Apprentice wages in New Zealand (2026): what apprentices are paid
The lowest legal wage for an apprentice in New Zealand is $19.16 an hour — about $39,853 a year full time — under the training minimum wage (20 and over) or the starting-out minimum wage (16 to 19). If neither applies, the floor is the adult minimum wage of $23.95, a gap of $9,963 a year on a 40-hour week.
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How long did your apprenticeship take?
Put it on the record. Anonymous, about two minutes.
Add your timelineWhat is the minimum wage for an apprentice in New Zealand?
$19.16 an hour — the training minimum wage — if you are 20 or over and your employment agreement requires at least 60 credits a year of an industry training programme. Miss either condition and your employer owes you the adult minimum wage of $23.95 an hour instead. Both rates took effect on 1 April 2026.
| Rate | Per hour | 40-hour week | 80-hour fortnight | Year (2,080 hours) | Who it applies to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult minimum wage | $23.95 | $958.00 | $1,916.00 | $49,816 | Everyone 16 and over who is not on a starting-out or training rate. |
| Starting-out minimum wage | $19.16 | $766.40 | $1,532.80 | $39,853 | 16 to 19 year olds whose employment agreement requires at least 40 credits a year of industry training, plus some 16–17 and 18–19 year olds new to an employer (see below). |
| Training minimum wage | $19.16 | $766.40 | $1,532.80 | $39,853 | Workers 20 or over whose employment agreement requires at least 60 credits a year of an industry training programme. This is the rate that usually applies to apprentices. |
The training and starting-out rates are both fixed at 80% of the adult rate, so they move whenever the adult rate does. Yearly figures are the hourly rate × 2,080 hours, before tax and KiwiSaver.
What wage do apprentices under 20 get?
Apprentices aged 16 to 19 can be paid the starting-out minimum wage of $19.16 an hour, the same figure as the training wage, if their employment agreement requires at least 40 credits a year of industry training. Under 20 with no training requirement in the agreement, the starting-out rate only applies in narrower cases.
Employment New Zealand lists three situations where the starting-out wage applies:
- You are 16 to 19 and your employment agreement requires at least 40 credits a year of industry training in the work you do. This is the one that covers most young apprentices.
- You are 16 or 17 and have not yet worked 6 continuous months for your current employer. After 6 months with that employer, the adult rate applies.
- You are 18 or 19, have been on a specified benefit (such as Jobseeker Support or Youth Payment) for 6 months or more, and have not worked 6 continuous months for one employer since.
As with the training wage, the starting-out rate stops applying if your role includes supervising or training other workers. When you turn 20, the training wage (60 credits a year) takes over from the starting-out wage (40 credits a year), so check your agreement says which.
How much does an apprentice earn in a year in NZ?
At the legal minimum, $39,853 before tax for a 40-hour week all year, whether you are on the training or starting-out rate. Many employers pay more, and the law sets the same floor in year one as in year four, so any rise during the apprenticeship comes from your employment agreement, not from legislation.
Worked example. A 22-year-old carpentry apprentice on the training wage, 40 hours a week: $19.16 × 40 = $766.40 a week, or $39,853 a year. If their agreement did not write in the 60-credit requirement, the employer would owe $23.95 an hour instead: $49,816 a year, $9,963 more. If the employer claims Apprenticeship Boost, that is $500 a month towards their wage in year one; it does not change what the apprentice is owed. Changing career from a better-paid job? Adult apprenticeships works out the weekly drop.
When does the training minimum wage not apply?
When you are under 20, when the 60-credit requirement is not actually written into your employment agreement, or when you supervise or train other workers. In any of those cases the training rate is off the table and you must be paid at least the adult minimum wage of $23.95 an hour.
The training minimum wage is narrower than employers sometimes assume. You must be paid at least the adult minimum wage if any of these is true:
- You are under 20. Then you are on the starting-out or adult rate, depending on your situation (see the next section).
- Your employment agreement does not actually require 60 credits a year of an industry training programme. The requirement has to be in the agreement — an informal understanding is not enough.
- You supervise or train other workers. Employment New Zealand is explicit that the training rate stops applying the moment you do.
