International students at secondary schools or English language schools need to get a special variation to their student permit from New Zealand Immigration Service if they want to work.

Some typical part time jobs include shop assistant, fast-food server or petrol station attendant. The average wage for these type of jobs is between NZ$12.00 and NZ$15.00 per hour.The minimum age in NZ is $11.25 per hour.

There are many ways to find a part time job, including looking in the local newspaper or asking at places where you would like to work, such as shops or fast-food restaurants. The Student Job Search department at the university or polytechnic can also be helpful: http://www.sjs.co.nz/

Tax

In New Zealand you have to pay tax to the Government on any income you earn. This is called income tax and is collected by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD). In order to pay income tax, you must have an IRD number. This number is used by your employer to deduct tax from your wages. This is referred to as PAYE (Pay As You Earn) tax and is automatically paid to the IRD on your behalf. Depending on how much is earned during the tax year (which ends 31 March) it is possible that students can have most of their tax refunded at the end of the year. The tax rate is approximately 20 cents in each $1 and increases to 33 cents for annual wages of NZ $38,000 or more.