The average pay packet for roles advertised on the Seek job website increased 5% to $73,530 per annum last year. 

Combined with the recently reported 10% increase in job advertisements it shows New Zealand’s employment market continued its positive growth trajectory in 2011, Seek NZ"s general manager Janet Faulding says.

“A 5% increase in salary adds up to an additional $250 in the average Kiwi pay packet every month, [and] I’m sure that makes a significant difference in many households."

Average Seek-role salaries for Aucklanders rose by $5,000 from January to November 2011, just over a 6% increase closing out the year with an average annual salary of $75,533.

In the nation’s capital, average salary packages for Seek-advertised jobs increased by $2,825 reaching a total of $78,952 per year.

Auckland placed third with an annual average salary of $75,533 behind Wellington in second ($78,952) and the West Coast in first ($100,307).

Interestingly, New Zealand’s highest pay packets have not been raked in by the usual main centres, with both the West Coast and Taranaki recording annual salaries above the national average instead.

“The Mining, Resources and Energy sector currently boosts New Zealand’s highest average annual salary and we saw a marked increase in available roles in this industry in 2011, having a positive impact on salaries in both these regions,” Ms Faulding says. 

Roles in this sector experienced the biggest salary increase in 2011, growing by 17.7% in the eleven months to November with an average salary of $118,629.

Following the Mining, Resources and Energy sector, the top five earning classifications were Consulting and Strategy ($89,121), Information and Communication Technology ($88,066), Engineering ($86,259), and Construction ($86,052).