You just got your New Zealand Working Holiday Visa. Now what? You may be feeling stressed about finding a job, but let me reassure you, there are plenty! However, you should consider what kind of lifestyle you want to lead for the next few months to a year. Let me help shed some light on these New Zealand Working Holiday Visa jobs, so you can find the perfect fit!
I will break down these jobs into two distinctive categories:
City Life vs. Rural Backpacking
Other Useful New Zealand Working Holiday Guides:
➣ Your Ultimate Guide to New Zealand Working Holiday Application
➣ First Month Budget Breakdown on New Zealand Working Holiday
➣ How to Prepare for Working in New Zealand
➣ 30 Essential Resources For Your New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
➣ Before I break down the jobs for you, make sure you set up TransferWise to get your hard-earned New Zealand money in your own bank account without a ridiculously amount of fees.
The reason for this is when you do a bank to bank transfer, the sending AND receiving banks take a chunk of fees. For example if I were to send money from my New Zealand bank account into my American Chase account, I would’ve incurred 15-30$ of fees, but with TransferWise, it was only 4.88$ It’s free to sign up and you can download the app onto your phone!
City Life and Jobs in New Zealand
What kind of jobs?
- Office Administration/Reception
- General Laborer/Construction
- Waiter/Kitchen Hand
- Hospitality/Housekeeping
- Telemarketer/Face to face marketing
- and more…
How much do they pay?
As of Sept, 2018, the New Zealand minimum wage is 16.5NZD an hour. If you’re living and working in a city such as Auckland or Wellington, the employers know the living costs are higher so the wages tend to be slightly higher. This is not always the case, there are plenty of minimum wage jobs in the city as well. Depending on the job and your experience, it could range anywhere from 16.5$/hour to 25$/hour.
How much can I save?
If this is your main objective for working in New Zealand, then city life may not be for you. Accommodation are much more expensive, there’s also the cost of transportation, not to mention the temptation of dining out. (and there are plenty of good cuisine and restaurants in the city) If you want to rent a room, you’re looking at anywhere from 250-350NZD a week in Auckland, and about 200- 280NZD a week in Wellington. (Slightly lower if you’re a solo traveler)
Who is it for?
I’ve recently discovered that I’m a city girl at heart. On top of that, I like the stability of having my own place for a longer period of time. (The irony of always being on the road and wanting permanence HA) If you’re also someone who works online, you may prefer to have steady Wifi in the city. Or perhaps you’re also not ready to purchase a car or begin the van life, starting in the city can be a good way to settle in.
➤ TIP: We tried looking for jobs in both Auckland and Wellington and found that Auckland is much more welcoming to backpackers and there are more job opportunities. Especially in the Admin and Construction categories.
➤ TIP: Even though most of these jobs require that you speak English, don’t be afraid to apply and try even if you’re not fluent. Especially in Auckland, where there seems to be a shortage of workers.
Interview on working in the city:
“I work with an independent contractor who sends me to various event centers to set up. I get to meet and work with locals and travelers. Living in Auckland is definitely costly, but you get to eat at great restaurants. I get paid 17$/hr and work 30-40 hours per week. There’s plenty of work and they’re always looking to hire more people. “ – K.L.P, France.
✐ Helpful Resources:
Backpacker Board Jobs in Auckland
READ: How to Prepare for Working in New Zealand
If you’re looking for travel insurance, I personally went with Orbit because they have an option specifically tailored for New Zealand Working Holiday. They also have very reasonable rates.
Rural Backpacking Lifestyle in New Zealand
What kind of jobs?
- Pruning
- Fruit Picking
- Dairy Farms
- Packhouse
- WOOFING (unpaid, work in exchange for accommodation)
- Hospitality/Tourism
- And more…
How much do they pay?
This part’s a bit tricky when it comes to rural seasonal jobs. For example, when I worked in a vineyard doing pruning work, the job was on a contract basis. This means we get paid per plant. Similarly if you are picking fruit, you may be paid per fruit or basket. If you work fast you have the opportunity to earn higher wages. If you work slow, you will have an unhappy employer who is going to have to “top up” your wages to meet the minimum requirements by law. Your work hours will likely be more inconsistent depending on weather conditions if you’re working outdoors. In the end, you are looking at making anywhere from 16.5$/hr to 30$/hr or more if you’re fast.
How much can I save?
More than living in the city that’s for sure. I was able to save almost 2000$ after a month and a half of living and working in the middle of no where. Why? Because the accommodation provided by the employer was way cheaper than renting an apartment in the city. Also there isn’t much to do and you have way less places to waste your money on. *You can save even more if you opt to live in your van, most employers will charge a small price for parking on their property. (30-75NZD per week.)
Who is it for?
You beautiful free spirited wanderers who’s willing to always be on the go. I met so many amazing fellow travelers from all over the world. However, I was not a huge fan of sharing a tiny accommodation with 15 other backpackers. The reality is, it can get quite noisy and there isn’t always hot water or privacy. It is great if you have a van or car, on your days off there’s time to explore the beautiful country sides of New Zealand. *Most of the farming/rural jobs are seasonal, so you will be moving from place to place every couple to a few months.
➤ TIP: It’s essential to have a car if you plan on working in rural jobs. Even though New Zealand has pretty decent public transportation country wide, it’s difficult to get to farms and orchards. If you don’t have a car, you’re stuck in the middle of no where on your days off and getting groceries might be an issue too.
➤ TIP: Always keep track of your hours and completed work. There are shady employers that may try to take advantage of foreign travelers, and it’s also harder to keep track of contract work with so many people coming and going. Always ask for your pay slips.
Interviews on working rural jobs:
“After picking raspberries I helped in the pack house where we sort the raspberries for the supermarkets. The work in general is not physical, just sometimes really hot. We start working at 7:30am till 4pm in winter time, in summer we can work longer. Our orchard has no accommodation for the workers, you have to look on your own. I highly recommend this area(Whangarei) and working in the raspberry orchards.” – Gloria, Germany
“I met a lot of people from everywhere. What I hate about working in a kiwi pack house(in Opotiki) was that we do the same thing everyday and it’s boring. You’re inside all day and its mentally tiring. The only reward is when you get paid. Stable working hours but no freedom. I don’t recommend staying in the same place for too long.” – Trinity, Malaysia
“We did contract work picking kiwi in Tauranga and Te Puke. You work in teams of 10-15 people so if you’re fast you can earn a lot of money. You wear a bag in front of your body, it can get quite heavy, around 20kg. Picking season is from April until end of June. The work is very weather dependent. Sometimes we made 30$ an hour and other days we couldn’t work due to rainy weather.” – Alice, Czech Republic
✐ Helpful Resources:
NZ Working Holiday FB group >> For cars, jobs, and accommodation
FB group for NZ Working Holiday questions and inquiries
READ: First Month Budget Breakdown on New Zealand Working Holiday
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Another super informative post, Dia! I’m sure the kind of job you have can make or break your working holiday experience, so it pays to put in a little time to think about what you want to get out of it!
Cheer,
Alex | Backpacking Brunette
Thanks for reading Alex! After trying out both rural and city I’ve finally realized I’m truly a city girl at heart. Countryside holidays? sign me up. But please let me live my daily life in a big bustling city haha