Careers advice

How to find seasonal work in NZ

Looking for a short term job? You’ve come to the right place

Last updated: 29 October 2024


It’s relatively easy to find seasonal work in NZ, especially if you’re willing to travel. Here’s everything you need to know to lock in your next temporary position. 

How do I find seasonal work in NZ?

The best way to find seasonal work in Aotearoa is to visit Trade Me Jobs and have a look: 

  • Pop the keyword ‘seasonal’ in the search bar. 

  • Filter by industry and location. 

  • Voilà – browse through a list of jobs that suit you. 

There are other ways to find seasonal work too. If you’re not sure what you want to do, Immigration NZ has a massive seasonal work calendar that lists jobs available by work type and month. Check out the seasonal jobs calendar

What’s the pay like?

Seasonal workers must earn at least the minimum wage in New Zealand in most cases. At the time of writing (09/10/24), that’s $23.15. Most seasonal jobs require 30-40 hours per week, which means you may be earning $2800 or more per month (before tax). 

People hired under the ‘Recognised Seasonal Workers’ scheme, on the other hand, must earn at least $25.47 per hour. 

What seasonal jobs are available?

Fruit and vegetable picking, processing and packing – year around

New Zealand wide

Fruit and vegetable picking and processing jobs are the most widely available type of seasonal work in New Zealand. You’ll generally be harvesting fruit or vegetables, then packing and sorting them. You might be pruning trees, maintaining crops, planting vegetables or thinning fruit. There are also packhouse and office roles available. To work in this industry you’ll need to be fit and willing to work outdoors, possibly in variable weather conditions. 

Vineyards, wineries and grape picking – year round

  • Hawke’s Bay
  • Wairarapa

  • Nelson

  • Marlborough

  • Canterbury

  • Otago

Grape harvesting season kicks off in February in northern regions and goes through to May in more southern climes like Otago and Canterbury, but there are other jobs available for the rest of the year. Winery jobs are primarily in rural areas, with most in Marlborough, New Zealand’s largest winemaking region. 

If you have an interest in wine these seasonal jobs can be a great way to transition into a permanent job at a winery or vineyard. These jobs can involve long days outdoors in hot sun, with steady physical activity so you’ll need to be relatively fit. 

Fruit picking is one of New Zealand's most popular seasonal jobs.

Forestry – mainly during winter

  • Northland
  • Hawke’s Bay

  • Otago

  • Southland

  • Rural areas

Tree planting is the main seasonal job in Forestry but there are others available. No qualifications are required, but this is hard, physical work so you’ll need to be fit, strong and ready to work in all conditions. Pay is often via ‘piece rates’ meaning per tree planted, so the harder you work, the more you get. 

Forestry NZ publishes a list of employers you can contact to look for work. 

Agricultural and dairy - year round

Rural areas

The agricultural industry is always hiring, especially during busy times like lambing and sheep shearing season (August to May). Many of these roles don’t require experience, but you’ll usually need to be fit, strong and willing to work with animals in all conditions. 

Jump on Trade Me Jobs to find seasonal work in the agricultural industry. 

If you're looking for a job during winter the ski fields are always hiring.

Ski fields and ski town jobs – May to October

  • Central plateau North Island
  • Throughout the South Island

The biggest ski areas in New Zealand are in Wanaka, Queenstown and Mt Hutt. Roles include snowsports coaching, slopes crew (grooming and building), transport, patrol, guest services, retail and hospitality. You’ll need qualifications and experience for some of these roles, but there are plenty of roles for unqualified applicants (such as lifties and hospitality crew). 

You’ll obviously need to be comfortable with being exposed to a little cold and being keen to snowboard or ski will help you enjoy your time. It’s a good idea to apply for these roles in advance of the season.

Ready to start your search?

If you’re ready to start looking for a seasonal job, remember to sort the details first. If you’re coming from overseas (not including Australia) you might need a work visa, which will need to be sorted in advance. 

There are also shortages of rental properties in many New Zealand towns, particularly Auckland and Queenstown, so it’s a good idea to sort a place to live before you move. Your employer may be able to help with this. 

Finally – when you’ve got all the details sorted the best place to start looking for a seasonal job in NZ is Trade Me Jobs. 

Be sure to make a Profile to apply for jobs in just a few easy clicks. Better yet, ensure your profile is Gold Tier to get top job recommendations straight to your inbox and even stand out to potential employers scanning the Trade Me Jobs Profiles database for top candidates to fill their role.

Author

Ben Tutty
Ben Tutty

Ben Tutty is a regular contributor for Trade Me and he's also contributed to Stuff and the Informed Investor. He's got 10+ years experience as both a journalist and website copywriter, specialising in real estate, finance and tourism. Ben lives in Wānaka with his partner and his best mate (Finnegan the whippet).