A single number quietly drives a large part of New Zealand’s immigration system: the median wage. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) uses it as a threshold for work visas and as the basis for several residence and sponsorship requirements. This is a general explainer — not personalised immigration advice.
The current figure
As at the figures published by Immigration New Zealand (immigration.govt.nz, February 2026), the 2025 median wage is NZD $35.00 per hour. Many requirements are expressed as multiples of this figure, so when it changes, a lot moves with it.
You can compare any pay rate against the median wage and the points figures below using our median wage calculator.
Where the median wage shows up
Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)
For most Accredited Employer Work Visa roles, the pay rate is checked against the median wage. Some roles must be paid at or above it, while sector agreements and specific occupation settings can vary — the current rules are on immigration.govt.nz.
Skilled Migrant Category income points
Under the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) points-based pathway, income points are multiples of the median wage:
- 3 points — at least 1.5× the median wage (currently NZD $52.50 per hour)
- 4 points — at least 2× the median wage (currently NZD $70.00 per hour)
- 6 points — at least 3× the median wage (currently NZD $105.00 per hour)
See the full breakdown on our SMC Points Reference. Note that the SMC points system and its wage-threshold rules are also changing from 24 August 2026.
Parent Resident Visa sponsor income
The income a sponsoring child needs to support a Parent Resident Visa is also based on the median wage (1.5× for a single sponsor of one parent, increasing for joint sponsors and additional parents). These thresholds are reviewed regularly — for example, they increase from 30 April 2026 in line with the June 2025 median wage. More detail is on our Parent Visas guide.
Why the figure keeps changing
INZ updates the median wage periodically, so the dollar values attached to each threshold move over time. Any pay rate or income requirement should always be checked against the figure that applies on the relevant date.
Sources: Immigration New Zealand, immigration.govt.nz — “Pay rates for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa”, “Parent Resident Visa sponsor income requirements” and “2026 changes to the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa”, as at February 2026.
To understand how a specific pay rate or sponsorship situation applies to you, request a review with our licensed adviser.