Adult minimum wagevsStarting-out minimum wage
Adult minimum wage +$4.79/hr· ~$9,963.20/yr FT
$23.95 vs $19.16
6 pair pages · Adult $23.95
Minimum Wage New Zealand Comparison 2026
Compare any two New Zealand minimum wage types for 2026. See who has the higher floor, hourly and full-time annual gaps, and eligibility — adult, starting-out, and training.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
$4.79
Largest featured gap
3
Featured corridors
6
Pair URLs
$23.95
Adult (16+)
Compare any two types
Opens a dedicated page with scoreboard, hours ladder, and FAQ.
vs
Minimum wage by type
All three statutory types ranked by hourly rate, plus the KiwiSaver note. Use the picker above to open any pair comparison.
| # | 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 |
Featured comparisons
High-intent corridors ranked by hourly gap. Open either direction for the full scoreboard.
What this New Zealand minimum wage comparison covers
Each type vs type page lines up the same legal floor metric for 2026: the statutory hourly rate, full-time annual gross at 40 hours/week, and eligibility. The winner is the higher statutory floor for workers—not average wages or take-home pay.
Statutory floor
The legal hourly minimum under New Zealand’s Minimum Wage Act 1983 types.
FT annual gap
Difference in official 40-hour weekly figures × 52 — gross before PAYE.
Adult minimum wage
Employees aged 16+ (not starting-out or training) get $23.95/hr — the highest type.
80% types
Starting-out and training are $19.16/hr — 80% of the adult rate, with different eligibility.
Wage types
Adult, starting-out, and training work together
The adult minimum wage is the main floor for ages 16+. Starting-out and training rates are set at 80% of adult for specific eligibility situations. There is no minimum wage under 16. KiwiSaver employer contributions sit on top of the minimum wage — they do not count toward it.
Adult
$23.95/hour — highest statutory floor for ages 16+.
Starting-out
$19.16/hour — under-20 workers in specific starting-out situations.
Training
$19.16/hour — ages 20+ in approved industry training (often apprentices).
How to choose a type pair
Start with adult vs starting-out (largest gap), adult vs training, or starting-out vs training (same rate, different eligibility). Use the picker for any other combination.
Before you change payroll
- Confirm eligibility on Employment New Zealand guidance.
- Verify the in-effect rates on Employment NZ minimum wage pages.
- Model take-home with the New Zealand tax and hourly calculators — floors are gross, not net.
Related hubs
Not legal advice
Rates are for educational reference from published Employment New Zealand sources. Always confirm with Employment NZ before changing payroll.
Frequently asked questions
Each pair compares statutory types from our 2026 tracker: hourly rates, full-time annual gross at 40 hours, and eligibility. The “winner” is the type with the higher statutory rate. Take-home after tax is separate — use our hourly and New Zealand tax calculators.
Adult minimum wage vs Starting-out minimum wage shows a $4.79/hour gap (Adult minimum wage higher), or about $9,963.20 more gross per year at 40 hrs/week. Open any pair for the hours ladder and FAQ.
Yes. Use the picker on this page or go to /minimum-wage-new-zealand/compare/{type-a}-vs-{type-b} (for example adult-vs-starting-out). Featured corridors are highlighted below; every valid pair resolves the same way with scoreboard, hours ladder, and FAQ.
Not necessarily. Gross floors differ, but PAYE, ACC, and KiwiSaver affect net pay. Our scoreboard is about the legal wage floor; model net pay with the tax tools.
The adult minimum wage is $23.95/hour — the highest statutory NZ type for employees aged 16+ who are not starting-out workers or trainees.
People search both ways. Each URL is a full comparison with the same data; the scoreboard still labels the higher-wage type. Related links include the reverse matchup and each type page.
We use each type’s official 40-hour weekly figure × 52 weeks, then take the difference. That is gross income at the statutory floor before overtime, tips, taxes, or unpaid time off.
Open the main New Zealand minimum wage table for adult, starting-out, and training rates, then return here to compare any two floors head-to-head.
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