The Regions · Residence Pathways
SMC Wage Calculator
Check your hourly or annual pay against the current Skilled Migrant Category wage thresholds, based on the settings that took effect on 24 August 2026.
Pay is only one part of SMC eligibility. This calculator checks your rate against the published wage benchmarks only — qualifications, work experience, occupation match and other requirements still apply. Try our full SMC Quick Check for a rounder picture, or talk to the team.
How this works
SMC wage benchmarks are set as multiples of the median wage ($35.00/hr from 9 March 2026): the median wage itself, 1.1x median, and 1.5x median. Enter your pay below and we'll show your hourly rate against each.
Your pay
Hourly rate
Annual salary
Your standard rostered hours — used to convert annual salary to an hourly rate.
If you regularly work more or fewer hours than your contracted hours, enter that here. Immigration New Zealand generally checks pay against hours actually worked, not just what's in your contract — we'll recalculate your true hourly rate accordingly.
Your equivalent hourly rate
$0.00 / hr
Enter your pay above to see how it compares
Threshold comparison
Wage figures shown ($35.00/hr median wage and its multiples) reflect published Immigration New Zealand settings referenced at the time this tool was built and are subject to change. Annual-to-hourly conversions use the hours per week you enter. Always confirm current settings with our team before making decisions.
