NZ minimum wage compliance checker
Are you (or your team) being paid at or above the legal minimum? Enter what you earn, your hours, and the wage rate that applies — we'll do the maths against the 1 April 2025 rates.
Workers aged 16 years or over who are not on starting-out or training rates.
You're being paid $0.00 /hour above the adult minimum rate of $23.50/hr.
The Living Wage is set by the Living Wage Movement Aotearoa New Zealand to reflect what's needed for a basic decent life — it's a recommendation, not a legal requirement. Many councils, universities and a growing list of private employers are accredited Living Wage employers.
This tool only checks the headline hourly rate. It doesn't include things like deductions for accommodation (which have specific limits under the Minimum Wage Act), salaried roles where the salary divided by actual hours can fall below minimum, or "averaging" rules that don't exist in NZ law.
Common minimum wage mistakes.
1. Salary doesn't get you a free pass. If you're on a "salary" but your actual hours push your effective hourly rate below $23.50/hr, your employer is in breach of the Minimum Wage Act 1983. The "averaging" excuse is not legal in NZ.
2. Starting-out and training rates have strict conditions. An employer can only pay $18.80/hr if you fit specific criteria (broadly: 16-19 in your first 6 months with a new employer, or 20+ doing 60+ credits of recognised training). Outside those rules, the adult rate of $23.50/hr applies.
3. Travel time, training time and on-call time can count. Many workers don't realise that compulsory training, certain on-call hours, and travel between jobsites within the workday all count as "hours worked" — and must be paid at minimum wage or above.