18 March 2026
Minimum wage increase - are you ready?
Minimum wage rates are increasing so you'll need to be ready to pay your people the correct rate.
From 1 April 2026:
- the adult minimum wage will go up from $23.50 to $23.95 per hour
- the starting-out and training minimum wage will go up from $18.80 to $19.16 per hour
- all rates are before tax and any lawful deductions, for example, PAYE tax, student loan repayment, child support.
Take this opportunity to review your processes, employment records and systems:
- Check that your payroll system is ready and updated for the 1 April changes.
- Re-calculate and update your budgets and cashflow as the increase may have an impact, including on items such as ACC levies, KiwiSaver contributions and holiday pay.
- Check if you need to adjust other pay rates to keep things fair.
Find out more here at Business NZ.
You'll find more information to help set things up correctly here at Employment NZ.