The Restaurant Association conducts an annual remuneration survey, collecting comprehensive wage and salary data on job positions in the hospitality industry.
The survey covers more than 100 positions, drawn from more than 1,000 businesses. Altogether, the organisations participating in the survey employ more than 13,000 people.
Snapshot of 2025 remuneration survey results:
- From 2024 – 2025 overall hourly wage rates increased by 2.54 per cent.
- The average wage in hospitality is $27.84/hour.
- The average hospitality salary in 2025 is now $83,415.
- The Southern Lakes region reported the highest average hourly wage ($28.51). Acute labour shortages and high living / accommodation costs that require employers to pay more to attract and retain staff, are likely contributing factors.
- A Head Chef earns the highest hourly wage in Hawke’s Bay, at $41.51/hour. In comparison the national average wage for this role is $36.81, with a Head Chef earning $39.62/hour in Auckland and $34.39 in Wellington.
- Tipping remains an important addition to total compensation for some workers. On average, tipped employees earn an additional $63.17 per week, though this varies significantly by role and location.
- General Managers received a 11.49% hourly wage increase ($4.83) and 9.60% salary growth ($11,663) from 2024 – 2025. However, traditional service positions showed more modest but consistent growth. Wait Staff, Bar Persons, and Kitchen Hands experienced increases ranging from 2.97% to 3.69% in hourly rates.
The Executive Summary of the 2025 results is available here.
The full remuneration survey results, which allow users to filter by position, type of business and region, can be ordered here.