Adult minimum wage
$23.95/hr · $958.00/wk · $49,816.00/yr FT
Employees aged 16 or over who are not starting-out workers or trainees
Effective 1 April 2026
Updated 2026-08-24 · 2026 rates
Minimum Wage New Zealand 2026
Current adult, starting-out, and training minimum wage rates with Employment NZ sources, full-time pay examples, and KiwiSaver notes. Statutory types under the Minimum Wage Act 1983 — no minimum wage under 16.
Compare types side by side
See who has the higher floor — and why — for corridors like adult vs starting-out.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
$23.95Adult minimum wage
$19.16Starting-out
$19.16Training
80%Starting / training of adult
Spotlight rates — all three types
Full-time (40 hrs/week) gross at each 2026 statutory type. Open a type page for eligibility and hour examples.
Starting-out minimum wage
$19.16/hr · $766.40/wk · $39,852.80/yr FT
Employees under 20 in specific starting-out situations (for example 16–17 year olds in their first 6 months with an employer, or 16–19 year olds required to complete at least 40 industry training credits a year)
Effective 1 April 2026
Training minimum wage
$19.16/hr · $766.40/wk · $39,852.80/yr FT
Employees aged 20 or over whose employment agreement requires at least 60 credits a year of an industry training programme to become qualified (often apprentices)
Effective 1 April 2026
Adult vs starting-out & training
The adult minimum wage is $23.95/hour for employees aged 16+ who are not starting-out workers or trainees (effective 1 April 2026). Starting-out and training are both $19.16/hour — 80% of adult — with different eligibility.
KiwiSaver employer contributions must be paid on top of at least the minimum wage — they cannot be counted toward the minimum wage rate. Anyone who supervises or trains other workers as part of their role must be paid at least the adult rate.
Minimum wage by type
All three statutory types ranked by hourly rate. Full-time weekly and annual columns use the official 40-hour weekly figure × 52 weeks.
| # | Type | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adult minimum wageEmployees aged 16 or over who are not starting-out workers or trainees | $23.95 |
| 2 | Starting-out minimum wageEmployees under 20 in specific starting-out situations (for example 16–17 year olds in their first 6 months with an employer, or 16–19 year olds required to complete at least 40 industry training credits a year) | $19.16 |
| 3 | Training minimum wageEmployees aged 20 or over whose employment agreement requires at least 60 credits a year of an industry training programme to become qualified (often apprentices) | $19.16 |
Browse by type
Eligibility, pay examples, and FAQs on each page.
How this tracker works
1. Browse rates
Use the ranking table for 2026 statutory floors — refreshed when Employment NZ publishes new rates.
2. Open a type page
Eligibility, 20/30/40-hour pay examples, adult context, and FAQs for that type.
3. Model take-home
Convert hourly to annual with the hourly calculator, then estimate net with the New Zealand tax calculator.
Not legal advice — verify on Employment New Zealand before payroll changes. There are 3 statutory types on this tracker.
Frequently asked questions
The adult minimum wage is $23.95/hour, or $958.00 for a 40-hour week, effective 1 April 2026. Over a year at 40 hours/week that is about $49,816.00 gross before PAYE. It applies to employees aged 16+ who are not starting-out workers or trainees.
Adult minimum wage leads at $23.95/hour. At full-time (40 hrs/week), that is about $49,816.00/year before tax.
Starting-out and training rates are both $19.16/hour ($766.40 per 40-hour week) — 80% of the adult rate. Eligibility differs: starting-out is for under-20 workers in specific situations; training is for employees aged 20+ in approved industry training. Open each type page for details.
No statutory minimum wage applies to employees under 16 in New Zealand, though other employment rights (such as holidays) still apply. From age 16, at least the starting-out or adult minimum wage applies depending on the situation.
No. KiwiSaver employer contributions must be paid on top of at least the minimum wage — they cannot be counted toward meeting the minimum wage rate.
Anyone who supervises or trains other workers as part of their role must be paid at least the adult minimum wage, even if they would otherwise qualify for starting-out or training rates.
Rates are reviewed each year and usually update on 1 April. This tracker lists in-effect rates from Employment New Zealand. Always verify on Employment NZ before changing payroll.
Use our hourly salary calculator to estimate annual gross, then the New Zealand tax calculator for PAYE, ACC, and KiwiSaver. Gross at the legal floor is not the same as net pay.
Open our Australia, UK, or Canada minimum wage trackers, then return here for NZ adult, starting-out, and training types. Currency and tax systems differ — compare floors carefully.
More ways to use these rates
- Minimum Wage Comparisons (NZ) — Type vs type — who has the higher floor and why.
- New Zealand Tax Calculator — Estimate take-home from minimum wage after PAYE, ACC, and KiwiSaver.
- KiwiSaver Calculator New Zealand — Employee, employer, and government contributions.
- GST Calculator New Zealand — Add or remove 15% GST.
- Hourly Salary Calculator — Convert NZ$/hr to weekly, monthly, and annual pay.
- Highest Paying Jobs New Zealand — Stats NZ occupation medians ranked for NZ.
- US Minimum Wage by State — Sibling tracker for US federal and state floors.
- Minimum Wage Australia — Adult NMW, casual, and junior bands.
- Minimum Wage UK — NLW and age-band NMW rates.
- Minimum Wage Canada — Provincial and territorial CAD floors.
Related calculators
Minimum Wage New Zealand Compare
Type vs type — who pays more
Minimum Wage by State
US federal & state floors
Minimum Wage Australia
NMW, casual & junior bands
Minimum Wage UK
NLW & age-band NMW rates
Minimum Wage Canada
Provincial & territorial rates
Minimum Wage Ireland
Adult NMW & age-band rates
Hourly to Salary Calculator
Convert wage to annual pay
New Zealand Tax Calculator
Take-home after PAYE, ACC & KiwiSaver