How much does labour hire cost in New Zealand?

As an indication, general labour charge-out rates in New Zealand typically range from around $30 to $40 per hour excluding GST, with skilled operators, drivers and STMS-qualified traffic staff higher. AR Staffing publishes indicative ranges openly and quotes an exact rate before any placement, and the invoice matches the quote.

What is included in a labour hire charge-out rate?

The charge-out rate covers the worker's wages, PAYE, holiday pay, ACC levies, our vetting and induction process, replacement cover and account management. There are no hidden margins or surprise line items: the rate quoted is the rate invoiced.

Why do most agencies hide their rates?

Most agencies price each client differently and prefer to negotiate from an unpublished position. We publish indicative ranges because transparent pricing is one of our founding promises: you should know roughly what staffing costs before you ever pick up the phone.

Transparent rates

The number, before the phone call.

Every other NZ agency makes you ask. We publish indicative charge-out ranges openly, then quote your exact rate before placement, and the invoice matches the quote, every week.

Get my exact quote Call 0800 277 724

Indicative charge-out ranges

What staffing roughly costs

Ranges below are indicative, per hour, excluding GST, for standard day-shift work in Auckland, last reviewed August 2026. Night shifts, weekends, public holidays, short-notice urgent cover and regional travel adjust the rate, and we tell you exactly how before you commit.

Blue-Collar Labour

General labourer / process worker Warehouse, production, site cleanup	$30 - $38
Pick packer / warehouse staff	$30 - $38
Forklift operator Current F endorsement verified	$33 - $42
Machine operator (skilled)	$35 - $45
Class 2 driver	$35 - $44
Class 4-5 driver	$38 - $50
Digger / heavy-plant operator Tickets verified before placement	$42 - $55

Traffic Management

TTM crew / traffic controller	$34 - $44
STMS Certification current, verified	$48 - $65

Contract Professionals

Site supervisor / foreman (contract)	$55 - $75
Quantity surveyor (contract)	$75 - $110
Site / project manager (contract)	$80 - $120
Civil engineer (contract)	$75 - $115

Permanent white-collar recruitment is priced as a placement fee agreed before the search begins, with a replacement guarantee. Volume, standing rosters and whole-site staffing are priced as a package, ask us to scope it.

What’s in the rate

One number, everything included

Wages, PAYE, holiday pay and ACC. Every worker is our employee, paid correctly, covered properly. Your liability stays clean.
Vetting, tickets and inductions. Identity, work eligibility, licence and certification checks, plus our safety briefing and your site induction, all inside the rate.
Replacement cover. If someone isn’t right, we replace them. You don’t pay twice for one seat.
A named account team, 24/7. No call-out fees for ringing us at 2am. The after-hours line is part of the service, not an extra.
The invoice matches the quote. Weekly, itemised, no surprise line items. If something changes the rate, you approve it first.

Common questions

Answered plainly

Why publish rates when nobody else does?

Because transparent pricing was one of our founding promises, and because you shouldn’t need a sales meeting to learn roughly what staffing costs. Publishing ranges keeps us honest and saves you time.

Will my actual rate be inside these ranges?

Usually, yes. Shift patterns, volume, duration, location and urgency move the number within (and occasionally outside) the range, and your exact rate is quoted in writing before anyone is placed.

Do you charge extra for after-hours dispatch?

Night, weekend and public-holiday work carries the usual loadings, quoted up front. Calling us at 2am costs nothing; that’s what the 24/7 line is for.

Fast quote

Need a rate for a specific role?

Tell us the role, the site and roughly when. We come back with a firm charge-out rate, not a callback to arrange a callback. Urgent requests are answered 24/7.