The Highest Paying Remote Jobs in New Zealand

According to NZ immigration, remote work is “working away from your place of employment” and communicating with your clients or co-workers through phone or email. 

Before the quarantine, around 38% of Kiwis had to go to their offices for work, while the 36% had worked at home from time to time, which brought a total of 74% individuals without regular experience of how it is working from home in NZ.

Fast forward to 2021, the work at home setting has now become the new normal. Companies are starting to seek employees who can work remotely. Job sites have been filled with vacancies too, offering more work from home employment and post-pandemic benefits. This now makes it easier for job seekers to get back on their feet and start being productive. 

Read more about Work Future Otago’s report here. 

Freelance jobs 

Freelancing is a great opportunity for both students and new graduates to earn and improve their skills. This could also be a way to improve their resumes if they decide to apply for a corporate job. You can offer services like writing, graphic design, press release, bookkeeping, and so on. 

What is a freelancer? 

A freelancer, in general, is someone who is self-employed and works on multiple projects or clients simultaneously. It’s similar to a business owner, except that you offer your professional services rather than sell products. 

There are ups and downs in doing freelance work based on your tolerance and skill level. If you’re the type who prefers to work on your own time, then freelancing might be perfect for you. Not only that, you’re also paid instantly and allow you to work at your own pace without the pressure of getting the job done right away. 

Freelancing gives you the freedom to negotiate your pay and weigh the amount of work you do. That’s why a lot of individuals are considering doing freelance work because of the flexibility and profitability it offers. 

Given the current situation, many are beginning to appreciate freelance work better than being stuck in their corporate jobs. With different job openings you can find online, it’s much easier now to apply for a freelance position that offers great pay and benefits. 

High paying freelance jobs in New Zealand

Data Entry 

Data entry is a clerical work that involves inputting data and at times voice recording that are needed by clients in various industries such as finance, healthcare, transportation and retail. This can be a good part-time job as well if you’re looking for extra income while at home. 

Hourly average rate: $21 

Pay range: $34,000 to $45,000/year 

Transcriptionist

A transcription service typically requires good typing skills in order to meet deadlines and provide quality work for the client. Companies like Amazon get transcriptionists to convert their audiobooks into texts and vice versa. 

Hourly average rate: $25

Pay range: $35,000 to $50,000/year 

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Freelance writer 

Writers are one of the most popular and in demand remote jobs out there. It’s not much work when you’re already a writer yourself, but it can help to take up writing courses especially when dealing with business-related articles because clients can be very particular with the content that they want. Pay will depend on the writing job itself and your experience. You can ask between $50 to $1500 for every finished project or higher. 

Hourly average rate: $24 

Pay range: $51,000/year 

(compensation varies depending on your agreement with the client) 

Social media manager 

Handling a social media account is different from a typical writing task. There needs to be an understanding of the brand in order to effectively communicate it to your customers. Not all writers can be a social media manager, but it's within the realms of Digital Marketing, so you can learn more about it as you go along. 

Hourly average rate: $15 to 75 

Pay range: $69,000/year with 5 to 10 years of experience

Online tutor

If you have a stable internet and advanced knowledge of a particular subject, you can apply for an online tutor that normally requires minimal experience so long as you can teach and assess your students well. 

Hourly average rate: $80

Graphic designer

A graphic designer is a popular remote work opportunity among those who have an eye for design. Businesses are usually in need of quality designs for their logos, labels, packaging, advertisements and so much more, making graphic designers a bankable job especially today. 

Average pay: $40,000 to $65,000/year with 1 to 5 years of experience

Pay range for senior designers: $90,000/year 

CSR

There are no necessary qualifications to become a call-centre representative but having experience can be an advantage, of course. Companies don’t require agents to be present at work everyday, but it’s important that applicants have fast internet access and working equipment to accommodate phone calls and customer emails efficiently.  

Hourly average rate: $26

Average pay: $37,000 to $48,000/year with 1 to 5 years of experience

Pay range for seniors: $75,000/year 

Software development 

If you have a degree in software engineering or development and would like to try out freelancing, you can apply for a career in software development online. Most businesses today move towards online advertising, which usually needs a working website to engage more customers into their brand. This would mean that finding a job as a software developer is much easier now than before. 

Pay range: $72,000 to $100,000/year 

Source: Training NZ 

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What is the difference between freelance and remote job?

The difference lies on whether you are employed or not. Being employed would mean receiving benefits like health insurance, equity, and so on. A remote job refers to full-time work that is undertaken away from the workplace. It could mean working anywhere — at home, at a restaurant, or a cafe. This allows employees to work on flexible hours with the presumption that they can fulfill their obligations as agreed in their contract. Unlike freelance work, a remote job still requires tax withholding that’s paid off from your salary. You’re tasked with long-term projects that can go on for months or years rather than weekly projects that are instantly paid upon submission. 

Some of these high paying jobs require full-time work for a company or business. Because of their high-ranking positions, they’re given the privilege to work remotely as they please while also being paid handsomely. 

1. CEO/Managing Director - $120,000 to $4.5M/year
2. Chief Financial Officer - $180,000 to $350,000/year
3. Corporate Finance - $200,000 to $350,000/year
4. Country Sales Manager - $190,000 to $300,000/year
5. IT General Manager - $185,000 to $300,000/year
6. Head of Technology - $200,000 to $300,000/year
7. Investment Director - $150,000 to $250,000/year
8. Head of Human Resources - $150,000 to $250,000/year

Source: Training NZ 

Whether it’s freelance work or a remote corporate job, it’s important to find yourself an occupation that you enjoy and sparks your interest. There are job opportunities in and outside of NZ that offer good pay and flexibility. All you have to do is explore online. 

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