Technology salaries and compensation trends

2026 Salary Guide

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New Zealand’s technology landscape is shifting, and keeping up with constant change can be challenging. Tech leaders are navigating a mix of pressures, from talent shortages and digital disruption to economic uncertainty and rising cyber-threats. More than ever, organisations recognise that skilled IT professionals are the backbone of modern businesses, protecting vital systems and driving innovation that keeps companies competitive. In turn, technology professionals want assurance that their expertise is recognised and fairly rewarded for the essential role they play in powering progress.

That’s why we have curated the 2026 New Zealand IT Salary Guide to empower you with the knowledge and confidence to make the right employment decisions. No matter if you're a hiring manager looking to attract top tech talent or an IT jobseeker negotiating for a new role, this guide provides valuable insights and New Zealand salary benchmarks, based on Robert Half’s placement data, to facilitate better decisions.

Hiring managers: Get customised salary data and insights from a Robert Half talent solutions professional.

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Starting salaries can vary greatly depending on a professional’s skills and experience, company size and demand for the role.

Technical Support and Operations

Infrastructure and Engineering

IT Management

Cyber-Security

Business Transformation

Data & Information Management

Software Engineering / Development

Position title

25th percentile

50th percentile

75th percentile

IT Support Level 1

60000

65000

70000

IT Support Level 2

72000

75000

80000

Systems Administrator

80000

85000

95000

Application Support

65000

75000

95000

25th percentile

The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is building necessary skills.

50th percentile

The candidate has moderate experience in the role, meets most requirements or has equivalent transferable skills, and may also have relevant certifications.

75th percentile

The candidate has extensive experience and advanced skills for the role, and may also have specialized certifications.

Salary range based on three percentiles The starting salaries represent gross yearly salaries. They do not include bonuses, benefits or KiwiSaver.

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2026 technology compensation trends

Key insights at a glance

80%

of tech leaders say the economic outlook in New Zealand will positively impact their approach to setting salaries for staff in 2026

42%

of tech leaders say the need to fill an urgent hiring need affects their willingness to increase a salary offer during candidate negotiations

56%

of tech leaders say company performance influences their company’s decision making when considering bonus amounts

48%

of tech leaders say the average percentage increase they are prepared to offer above the initial salary proposal during negotiations for an average role is between 11% and 15%

Stable salaries, strategic hiring

Technology salaries in New Zealand have largely stabilised as the economy adjusts, with most employers offering modest 3–5% increases. Pay rises are focused on professionals with rare or emerging skills, particularly in AI, data engineering, and automation.

Counteroffers are becoming more frequent in AI, data engineering, and automation as companies compete for talent with both technical depth and a willingness to experiment with new technologies.

98% of tech leaders say they have extended a counteroffer to a worker who received an external offer but 43% of those state the counteroffer was rejected or they accepted but left within 12 months.

While broader salary growth remains steady, opportunities for career development and meaningful project work are proving just as important in attracting and retaining top tech professionals.

Building smarter teams through strategic tech hiring

Most hiring in technology is driven by the resurgence of major projects across ERP implementations, cyber-security, and data transformation. Employers are blending contract hiring for short-term project demand and permanent hiring for long-term restructuring to shape a more deliberate, capability-focused tech workforce.

Demand for contract hiring is strongest in areas where skilled professionals can deliver immediate impact, particularly in implementation and transformation projects.

In the permanent space, businesses are taking a more strategic approach by reassessing team structures and evaluating whether current roles are fit for purpose.

Companies are ensuring they have the right mix of skills and headcount to meet long-term objectives.

Organisations are shifting their focus toward AI, with a growing appetite to understand how it can be embedded across operations. The journey has begun with the creation of new, dedicated AI roles, particularly in software development and data engineering.

of tech leaders say the adoption of AI technologies has influenced compensation practices for roles in their organisation in 2025 of tech leaders say the adoption of AI technologies has influenced compensation practices for roles in their organisation in 2025

of tech leaders say high market demand and competition is the single biggest challenge in compensating AI-proficient candidates of tech leaders say high market demand and competition is the single biggest challenge in compensating AI-proficient candidates

In-demand roles and skills

Senior Software Developer

Systems/Network Engineer

IT Support

Business Analyst

Data Engineer

Senior Software Engineer

Infrastructure and engineering

Technical support and operations

Data and analytics

.NET Core, TypeScript (Angular/React/Vue), Python

Snowflake, dbt, Databricks

ERP systems - NetSuite, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics 365, SAP S/4HANA

Azure, AWS, GCP

IaC, SCM, CI/CD, test automation

Logical problem-solving skills

Innovative thinking skills

Business partnering/stakeholder management skills

Communication/influencing skills

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The salaries listed in Robert Half’s Salary Guide are the result of a rigorous, multistep process to ensure our projections accurately reflect the marketplace. They are based on real compensation data from professionals Robert Half has successfully matched with employers in Auckland.

The salaries listed in the salary tables represent gross yearly salaries. They do not include bonuses, benefits or KiwiSaver. We report salaries in three percentiles, recognising that professionals join companies at varied experience levels.

The non-salary data presented in this Salary Guide is derived from an online survey conducted by an independent research firm commissioned by Robert Half in October 2025. The survey gathered responses from 250 finance, accounting, and IT and technology hiring managers employed by a diverse range of organisations in New Zealand, including SMEs and large private, publicly-listed, and public sector companies.