Move to NZ / What you'll earn

What you'll earn on arrival

There is no separate 'overseas doctor' rate. You are placed on the same scale as everyone else, by the same rules — here is where.

$115,703House officer, year 1category C

$134,830Registrar, year 1category C

$152,694Medical officer, step 1pre-vocational placement

$198,386Specialist, step 1overseas Fellowship being assessed

Provisional general registration — the resident-doctor grid

If you arrive in the provisional general scope, your job is a house officer or registrar job, and the NZRDA or STONZ agreement applies. Your registrar year credits relevant overseas service: Year 1 on appointment to a first Registrar position. Other registrar service, including overseas service, that the employer considers directly relevant is credited toward the commencement step. NZRDA cl. 8.5.2, 8.5.3, 8.5.4

$115,703

House officer

$80,882–$145,727 in year 1, by run hours

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$134,830

Registrar

$95,209–$170,169 in year 1, by run hours

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What sits on top

Rural allowance, on-call, extra shifts, super, teaching time, education leave.

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Specialists — the ASMS scale while you're assessed

Employed as a specialist on your overseas qualifications: A doctor employed on the basis that their overseas qualifications and experience meet the requirements for vocational registration is placed on the Specialist Scale, subject to a time-limited expectation (not less than 24 months) for obtaining registration. cl. 12.2(g)(iii)
Expected to meet the requirements within 12 months: A doctor who has not yet met the requirements for vocational registration but is expected to within 12 months is placed on the Medical Officer Scale at a step not less than the step closest in value below Specialist Step 1. cl. 12.2(g)(iv)
Where on the scale: Initial placement on the scale is negotiated between the prospective employee and employer, taking into account years of relevant experience and qualifications and aligning with the placement of existing staff with similar qualifications and experience. The date the employee met the requirements for vocational registration (or overseas equivalent) is used to assess where they would first have been placed. cl. 12.2(a)
Relocation: Reimbursement of reasonable transfer and relocation expenses is negotiated before appointment. cl. 22.1

$198,386

The specialist scale and calculator

$198,386 to $282,645, job size, on-call, CME.

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$152,694

Medical officer scale

$152,694 to $222,476.

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Things the agencies leave out

Your APC, indemnity and college fees are reimbursed for permanent staff under both the resident-doctor and specialist agreements — but not for RMO locums. NZRDA cl. 28; SECA cl. 21.2
Superannuation is matched dollar for dollar up to 6% of gross salary under both. KiwiSaver is voluntary for you as a migrant, and the employer match applies to it.
Six weeks' annual leave for senior doctors; resident doctors have annual leave plus protected teaching time and medical education leave.
The figures on this site are gross. New Zealand has no separate state or social-security tax; PAYE income tax and the ACC earner levy come out of pay, and there is no compulsory health insurance contribution.

Source

Signed agreement, Health New Zealand · checked 3 September 2026

Signed agreement, Health New Zealand (searchable) · checked 18 September 2026 — Salary tables on pages 9 and 10 of the PDF checked against the page image digit for digit.