Who Earns what? The Best Careers in New Zealand
Are you stuck looking for a job that you will enjoy, but will also pay the bills? Look no further, below is a list of handsomely paying jobs, organised by industry, one of which is sure to tickle your fancy.
Highest Paying: Creative Industry
Graphic Designer
Graphic Designers work with clients and colleagues to create the best graphic design possible for the client’s needs. The creative process can include using a vast variety of art materials and mediums, as well as implementing various knowledge of art principles. This knowledge is usually collected through 1-3 years of university or some other form of higher education, though some graphic designers do not complete a tertiary level of schooling.
Salary
Work Conditions: Graphic designers usually work in offices or studios, but it is also very possible to work from home. Most complete regular work hours, but extending hours to meet deadlines may be necessary.
Graphic designers are employed by
Knowledge required:
English Language
Computers and electronics
Fine Art
Design
Communications and media
Animator / Digital Artist
Animators and Digital artists are employed by nearly every industry to create works that will be on display in print, film, web or television. Digital artists will use software manipulation and drawing tablets to create works of art, while animators piece together various artworks to create a moving image.
Average Pay
2D Animators and Digital Artists
3D Animators earn
“I love animation – starting off with a character and getting him doing something, bringing him to life. When I’m working, time just disappears”Simon Dasam
Entry Requirments
Knowledge Required
English Language
Education and Training
Medicine and Dentistry
Therapy and Counseling
Psychology
Industrial Designer
Industrial designers are some of the most flexible people on earth. You will need to balance different projects, your clients’ needs, your needs and capabilities, deadlines and budgets all at once. However, for someone with a fast thinking, creative mind, all this should be exhilarating, not tiring. A regular day of work will involve listening to clients, sketching product designs that fit their needs, going over the models with the client, working out the logistics and making the product.
“I have always loved the conceptual phase of doing a sketch on a piece of paper that captures some vision, and then months later seeing that physically translated into a 3D object or product someone could purchase. To me, the poetry in that is just fascinating. When I started the design programme, I just became more passionate about it.”Graham Brewster, Industrial Designer
Salary
Knowledge Required
Mechanical
Computers and Electronics
Production and Processing
Engineering and Technology
Design
Highest Paying: Social and Community Services
Health Services Manager
As a health service manager, you will run the day to day operations of a hospital, clinic, or some other sort of health organisation. Such tasks handled are reviewing budgets, working with staff, making sure all government requirements are accounted for, etc.
“I look after the relationships our organization has with an array of Māori health providers, including mental health, nursing, and health promotion services. The aim is that they have enough trust in me that we can talk about business issues… There are challenges in trying to get different groups of people working together, but it’s rewarding to know that I’m adding value to people’s lives by working towards a health system that is set up in such a way that it can best meet the needs of the people.”Matiu Julian
How to become a health service manager:
A Degree
Usually, to become a health service manager you will need a post-graduate degree in an area of health management
Best secondary school subjects
If you are a younger reader and are looking to choose subjects that will fit your further career, then taking English, accounting and economics will be perfect for a future career as a health service manager
Prior experience
A history in nursing or health work/ managing will certainly help you appear as a well qualified to possible employers, even if you don’t have a degree
Salary
Knowledge Required
Personnel and Human Resources
Clerical
Customer and Personal Service
English Language
Administration and Management
Occupational Therapist
As an occupational therapist, you will work with people of all different levels of ability, to help them function better throughout their daily lives. An average day involves assessing what they need help with, working on a therapy program for them, helping them through the program, and evaluating them throughout the process.
Salary
“I love working in a helping profession. You’re looking at people’s quality of life and if they’re unwell and disabled it’s about you helping them get back to engaging in meaningful activities.”Christine King
Job Opportunities
The rise in elderly creating demand
Demand for medical and welfare professionals has grown with the rising population of the elderly. This is a reason why future job growth, according to joboutlook.gov, is classified as ‘very strong’.
Other possible jobs
If an occupation therapist wishes so, they could move onto a more specialized career in burn management, hearing, mental health addiction, geriatrics or pediatrics.
Competition
Demand for highly qualified occupational therapists is quite high, however, this can cause problems for starting therapists, making it hard for them to get a job, due to their entry level experience
Knowledge Required
Education and Training
English Language
Medicine and Dentistry
Therapy and Counseling
Psychology
Manufacturing and Technology
Air-Craft Maintenance Manager
Everything to do with making sure that aircraft’s function and perform safely and consistently, is taken care of by AirCraft Maintenance engineers. These particular tasks mean you have to have a vast collection of knowledge about the engineering and functioning of specific aircraft models, skills in physically working on aircraft components, and an at least basic understanding of aerodynamics.
Pay for civilian aircraft maintenance engineers
Pay for Royal NZ Airforce aircraft maintance engineers
Types of Employers
An aircraft engineer can progress to other jobs such as
Knowledge Required
Mathematics
Customer and Personal Service
Engineering and Technology
English Language
Mechanical
Electronics Engineer
Electronics engineers look over the production, and construction of different electrical machines and their components, such as microwaves, washing machines, and telecommunications. To do this efficiently, you will need to know specific areas in maths, physics and electronics, new and developing knowledge in the electronics industry, and at least basic design skills.
Salary
Requirments for the job
Tertiary Requirements
Usually, to become an electrical engineer, you will need a bachelor of engineering or bachelor of technology.
Secondary Requirments
In order to enter tertiary level for electrical engineering degrees, you will of needed to complete NCEA level 3. Though it is not a prerequisite, studying maths and physics in secondary school will also be very beneficial to your overall level of skill as an engineer.
Necessary personal qualities
Motivated, Creative, Adaptable, Patient, Committed
Useful past experience
Previous work with electronics, past profession involving maths or physics, experience working with computers on a professional and/or complicated level
Physical Requirments
Electrical engineers are required to have good hand-eye coordination and good eyesight that is natural or given through aids such as glasses or contacts.
Knowledge Required
Physics
Design
Mathematics
Computers and Electronics
Engineering and Technology
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