If you are being paid $19.16 and none of the conditions are met, you are being underpaid, and the shortfall is recoverable. Employment New Zealand runs a free service for exactly this.
What do the trades pay once you are qualified?
These are the ranges Tahatū Career Navigator publishes for each occupation — what the job pays, not what an apprentice earns while training. They are the reason the training years are worth sitting through. For a trade worked through from apprentice pay to registration, see electrical apprenticeships, carpentry apprenticeships and hairdressing apprenticeships.
| Trade | Starting out | Most common | Experienced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician | $50,000 | $66,000–$107,000 | $133,000 |
| Plumber | $50,000 | $56,000–$91,000 | $108,000 |
| Carpenter and builder | $50,000 | $52,000–$84,000 | $103,000 |
| Automotive technician and mechanic | $24/hr | $28–$41/hr | $50/hr |
| Welder | $50,000 | $62,000–$97,000 | $119,000 |
| Fitter and turner | $54,000 | $69,000–$113,000 | $146,000 |
| Refrigeration and air-conditioning technician | $24/hr | $29–$48/hr | $60/hr |
| Painter and decorator | $24/hr | $24–$36/hr | $45/hr |
| Chef | $24/hr | $25–$37/hr | $45/hr |
| Hairdresser and barber | $24/hr | $24–$33/hr | $43/hr |
| Roofer | $24/hr | $25–$40/hr | $52/hr |
| Drainlayer | $50,000 | $64,000–$98,000 | $120,000 |
| Diesel mechanic | $54,000 | $70,000–$113,000 | $136,000 |
What should you check in an apprenticeship agreement before you sign?
Five things, and the wage clause first: which floor it puts you on, and whether the 60-credit requirement is written in at all. After that, how pay rises are handled, how block courses are paid, who carries the cost of fees and tools, and whether Apprenticeship Boost has been claimed.
- Which wage floor your agreement puts you on, and whether the 60-credit requirement is actually written in.
- Whether there is a written pay-progression schedule, or whether rises are left to a future conversation.
- How block courses and off-job training are paid.
- Who pays your course fees and tool costs, and whether any of it is repayable if you leave early.
- Whether your employer is claiming Apprenticeship Boost — $500 a month towards your wages for your first year.
Common questions
What is the minimum wage for an apprentice in New Zealand?
$19.16 an hour, if you are 20 or over and your employment agreement requires you to do at least 60 credits a year of an industry training programme. That is the training minimum wage, set at 80% of the adult minimum wage. If you do not meet both conditions, you must be paid at least the adult minimum wage of $23.95 an hour.
What is the starting-out wage for apprentices in NZ?
$19.16 an hour from 1 April 2026, the same as the training wage. It applies to 16 to 19 year olds whose employment agreement requires at least 40 credits a year of industry training, to 16 and 17 year olds in their first 6 months with an employer, and to some 18 and 19 year olds coming off a benefit. It does not apply if you supervise or train other workers.
How much does an apprentice earn a year in NZ?
At least $39,853 before tax on the $19.16 training or starting-out minimum wage, for 40 hours a week all year. If neither of those rates applies, the floor is the $23.95 adult minimum wage, which is $49,816 a year. Many employers pay above the minimum.
Can an apprentice be paid less than the minimum wage?
No. The training minimum wage is a legal floor, not a discount an employer can apply at will. If you supervise or train other workers, the training rate does not apply to you at all and you must be paid at least the adult minimum wage.
Does apprentice pay go up each year?
Not automatically by law. The legal floor is the same in year one and year four. Pay rises during an apprenticeship come from your employment agreement or from renegotiating, which is why the pay-progression terms are worth reading before you sign.
Do apprentices get paid for block courses?
Yes, where your employer requires you to attend. Time spent at off-job training that your employer requires you to attend is work time. Check how your employment agreement treats block courses before you start — this is one of the most common points of confusion.
Wage rates and the training-wage conditions from Employment New Zealand — Minimum wage rates and types, checked 2026-11-01. Occupation pay ranges from Tahatū Career Navigator, checked 2026-09-18; each trade page links to the page its figures came from. Weekly figures are the hourly rate × 40, fortnightly × 80 and yearly × 2,080, before tax.