NATIONAL ADVERTISED SALARY TRENDS
Advertised salary growth was 0.7% q/q in May, easing from 0.9% q/q in February.
Annual advertised salary growth edged up to 3.1% y/y, its fastest pace since late 2024.
REGIONAL ADVERTISED SALARY TRENDS
Canterbury led all regions, recording the fastest annual growth at 4.4% y/y and the strongest quarterly growth at 1.2% q/q.
Quarterly advertised salary growth remained positive across all regions. Auckland and Wellington recorded the slowest annual growth over the past year, at 2.2% y/y.
INDUSTRY ADVERTISED SALARY TRENDS
Advertising, Arts & Media recorded the fastest annual advertised salary growth at 10.7% y/y, followed by Real Estate & Property at 8.9% y/y.
Most industries recorded positive annual salary growth. The two exceptions were Mining, Resources & Energy (-3.7% y/y) and Science & Technology (-0.9% y/y).
SEEK Country Manager, Rob Clark says:
“Quarterly advertised salary growth eased a little in May, but annual growth edged higher and is now running at its fastest pace since late 2024.”
“Canterbury remains the clear regional standout, with the strongest quarterly and annual growth. The Rest of the North and Rest of the South also posted solid gains, while Auckland and Wellington continued to lag.”
“Advertised salary growth across industries has been mixed. Advertising, Arts & Media and Real Estate & Property remain the standouts, while Mining, Resources & Energy and Science & Technology are still the weakest performers on an annual basis.”
National Advertised Salary Trends
Advertised salaries rose 0.7% q/q in the three months to May, easing from 0.9% q/q in February but remaining above the 0.5% q/q pace recorded a year earlier.
Note: trend. Source: SEEK.
Annual advertised salary growth reached 3.1% y/y in May, its highest rate since late 2024, driven by a run of stronger quarterly results since late 2025.
Figure 2: Year-on-year growth of SEEK Advertised Salary Index
Regional Advertised Salary Trends
Canterbury led all regions in the three months to May, recording both the strongest quarterly growth (1.2% q/q) and the highest annual advertised salary growth (4.4% y/y). The Rest of the South (1.0% q/q) and Rest of the North (0.9% q/q) also posted solid quarterly gains.
Auckland and Wellington continued to trail the rest of the country. Both regions recorded the slowest annual advertised salary growth over the year (2.2% y/y), and notably slower quarterly growth.
The Rest of the South Island has regained momentum in recent quarters and is now recording much faster annual advertised salary growth than both Auckland and Wellington.
Industry Advertised Salary Trends
Advertising, Arts & Media recorded the fastest annual advertised salary growth of any industry over the year to May (10.7% y/y). Real Estate & Property was not far behind (8.9% y/y) and recorded the strongest quarterly advertised salary growth (2.0% q/q).
Banking & Financial Services also stood out, with annual advertised salary growth lifting to 6.2% y/y after a solid quarter (1.5% q/q). Insurance & Superannuation posted an equally strong quarterly advertised salary gain (1.5% q/q), pushing annual advertised salary growth to 4.0% y/y.
Mining, Resources & Energy remained the weakest industry for advertised salary growth on an annual basis (-3.7% y/y). The pace of decline eased over the quarter, with advertised salaries edging up 0.3% q/q. This is despite notable growth in job ads, though as this remains a relatively small category in New Zealand, ad volumes can appear large even when the increase in underlying demand is modest.
Advertised salaries in Science & Technology also remain under pressure. Despite a strong quarterly rebound (1.7% q/q), annual advertised salary growth remained negative (-0.9% y/y), indicating the industry is still recovering from earlier weakness.
