General Practitioners still have the healthiest salaries in NZ

The mid-year health check of average annual advertised salaries on SEEK has revealed that General Practitioners [GPs] remain the top earners across New Zealand.

The national average advertised annual salary on SEEK for GPs was $138,000 [1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017]. At a regional level, the average advertised salary for GPs varied:

REGION AVERAGE ADVERTISED ANNUAL SALARY
[1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017]
Auckland $122,138
Canterbury $141,944
Wellington $127,307

Janet Faulding, General Manager SEEK NZ, said supply and demand is helping fuel GP salaries. It's been well reported that there is a chronic shortage of GPs across New Zealand, and this shortage is expected to continue as the ‘baby boomer' doctors retire.

“We predict GPs' salaries will remain strong so long as there is a shortage in the market of their skills. New Zealand's aging and growing population is putting further pressure on demand for the services of GPs,” revealed Faulding.

“Healthcare & Medical specialist recruiters have said they are starting to see a small increase of candidates from Australia and further afield, who can easily gain registration with their industry governing body, which will hopefully help ease the shortage.

“The regions that offered the most GP job opportunities on SEEK over the past 12 months [1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017] were Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Hawkes Bay and Canterbury,” Faulding continued.

NATIONAL AVERAGE SALARY & GROWTH

“At a national level, we are seeing a continuing upward trend of average advertised salaries on SEEK, which has been occurring since mid-2015,” said Faulding.

“The average annual salary of job ads listed on SEEK across New Zealand from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 was $75,790. This was an increase of 1.1% when compared to the same period 12 months earlier.

“This uplift in the national average salary on SEEK is welcoming news because cost of living is on the rise, and buying into the property market is getting harder as demand and competition increases as our population grows.

“Real time statistics from realestate.co.nz show that the national average property asking price in July was $626,413 [down 0.3% month on month],” Faulding said.

REGIONAL AVERAGE SALARY

The highest paying regions across New Zealand on SEEK from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 were:

REGION AVERAGE ADVERTISED ANNUAL SALARY
[1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017]
Wellington $82,407
Auckland $76,697
Taranaki $74,293
Canterbury $74,050

SALARY GROWTH

At a regional level, the rate of salary growth varied from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017.

“In Wellington, the average advertised annual salary on SEEK rose [up 2.3% y/y], and continues to broadly trend upwards in Auckland [up 0.9% y/y] and Canterbury [up 1.7% y/y],” said Faulding.

“Otago and Taranaki have experienced the sharpest trend increases in annual advertised salaries [up 3.4 % and 3% y/y respectively]. Increases were also enjoyed in Tasman [up 2% y/y] and Waikato [up 1.2% y/y], and small increases were seen in Northland [up 0.8% y/y] and Bay of Plenty [up 0.2% y/y].

“While average advertised salary trends on SEEK have declined in Gisborne [down 4.7% y/y], Marlborough [down 4% y/y], West Coast [down 3.4 % y/y] and Southland [down 3.1% y/y].

“In Hawkes Bay and Manawatu salaries dipped marginally [down 0.8% y/y and 0.7% y/y respectively],” Faulding said.

SALARY & PROPERTY ASKING PRICES

Property asking prices on realestate.co.nz, like salary on SEEK, differed at a regional level.

“Auckland, our largest labour market, commanded the highest average property asking price in the country this July [$942,999, up 4.9% (1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 v 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016], but the average salary growth was not as high [$76,697, up 0.9% y/y said Faulding. (1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 v 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016)],”

“In the regions close to Auckland, the average salaries are on the rise and property asking prices are more affordable than Auckland. This is good news for people looking to move out of the Auckland because it's too expensive.

“In Waikato, the average property asking price this July was $544,717 [up 14.4% (1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 v 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016)] and the average salary on SEEK for the region from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 was $70,604 [up 1.2% y/y].

“In the Bay of Plenty, property asking prices on realestate.co.nz have also increased but they're still considerably cheaper than Auckland, with an average asking price of $609,029 [up 15.5% (1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 v 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016, while the salary from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 was $69,927 up 0.2% y/y,” concluded Faulding.

Regional average advertised annual salary and % growth on SEEK and average advertised property prices and % growth on realestate.co.nz:

LOCATION AVERAGE SALARY [1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016] AVERAGE SALARY[1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017] AVERAGE SALARY % GROWTH [1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 v 1 July 2015 to30 June 2016] AVERAGE PROPERTY PRICE [July 2017 v July 2016 AVERAGE PROPERTY PRICE % GROWTH July 2017 v July 2016
Otago $66,161 $68,409 3.4% $351,729 Up 7.9%
Taranaki $72,109 $74,293 3.0% $394,444 Up 9.0%
Wellington $80,590 $82,407 2.3% $567,669 Up 8.3%
Tasman* $66,441 $67,793 2.0% $583,283 Up 13.3%
Canterbury $72,834 $74,050 1.7% $472,199 Up 2.0%
Waikato $69,786 $70,604 1.2% $544,717 Up 14.4%
Auckland $75,984 $76,697 0.9% $942,999 Up 4.9%
Northland $66,327 $66,879 0.8% $557,564 Up 16.2%
Bay of Plenty $69,758 $69,927 0.2% $609,029 Up 5.5%
Manawatu $66,379 $65,887 -0.7% $314,070 Up 8.3%
Hawkes Bay $66,050 $65,508 -0.8% $473,094 Up 28.1 %
Southland $68,629 $66,522 -3.1% $293,467 Up 17.4%
West Coast $70,004 $67,653 -3.4% $284,093 Up 5.2%
Marlborough $66,239 $63,586 -4.0% $485,460 Down 3.7%
Gisborne $69,578 $66,320 -4.7% $357,841 Up 28.6%

*Referred to as Nelson Bays in realestate.co.nz data