The Immediate Skills Shortage List shows the occupations that are currently in high demand in New Zealand. If your occupation is on the list and you have the required qualifications and experience, you may be able to get an offer of employment in New Zealand and a work permit.
You will have to meet the usual immigration requirements, and Immigration New Zealand will establish whether your offer of employment is genuine, whether it is sustainable and whether the business offering employment is able to meet its obligations under New Zealand law.
To download a PDF of the current Immediate Skills Shortage List, click here.
What jobs are on the Immediate Skill Shortage List?
The following occupations currently appear on the Immediate Skill Shortage List:
View occupations by letter:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | L | M | O | P | Q | R | S | T | W | Y
| Occupation | Salary / pay rate in NZD |
|---|---|
| A | back to list |
| Accountant (Chartered – Senior) | $100,000 - $140,000 |
| Agricultural Machinery Operator | Watch this space! |
| Aluminium Joiner | $10.25-17 per hour |
| Analytical Chemist | $50,000 - $100,000 |
| Arborist | $24,000 - $60,000 |
| Architect | $30,000 - $80,000 |
| Asphalt/Road-pavement worker | Varies depending on experience, responsibility and type of work. |
| Asphalt manager | Varies depending on experience, responsibility and type of work. |
| Assistant Farm Manager (Dairy) | Watch this space! |
| Assistant Herd Manager | Watch this space! |
| Autoglazier | $12-21 per hour |
| Automotive refinisher | $15,000 - $50,000 |
| Automotive technician | $10.25-18 per hour |
| B | back to list |
| Baker | $30,000 - $45,000 |
| Beekeeper | Variable |
| Bricklayer | $25,000 - $45,000 |
| Broiler/Breeder farm Manager | Variable |
| Builder | $25-40 per hour |
| Building Control Official/Inspector | $33,000 - $55,000 |
| Building Project Manager/Site Forman | $47,000 - $90,000 |
| Butcher | $12-18 per hour |
| C | back to list |
| Civil CAD | $30,000 - $60,000 |
| Clinical Research Associate | Watch this space! |
| Coach/Bus builder | $10.25-22 per hour |
| Conductive Education Practitioners | Watch this space! |
| Construction/Maintenance Manager (Roading) | $47,000 - $90,000 |
| Crane Operator | $40,000 - $60,000 |
| Crop Foreman | Variable |
| D | back to list |
| Dental Assistant | $10.25-18 per hour |
| Dental Technician | $30,000 - $60,000 |
| Dental Therapist | $25,000 - $47,000 |
| Dentist | Varies by practise |
| Die Cutter Operator | $13-18 per hour |
| Dispensing Optician | $35,000 - $70,000 |
| Drain Layer | $30,000 - $50,000 |
| E | back to list |
| Electrical Engineering Technician | Watch this space! |
| Electrical Mechanical Fitter | Watch this space! |
| Electronic Service Technician | $25,000 - $50,000 |
| Engineering Draughtsperson | $30,000 - $60,000 |
| F | back to list |
| Fabric Finishing Specialist | $10.25-25 per hour |
| Farm Manager (Dairy/Sheep/Pork/Beef) | Variable |
| Fibreglass Tradesperson | $10.25-22 per hour |
| Flat-Weaving Specialist | Watch this space! |
| Flexographic Printer | $35,000 - $75,000 |
| Flooring Tradesperson | $45,000 (up to) |
| Florist (Senior) | $15-20 per hour |
| Folder Operator | $25,000 - $50,000 |
| -Folder Gluer Operator | $25,000 - $50,000 |
| Foreman (Roading/Infrastructure) | Watch this space! |
| Furniture Polisher/Finisher | $20,000 - $35,000 |
| Furniture Upholsterer | $18,000 - $40,000 |
| G | back to list |
| Gasfitter | $45,000 - $55,000 |
| Glazier | $12-20 per hour |
| Graphic Artist | $30,000 - $70,000 |
| H | back to list |
| Hatchery Manager | Watch this space! |
