2025 Wages and Salaries Survey Report

The Early Childhood Council’s 2025 Wages & Salaries Survey Report provides a detailed overview of pay and employment across New Zealand’s centre-based Education and Care sector. The Early Childhood Council’s Full Report on the 2025 Wages and Salaries Survey is now available. Based on 229 survey responses, it covers management, certificated teachers, teachers in training, assistant teachers, cooks and other support staff across participating New Zealand Education and Care services.

ECC members can download the report free from the Member Portal

 Non-members can purchase it below.

The survey received 229 responses and includes 2,933 individual staff records across management, certificated teachers, teachers in training, assistant teachers, cooks and other support roles.

The report can help owners and managers make informed decisions about remuneration and workforce planning, and provide employees with a reference for pay discussions. It also examines qualifications, experience, non-contact time, staff benefits and the operational challenges reported by participating services.

The analysis includes comparisons with the Ministry of Education’s Full and Extended Pay Parity minimum salary scales applicable during the survey period.

Some key findings included in the report:

- Certificated teachers’ average hourly wage was $37.85, compared with $47.24 for centre managers.
- Average hourly wages were $26.35 for teachers in training, $25.43 for assistant teachers and $26.29 for cooks.
- Paid professional development was the most commonly reported staff benefit, offered by 92% of respondents to that question.
- Affordability of Pay Parity, increasing parent fees, and compliance and paperwork were the three most frequently selected operational challenges.

The findings reflect participating services’ responses, with the methodology and limitations explained in the report.