November 2023
The current annual base salary of a New Zealand back-bench member of parliament is $163,961.
Members of the government executive;
Prime Minister $471,049
Deputy Prime Minister $334,734
A Minister of the Crown who is a member of Cabinet $296,007
A Minister of the Crown who is not a member of Cabinet $249,839
Each other member of the Executive Council $217,676
Each Parliamentary Under-Secretary $194,374
Officers of the House of Representatives;
Speaker of the House of Representatives $296,007
Deputy Speaker $209,471
Each Assistant Speaker $179,713
Leader of the Opposition $296,007
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By way of comparison, the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is paid £164,951 (NZ$349,464).
The US President Joe Biden is paid US$400,000 (NZ$670,000).
The Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is paid A$587,000 ($NZ$637,522).
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Some of the pay levels for parliamentary staff;
Business support positions begin at $61,000
Political advisory positions begin at $81,000
Media and Communications roles begin at $82,000
Leadership roles begin at $107,000
A Chief Press Secretary ranges between $170,000 & $230,000
A Chief Policy Advisor ranges between $145,719 & $195,738
A Deputy Chief of Staff ranges between $133,315 & $178,956
The Director of Communications ranges between $112,555 & $150,868
A Level 1 Press Secretary ranges between $82,000 & $110,000
A Level 2 Press Secretary ranges between $97,000 & $130,000
A Senior Press Secretary ranges between $140,250 & $190,000
A Level 2 Ministerial Adviser ranges between $96,000 & $129,000
A Senior Ministerial Adviser ranges between $109,600 & $146,900
An Executive Assistant in pay-band B earns between $65,600 & $86,000
A Communications or Research Adviser in pay-band C earns between $70,000 & $92,750
Senior Advisers earn between $78,750 & $103,500
An example of some of the crazy New Zealand Public Service pay levels; Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand is a new public health department established by the previous Labour Government on 1 July 2022 to replace the country’s existing twenty district health boards. Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand is intended to manage the New Zealand health system. It is also charged with working in partnership with Te Aka Whai Ora – the Maori Health Authority and which was created on the same date. Twenty seven new roles have been advertised and each will pay $200,000 or more per year.