| Heavy Vehicle Driver | $10.25-22 per hour |
| Herd Manager | Watch this space! |
| Hospitality Supervisor | $50,000 - $100,000 |
| Hydrographic Engineer | $35,000 - $100,000 |
| Hydrographic Technician | Watch this space! |
| I | back to list |
| Instrument Control Technician | $50,000 - $70,000 |
| Instrumentation Engineer | $35,000 - $100,000 |
| IT Specialist | $65,000 - $120,000 |
| J | back to list |
| Jockey | $ variable depending on employer |
| L | back to list |
| Land Surveyor | $50,000 - $74,000 |
| Land Surveyor’s Technician | $35,000 - $55,000 |
| Licensed Cadastral Surveyor | $50,000 - $74,000 |
| Line Mechanic/Linesperson | $19,000 - $32,000 |
| M | back to list |
| Marine cabinet Maker | $24,000 - $40,000 |
| Marine Designer | $30,000 - $70,000 |
| Marine Engineer | $45,000 - $55,000 |
| Marine Laminator | $25,000 - $40,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technician | Watch this space! |
| Medical Doctors (excl 1 st year residents) | $65,000+ (depending on experience) |
| Medical Physicist | $60,000 - $100,000 |
| Medical Photographer | Watch this space! |
| Microbiologist | $30,000 - $70,000 |
| Montessori teacher | $25,000 - $35,000 |
| O | back to list |
| Optometrist | $30,000 - $80,000 |
| Orchard Foreman | Watch this space! |
| Osteopath | $40,000 - $100,000 |
| P | back to list |
| Panel Beater | $25,000 - $50,000 |
| Perfect Binder | Watch this space! |
| Pharmacy technician (Hospital) | $25,000 - $42,000 |
| Pig Farm manager | Watch this space! |
| Plastics Engineer | $15-25 per hour |
| Plastics die Setter | $13 - $18 per hour |
| Plastics technician | $30,000 - $50,000 |
| Post-Doctoral Fellows | Watch this space! |
| Power Systems (Electrical) Engineer | $35,000 - $100,000 |
| Print Finisher | $25,000 - $50,000 |
| Q | back to list |
| Quantity Surveyor | $25,000 - $70,000 |
| R | back to list |
| Radio Frequency technician | $28,000 - $55,000 |
| Refrigeration Mechanic | $17 – 26 per hour |
| Roading Machine Operator | $10.25 – 18 per hour |
| Roofing Supervisor | $35,000 – $45,000 |
| Roofing tradesperson | $17,000 – $40,000 |
| S | back to list |
| Scaffolder | $10.25 – 17 per hour |
| Screen Printer | $10.25 – 30 per hour |
| Senior Policy Analyst | Watch this space! |
| Senior Shepherd | Watch this space! |
| Senior Stockperson (pork industry) | Watch this space! |
| Sewing machine technician | $20,000 - $25,000 |
| Sheet-fed Offset printer | $20,000 - $80,000 |
| Sheet metal worker | $10.25 – $25 per hour |
| Shepherd | Watch this space! |
| Shearer | $110 per 100 sheep |
| Sheep Scanner (seasonal) | Watch this space! |
| Ski and Snowboard Instructors (seasonal) | $17-$27 per hour |
| Ski and Snowboard Technicians (seasonal) | $17-$27 per hour |
| Skydive Instructor | Watch this space! |
| Skydive Tandem master | Watch this space! |
| Sommelier | Watch this space! |
| Specialist-Petroleum Industry | $30,000 - $100,000 |
| Stallion Master | Watch this space! |
| Stitcher Operator | $25,000 - $50,000 |
| Stud Groom (Seasonal) | $230-$350 per week |
| Stock/Herd Manager (Pork industry) | Watch this space! |
| T | back to list |
| Telecommunication Engineer/Technician | $55 - $120,000 |
| Trackwork Rider | Watch this space! |
| Traffic Planner | $33,000 - $70,000 |
| Travel Consultant – Senior | $35,000 - $70,000 |
| Turkey Breeder Farm manager | Watch this space! |
| Turkey Farm manager | Watch this space! |
| W | back to list |
| Web-offset Printer | $35,000 - $70,000 |
| Winemaker (Viticulturist) | $40,000 - $100,000 |
| Y | back to list |
| Yacht Rigger | Watch this space! |
* Salary infomation from Kiwi Careers website, Hays 2006 Salary Survey