The national base median salary for ICT professionals remains at $75,000, along with a national base rate per hour of $80, according to Absolute IT's annual remuneration report.
The survey draws on data from more than 27,500 anonymous entries into Absolute's IT salary website, which represents more than half of the ICT professionals currently working in New Zealand.
"The fact that the national median remuneration remains unchanged, yet a significant amount of employees are happy in their place of work can be put down to the fact that companies are thinking progressively and finding new ways to invest in their teams when they cannot offer higher remuneration," says Absolute IT director Grant Burley.
Median bonus/commission was $6,000 - $7,750 in Wellington, and $7,000 in Auckland but only $5,000 in Hamilton/ Bay of Plenty and in the South Island.
The report shows an increase in flexible working hours, company-paid training, extra annual leave, health care subsidies, phone allowances, car allowances and stock options. Additional benefits as part of their remuneration package are now received by 55 percent of ICT staff.
Absolute IT suggests this is perhaps most important for smaller private sector companies to note (1-99 staff) because their median remuneration is up to 18 percent less compared with others.
"Industry insiders at Absolute IT believe that part of the reason for this is because smaller businesses in the start-up phase are unable to compete with larger private companies and the public sector remuneration offers," the report says.
Average remuneration in the public sector has decreased slightly, down three percent; for larger private sector companies it is unchanged; the not-for-profit sector is up seven percent.
Wellington still has the highest median base remuneration, at $81,000, compared to Auckland's $75,000. Hamilton/ Bay of Plenty and the Christchurch/South Island regions were $69,000 and $70,000.
The Hamilton/Bay of Plenty median remuneration has gone up 6.9 percent over the past year. Absolute IT says Hamilton city is driving the increase as the region cements itself as one of New Zealand's fastest-growing business centres, and the demand for ICT talent has consequently grown.
Median remuneration by industry puts utilities at the top, closely followed by financial services, business and professional services, and transport and storage. Education, retail, electronics and gaming are the worst remunerated.
Previous reports compiled by Absolute IT show that though the average ICT employee places the most value on remuneration, additional benefits are a close second.
"Allowing your staff more freedom with working hours, annual leave and other benefits can make all the difference when it comes to attracting and retaining talent," Burley says.
There is a 26 percent difference in median remuneration between those with a degree and those without who have spent more than 15 years in the ICT industry.
Architects and business intelligence/CRM consultants are the best paid ($140,000-$150,000 in the upper quartile). Help desk/support staff are the lowest paid ($34,000 in the upper quartile).