--- title: 'Tech & AI jobs in New Zealand' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/location/new-zealand' type: 'location' --- # Tech & AI jobs in New Zealand > New Zealand's tech scene is small but productive, anchored in Auckland and Wellington, with a global reputation earned by Xero in accounting software, Rocket Lab in space, and Weta in visual effects. Agritech is a genuine local specialty. The roles skew SaaS, space and aerospace, and agricultural technology. - **Open roles:** 327 - **Hiring companies:** 46 - **Region type:** country - **Timezone:** Pacific/Auckland - **Population:** 5,200,000 - **Cost of living:** near the US average, with Auckland the priciest city. - **Climate:** Temperate maritime, with mild temperatures year-round. Seasons run opposite the northern hemisphere. - **Page:** https://feeny.ai/location/new-zealand ## Cities in New Zealand - [Auckland](https://feeny.ai/location/new-zealand/auckland) — 252 jobs ## Top companies hiring in New Zealand - [ZURU](https://feeny.ai/companies/zuru) — 38 open roles - [Partly](https://feeny.ai/companies/partly) — 25 open roles - [Rocket Lab Corporation](https://feeny.ai/companies/rocket-lab-corporation) — 87 open roles - [Halter](https://feeny.ai/companies/halter) — 61 open roles - [Auror](https://feeny.ai/companies/auror) — 9 open roles - [Xero](https://feeny.ai/companies/xero) — 18 open roles ## Top Universities **Where New Zealand's tech talent studies** The University of Auckland anchors the country's talent (Rocket Lab's Peter Beck is Auckland-linked), and the University of Canterbury counts Ernest Rutherford, the father of nuclear physics, among its alumni. Together they feed a small but capable tech scene. - **University of Auckland** (Auckland · 30,000 undergrads) — notable alumni: Peter Beck - **University of Canterbury** (Christchurch · 15,000 undergrads) — notable alumni: Ernest Rutherford - **University of Otago** (Dunedin · 18,000 undergrads) - **Victoria University of Wellington** (Wellington · 17,000 undergrads) - **Massey University** (Palmerston North · 25,000 undergrads) ## Top Unicorns **Unicorn startups in New Zealand** New Zealand's private unicorn bench is thin (its biggest names, Rocket Lab and Xero, are public), but Halter stands out: an Auckland agritech company whose solar-powered smart collars for virtual cattle fencing reached the mark. - **[Halter](https://feeny.ai/companies/halter)** — $1B · Solar-powered smart collars for virtual fencing & herding ## FAQ **Tech jobs in New Zealand: common questions** ### How many tech jobs are open in New Zealand right now? Feeny tracks about 327 active tech roles in New Zealand across 46 companies. These are live listings we refresh, not a stale count. The market is small, so the numbers run lower than larger countries, but what is here is current. Most of the volume sits in Auckland, with Wellington adding the rest. ### Which cities in New Zealand have the most tech jobs? Auckland is essentially the country's tech hub, and the 1 we track reflect how concentrated the scene is. Wellington adds a second center, home to companies like Xero and part of the film-effects world. Beyond those two there is not much of a third option. For a job in New Zealand tech, Auckland is the default answer. ### What companies are hiring for tech roles in New Zealand? New Zealand is small but produces outsized wins. Xero built accounting software used worldwide, Rocket Lab put the country on the map in space, and Weta became a global name in visual effects. Agritech is a genuine local specialty, given the country's farming base. The names are few but serious, and they hire across a surprising range of specialties for a market this size. ### What kinds of tech roles are common in New Zealand? SaaS is the backbone, thanks to Xero and the software companies around it. Beyond that, the country has unusual pockets: aerospace work at Rocket Lab, visual effects at Weta, and a real agritech specialty tied to its farming economy. Those niches mean some roles here are hard to find anywhere else. General software engineering fills out the rest of the demand. ### What is it like to work in tech in New Zealand? New Zealand is a small but productive scene with a global reputation that outstrips its size, and the lifestyle is a real part of the pitch. The catch is volume: with a small population, there are simply fewer roles than in Australia or Canada, so the market can feel thin if your specialty is narrow. Salaries are decent and the quality of life is high. For people who value that trade over sheer opportunity, it lands well. ### Can international candidates get a work visa to work in tech in New Zealand? The main route is the Accredited Employer Work Visa, which requires the employer to be accredited before they can hire you. Residence pathways follow from there, and New Zealand is genuinely welcoming to skilled tech migrants. The honest limit is volume: the market is small, so there are fewer roles to chase in the first place. It is open to foreigners, but you should expect a narrower set of openings than a larger country offers. --- _Source: https://feeny.ai/location/new-zealand_