Construction salary survey released

18 August 2008

Construction salary survey released:
Biggest increases in Government, civil/infrastructure, refurbishment and fit-out projects

The New Zealand Institute of Building/Hays Construction Salary Guide 2008 has been released, and is an extensive guide to construction salaries across 11 New Zealand locations, various construction types and a range of project sizes.

“The Salary Guide shows the strongest salary increases have been seen in Government projects, civil/infrastructure and refurbishment and fit-out,” says Jason Walker, Managing Director of Hays in New Zealand. “Small but notable salary increases have also been evident within commercial construction, specifically on projects led by private developers.

“Unsurprisingly, the demand for commercial staff, particularly estimators, has risen dramatically once more, forcing significant salary increases to both attract and retain staff. This demand is driven by the sheer shortage of candidates, an increased focus on securing projects and the continual drain of talent from New Zealand to overseas markets, particularly the Middle East.

“Further emphasis on benefits continues, with more companies paying performance related bonuses and superannuation. Those bonuses that employees can influence, in other words bonuses based on specific projects rather than overall company performance, have the greatest impact in driving success.

``Given rising fuel prices, vehicles have become highly sought after as part of a package and in many cases are the deciding factor in securing talent,’’ says Jason.

In other trends, the Salary Guide reveals:

• The average working week is between 40-50 hours, although 6% of construction staff work over 60 hours.

• The length of service for 30% of construction staff is between five and 10 years; the length of service for 58% of staff is between two and five years.

• 76% of construction employers use contract staff for labour positions; 57% use contract staff for management positions.

• Estimators are the most difficult candidates to source in New Zealand’s current construction market, followed by quantity surveyors, senior managers and project managers. Candidates at the cadet or entry-level are the easiest to source.

• 30% of architects are female. Meanwhile 25% of professional quantity surveyors, 22% of consultancy staff and 15% of construction staff are female.

The Salary Guide is available from your local Hays Construction office. Call:
Auckland 09 309 2883
South Auckland 09 525 1333
North Shore 09 917 8824
Wellington 04 473 6860
Christchurch 03 377 6656

ENDS

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