He works as an implementation consultant for a service desk automation software company in Melbourne.
When he first moved to Melbourne, he was working in hospitality and said he was earning more than an average barista in New Zealand: $30 per hour, and double that on weekends.
But with a Bachelor of Commerce behind him, he thought: “S***, I’ve got to use this.”
The Australian job market was still tight.
“You’re going up against thousands of other people. It’s just a numbers game at the end of the day – you’ve got to apply for as much as possible. And when something sticks, it sticks.”
He said there were more opportunities and exposure in Australia, he said.
“It’s a bigger economy. From what I’ve seen, it’s going pretty tits up in New Zealand.”
Sutherland’s starting salary was A$70,000, or about $82,000.
The starting salary when he was looking in New Zealand four years ago was around $60,000, he said.
“I saw the gold and ran for it.”
Olivia Manoit, formerly of Mount Maunganui, moved to the Gold Coast in 2021 to get out of her hometown.
She now runs her own business, Moocha Matcha, and sells iced matcha drinks at farmers’ markets.
“I wasn’t fully sure about what I wanted to do, so I never went to university. But I didn’t want to stay in New Zealand.”
When asked if there were more opportunities or career pathways in Australia, she responded: “100%.”
Even when she worked as a receptionist in Australia, she was earning a wage comparable to that of university graduates in New Zealand, she said.
Moving to Australia was the best thing she had done.
“I probably wouldn’t live in New Zealand again, unless I was retired.
“Everyone should try new things at some point, whether it’s moving overseas or starting a new job. Just go for it.”
Dave Courtney, chief executive of economic development agency Priority One, said the Western Bay of Plenty economy was growing faster than its workforce.
He said many young people were leaving because they could not see a clear pathway into a meaningful career, which directly limited growth and investment.
Priority One had programmes to connect students with employers so “young people don’t feel like they have to leave to start a professional career”.
Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale said housing affordability was a challenge for young people, and Tauranga City Council was prioritising work to enable more housing.
Tech sector growth, the expansion of the University of Waikato Tauranga campus, and private and public sector investment gave him confidence that the city would become an “even more attractive place for young people”.
Infometrics chief executive and principal economist Brad Olsen said the number of migrant departures correlated strongly with the difference between New Zealand and Australia’s unemployment rates.
Infometrics’ most recent analysis found the average weekly earnings, in New Zealand dollars, were $200 higher in Australia.
Olsen said New Zealand had almost always had a net outflow of people to Australia, but the current numbers were “some of the highest ever”.
Robert Walters Australia and New Zealand chief executive Shay Peters said Australia’s recruitment market was broader and more resilient.
New Zealand professionals saw Australia as a platform for accelerated growth, larger projects, international experience, and as part of long-term career planning.
“Australia offers broader opportunities, while New Zealand’s market is more selective, with persistent skill shortages.
“Financial pressures and cost-of-living considerations are shaping candidate behaviour.”
Stats NZ figures for January 2026 showed food prices rose on both an annual and monthly basis, while rents had increased by 1.2% annually.
Bianca Herbst, business director for corporate and professional at recruitment firm Hays, said Seek data showed New Zealanders intensified their applications for Australian jobs in 2025.
Internal transitions from New Zealand to Australia also increased in 2025.
“Demand was especially strong in construction, healthcare, engineering, trades and professional services.”
Stats NZ’s employment indicators showed the number of filled jobs in New Zealand’s construction industry fell by 12,169 year-on-year.
The jobs filled in the Bay of Plenty fell year-on-year by 1955 in May 2025, Herbst said.
Stronger economic conditions and clearer skilled migration pathways made Australia “the natural next step for those seeking better affordability, career advancement and overseas experience, accelerating the transtasman talent shift”.
Bijou Johnson is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty. She grew up in Tauranga and developed a love for journalism while exploring various disciplines at university. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from Massey University.
