Pay by Role
Healthcare · New Zealand

Veterinarian Salary in Wellington, NZ

The average veterinarian in Wellington, NZ earns $89,243 per year — about $5,930 /mo after a simplified national tax estimate. Veterinarians diagnose and treat the health conditions of animals.

Showing amounts in USD (USD default; source data is NZD). FX as of Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:02:31 +0000. Convert currencies

After tax?

$71,394/yr

~20% effective national income tax on the median. Excludes most payroll/social levies and local taxes.

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Afford rent?

$1,652/mo 1BR

About 28% of estimated take-home — ~$2,447 leftover /mo after modeled costs. Modeled, not a listing.

Cost of living calculator →

Compared with…?

% vs Wellington median (FX-adjusted abroad).

Average salary
$89,243
gross / year
Est. take-home
$71,394
~20% effective tax
Hourly equivalent
$43.18
based on 2,080 hrs/yr
vs. New Zealand avg
-25%
below average

Gross salary figures come from public labour-market data. Take-home, rent, savings, inflation, and trends are simplified models for research — not payroll, listings, or immigration advice. Methodology.

Veterinarian salary range in Wellington

Pay varies with experience, employer, and specialization. Here is the typical distribution for this role in Wellington, NZ.

$63,33410TH$74,27325TH$89,243MEDIAN$107,09275TH$126,09290TH
Estimated pay distribution — the curve peaks at the median and widens with the pay range.
PercentileAnnual salary
10th percentile (entry)$63,334
25th percentile$74,273
Median (50th)typical$89,243
75th percentile$107,092
90th percentile (senior)$126,092

How does your salary compare?

Enter what you earn (or an offer) to see where it ranks for a veterinarian in Wellington, NZ.

Your percentile
50th

$89,243 puts you in the 50th percentile. You earn more than about 50% of veterinarians in Wellington, NZ. That’s right around the typical pay for this role.

$63,334$89,243$126,092

Salary insights

A typical veterinarian in Wellington, NZ earns about $155,000 a year and pays about 25% below the New Zealand average. Living costs sit near the global baseline (COL index 100). After a simplified tax estimate, typical rent, and everyday costs, a median earner might keep around $4,250 per month. Relative to the national median (a common remote/location-flexible benchmark), this city pays less by about 25%. An illustrative model tied to local inflation and the role’s outlook suggests pay has risen about 20% over the last few years. Treat every figure as an estimate for research — not a personal offer or immigration advice.

Data-grounded summary from this page’s pay, COL, tax, and trend models — not a generative essay unrelated to the figures.

Cost of living, rent & savings

Wellington’s cost of living is 100 vs. a baseline of 100 (US national average). After adjusting for local prices, the median veterinarian salary is worth about $89,243 in baseline-priced terms.

Est. rent (1BR)
$1,652/mo
Other living costs
$1,848/mo
Savings potential
$2,447/mo after tax & costs

Rent and leftover use a COL-scaled single-adult model and the same simplified tax estimate as above (Flat ~20% effective-rate estimate. Rough national income-tax estimate; excludes social security, local taxes, and credits.). Adjust assumptions in the COL calculator.

Inflation

Approximate recent consumer-price inflation in New Zealand is about 2.7% per year. Use the inflation calculator to adjust a past salary or offer for purchasing power.

Remote equivalent

The New Zealand national median for this role is about $119,183— a common benchmark for remote or location-flexible offers. Local Wellington pay is 25% lower.

Historical trend

Illustrative median pay over the last few years — about +20% across the window.

$74,561
2022
$77,958
2023
$81,585
2024
$85,328
2025
$89,243
2026

Illustrative model based on approximate inflation and the role’s long-term outlook — not a surveyed year-by-year history.

Visa information

Accredited Employer Work Visa

Job offers from accredited employers underpin most skilled temporary visas; residence pathways depend on skill level and points.

Difficulty for typical skilled hires: moderate. General orientation only — confirm on the official New Zealand immigration site before relocating or accepting an offer.

Compare Veterinarian pay

See how a veterinarian stacks up against similar healthcare roles in New Zealand.

What’s your take-home?

Calculator opens with this page’s median ($89,243) and New Zealand tax model — tweak hours, period, or offer amount.

Veterinarian salary in other New Zealand cities

Same role, different city — % gap is vs Wellington.

CityMedian
Manukau, NZ$119,183/yr
Hamilton, NZ$119,183/yr
Tauranga, NZ$119,183/yr
Dunedin, NZ$119,183/yr
Lower Hutt, NZ$119,183/yr
Auckland, NZ$84,061/yr
Christchurch, NZ$74,849/yr

Veterinarian salary in other countries

Capital/largest city sample for each market. % gap converts foreign medians into NZD before comparing with Wellington.

CountryLocal median
Switzerland flagSwitzerlande.g. Zürich$193,997/yr
Norway flagNorwaye.g. Oslo$168,732/yr
United States flagUnited Statese.g. Los Angeles$164,000/yr
Indonesia flagIndonesiae.g. Jakarta$15,907/yr
Argentina flagArgentinae.g. Buenos Aires$15,870/yr
Vietnam flagVietname.g. Hanoi$16,780/yr
India flagIndiae.g. Mumbai$19,373/yr
Philippines flagPhilippinese.g. Quezon$21,445/yr
South Africa flagSouth Africae.g. Johannesburg$30,454/yr
Colombia flagColombiae.g. Bogotá$30,793/yr

Related Healthcare jobs in Wellington

Job openings & next moves

Sponsored

Browse live job openings for this role, or close the skills gap that separates the median from the top percentiles.

Calculators and comparisons to dig into take-home pay, living costs, and period conversions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average veterinarian salary in Wellington, NZ?
The average veterinarian salary in Wellington, NZ is about $155,000 per year, or roughly $75.00 per hour.
What is the salary range for a veterinarian in Wellington, NZ?
Most veterinarian salaries in Wellington, NZ fall between $110,000 (entry level) and $219,000 (senior level). The 25th–75th percentile band is $129,000 to $186,000.
How much does a veterinarian make per month in Wellington, NZ?
A typical veterinarian in Wellington, NZ earns about $12,900 per month before tax, based on the annual median of $155,000.
How does Wellington, NZ pay compare to the New Zealand average?
Wellington, NZ pays about 25% below the New Zealand average for a veterinarian.
What is the cost-of-living-adjusted veterinarian salary in Wellington, NZ?
After adjusting for local prices (cost-of-living index 100, where 100 is the US baseline), the median veterinarian salary in Wellington, NZ is worth roughly $155,000 in US-baseline terms.
What skills do veterinarians need?
Common skills for a veterinarian include Diagnosis, Surgery, Animal care, Pharmacology, Empathy. Actual requirements vary by employer and seniority.
Is veterinarian a growing career?
Employment for veterinarian roles is projected to change by about +19% over the next decade. Local demand in Wellington, NZ can differ from the national outlook.
What is take-home pay for a veterinarian in Wellington, NZ?
A simplified national income-tax estimate puts median take-home near $124,000 per year (about $10,300 per month), or roughly 20% effective tax on the gross median. Real net pay varies with local taxes, benefits, and filing status.
How much rent might a veterinarian pay in Wellington, NZ?
A modeled modest 1-bedroom runs about $2,870 per month in Wellington, NZ, scaled from a US baseline by the local cost-of-living index (100). Actual listings vary by neighborhood and size.
Where do these Wellington, NZ salary figures come from?
Figures on Pay by Role are aggregated from public labour-market salary APIs, shown in NZD, and refreshed periodically. They are estimates for informational purposes only and are not a guarantee of individual pay.