Salaries for roles regularly hired for are predominantly based on online salary guides (44%), industry benchmarking tools (40%), and recommendation from direct managers (39%).
Salaries for new roles not hired before are based on fixed salary scales (40%), recommendation from direct managers (39%), and guidance from HR/internal salary benchmarks (32%).
Auckland, 21 January 2026 – As job titles and responsibilities evolve, many New Zealand companies draw on a mix of internal and external sources to set salaries for roles within their organisation, relying mainly on internal expertise and experience for new roles, new independent research by specialised recruiter Robert Half reveals.
How companies set salaries for familiar roles
When setting pay for familiar roles, New Zealand employers primarily reference established market data, but also validate those figures with internal structures. The top five tools cited by hiring managers are:
|
|
Approach |
% of employers |
|
1 |
Online salary guides |
44% |
|
2 |
Industry benchmarking tools |
40% |
|
3 |
Recommendation from direct manager |
39% |
|
4 |
Compensation of internal peers |
38% |
|
5 |
Company performance/profitability |
37% |
Independent survey commissioned by Robert Half among 250 employers in New Zealand.
How companies set salaries for unfamiliar roles
When hiring for new or redefined roles, the process becomes less reliant on external materials. Without historical precedent, employers tend to adopt a more cautious and internally guided approach:
|
|
Approach |
% of employers |
|
1 |
Fixed salary scales |
40% |
|
2 |
Recommendation from direct manager |
38% |
|
3 |
Guidance from HR/internal salary benchmarks |
37% |
|
4 |
Company performance/profitability |
36% |
|
5 |
Compensation of internal peers |
32% |
Independent survey commissioned by Robert Half among 250 employers in New Zealand.
“Online salary guides, like Robert Half's, remain the top driver of pay for familiar roles, indicating that many businesses continue to take a data-driven approach to salary decisions,” says Megan Alexander, Managing Director at Robert Half.
“While internal expertise and experience are valuable for salary benchmarking, relying on them alone can leave businesses misaligned with the market for both existing and new roles. Companies that balance internal performance with up-to-date market data are better positioned to attract and retain in-demand professionals, especially in sectors where salary expectations move quickly.
“With job structures evolving and skill demands changing, flexibility and adaptability are now critical to effective workforce planning. This is driving greater reliance on market-informed salary setting for new and emerging roles, signalling a wider shift towards data-driven decision making,” concludes Alexander.
About the research
The study is developed by Robert Half and was conducted online in October 2025 by an independent research company of 250 finance, accounting, and IT and technology hiring managers. Respondents are drawn from a sample of SMEs as well as large private, publicly-listed, and public sector organisations across New Zealand. This survey is part of the international workplace survey, a questionnaire about job trends, talent management, and trends in the workplace.
About Robert Half
Robert Half is the global, specialised talent solutions provider that helps employers find their next great hire and jobseekers uncover their next opportunity. Robert Half offers both contract and permanent placement services, and is the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting firm. Robert Half New Zealand has an office in Auckland. More information on roberthalf.com/nz.