Almost 12 Months of the Rural Directions Salary Survey!

As we approach the one-year mark since launching the Rural Directions Primary Sector Salary Survey in December 2025, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come and share what’s been happening behind the scenes.

The survey was developed to provide greater insights around remuneration across New Zealand’s primary sector, helping employers make informed decisions and employees better understand their value within the industry.

Nearly a year on, we’re continuing to build on that goal, with more data coming in, new reporting developments and plenty more planned.

What’s going well?

The database continues to grow

We’re seeing ongoing contributions from across Dairy, Drystock, Horticulture & Viticulture, and Supply Chain. Every submission adds to the bigger picture and helps strengthen the value of the survey.

A more complete picture of remuneration

We’re capturing more than just base salaries. Benefits such as accommodation, vehicles, allowances and more, all contribute to total remuneration, helping provide a more realistic view of what roles are worth.

Growing interest in salary benchmarking

We’re continuing to see interest from employers wanting to benchmark their teams, as well as individuals wanting to better understand where their remuneration sits within the industry.

What’s new and what’s next?

Over the past 12 months, we’ve continued to develop the Rural Directions Salary Survey, with a focus on expanding the information available and making our reporting more useful for both employers and employees.

Some of our key developments include:

• New Veterinary Services & Animal Welfare sector: We’ve expanded the survey to include a dedicated sector, helping capture remuneration information across an even broader range of roles within New Zealand’s primary industries.
• Enhanced reporting: We’ve finalised improvements to our reporting function and started producing more comprehensive, customised salary reports for clients, making it easier to interpret and apply the information.
• Regional insights: Continuing to build on regional reporting alongside national benchmarks, providing a clearer picture of remuneration across different parts of the country.
• Expanded role coverage: Reviewing and developing role categories to better reflect the variety of positions and responsibilities across the primary sector.
• Data quality: Ongoing checks and reviews to ensure the information remains relevant, accurate and useful.

Have you completed the survey?

If you haven’t contributed yet, we’d love to hear from you!

Whether you’re an employer or employee, your input helps build a more accurate picture of remuneration across New Zealand’s primary sector.

It takes approximately two minutes, is free to complete and all submissions are treated confidentially. As a thank you, you’ll receive a complimentary salary snapshot showing where your remuneration currently sits against the real-time market.

[Complete the Salary Survey]

Thank you to everyone who has already taken the time to contribute and support the project. We’re excited to see what the next 12 months bring!