1.5%
IS INFORMATION OFFICER AND COMPUTER OPERATOR
No of Employees
141
118
913
317
501
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
n/a
34,757
36,666
38,074
37,973
42,953
% Change 1996-2000
9.2
Chge from prev. yr: + 13.1%
ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN
No of Employees
216
176
157
121
103
78
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
34,806
37,999
35,473
35,342
39,347
40,286
% Change 1996-2000
13.0
Chge from prev. yr: +2.39%
LIBRARY MANAGER/SENIOR LIBRARIAN/QUALIFIED LIBRARIAN
No of Employees
257
262
247
252
293
179
National Average Basic Remuneration ($)
39,524
43,132
43,561
43,049
45,415
47,820
% Change 1996-2000
14.9
Chge from prev. yr: + 5.3%