Jobs in the Central Hawke's Bay now pay $78,100 annually on average. File photo. Photo: 123RF
Average salaries in Central Hawke's Bay are now higher than in Auckland.
Trade Me figures from January show jobs in the North Island's east coast region now pay $78,100 annually on average - about $300 more than the Auckland average of $77,769.
The third highest average salary of $75,650 was on offer in Wellington.
Trade Me spokesperson Patrick Cairns said Hawke's Bay had a smaller range of job types, while Auckland's roles were more diverse.
"There could be one big project paying big roles, one skill in demand in an area like Hawke's Bay which pays more, so that takes the average in a smaller place like Central Hawke's Bay up," he said.
"Whereas Auckland's got a really diverse range of roles ... at all sorts of different salary levels."
The best paying roles were in construction and roading, with high demand in these sectors - which Cairns said could be related to the rebuild happening in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.
"The top jobs in the Central Hawkes Bay are centred around construction and roading, which pay over $150,000. While this signals that Hawke's Bay can compete with larger regions in terms of average salary, it's important to note that there are fewer job opportunities compared to Auckland."
The trend was also reflected nationwide, with the two sectors showing the highest average national salary of $122,342.
"This data is similar to the trend we saw in 2023, indicating that many of the most well-paid roles revolve around the construction sector. Kiwi employed as architects, consultants, or project managers show as having the highest salaries," Cairns said.