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How does your CEO compare? Director fees and executive pay across NZX sectors.
Remuneration varies dramatically across sectors. Financial services directors earn multiples of what their counterparts in technology or healthcare receive. This analysis benchmarks director fees and CEO compensation across 11 NZX sectors using 3,051+ data points from annual reports.
Average and median director fees across NZX sectors (FY2022+)
| Sector | Avg Fee | Median Fee | Chair Premium | Companies | Directors | Range (P25–P75) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Materials | $165,046 | $108,432 | 1.1x | 8 | 46 | $72,697 – $204,000 |
2 Utilities | $156,328 | $145,200 | 1.5x | 7 |
Total compensation for CEO-level executives (base + STI + LTI). Outliers above $50M excluded.
| Sector | Median | Average | Range | Execs | Top CEO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Utilities | $1,642,511 | $1,646,946 | $255,903 – $3,246,657 | 58 |  Mike Roan(MEL) |
2 Energy | $1,259,986 | $1,243,227 | $377,293 – $2,181,000 | 8 |
Detailed remuneration profile for each NZX sector
The highest-paying sector (Materials) averages $165,046 per director, while the lowest (Real Estate) averages $96,122 — a 1.7x difference.
CEO compensation ranges from under $500,000 at small-cap companies to over $5 million at major corporates. The median CEO earns $1,035,424, but averages are pulled up significantly by a few outliers.
Board chairs typically earn 1.5–2.5x the base director fee. Some sectors (particularly financial services and utilities) offer higher chair premiums due to regulatory complexity and stakeholder engagement requirements.
Short-term incentives (STI) and long-term incentives (LTI) can double or triple a CEO's base salary. Companies with strong performance-linked pay typically have higher total compensation but better alignment with shareholder returns.
Last updated: 21 April 2026. Data covers 120 companies across 11 sectors.
Data sourced from NZX company annual reports. Our datasets may not be complete and we are continuously updating and adding more data to the platform. Executive compensation figures include base salary, short-term incentives (STI), and long-term incentives (LTI) where disclosed. Automated analysis can produce errors — compensation components may be categorised differently across companies.
If you believe any data on this page is incorrect, please contact us at hello@nzxplorer.co.nz and we will review and correct it promptly.
This analysis is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing on this page constitutes financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Always conduct your own research and consult with qualified professionals before making any investment decisions.
| 57 |
| $121,678 – $181,500 |
3 Communication Services | $142,977 | $132,038 | 1.2x | 4 | 30 | $116,393 – $170,075 |
4 Consumer Discretionary | $132,429 | $95,000 | 1.5x | 15 | 106 | $63,700 – $142,544 |
5 Industrials | $118,944 | $110,000 | 1.2x | 22 | 144 | $65,479 – $140,000 |
6 Energy | $116,047 | $117,540 | — | 1 | 10 | $96,699 – $129,773 |
7 Healthcare | $114,387 | $102,000 | 1.7x | 11 | 80 | $50,375 – $160,126 |
8 Financials | $108,711 | $69,500 | 1.2x | 17 | 131 | $45,833 – $115,065 |
9 Consumer Staples | $105,388 | $76,000 | 1.4x | 14 | 120 | $50,000 – $130,000 |
10 Information Technology | $105,184 | $82,930 | 0.6x | 6 | 40 | $40,000 – $120,667 |
11 Real Estate | $96,122 | $98,625 | 1.5x | 15 | 87 | $62,543 – $114,260 |
 Naomi James(CHI) |
3 Communication Services | $1,243,122 | $1,487,819 | $149,794 – $4,172,365 | 20 |  Simon Moutter(SPK) |
4 Materials | $1,094,975 | $1,437,457 | $420,000 – $4,683,628 | 25 |  Ross Taylor(FBU) |
5 Real Estate | $1,048,700 | $1,120,314 | $222,000 – $2,288,022 | 60 |  Scott Pritchard(PCT) |
6 Financials | $1,045,500 | $1,359,016 | $95,192 – $6,018,824 | 56 |  Chris de Bruin(WBC) |
7 Industrials | $1,043,029 | $1,454,556 | $2,313 – $5,128,874 | 134 |  G Knox(DOW) |
8 Consumer Discretionary | $1,000,000 | $1,287,569 | $109,773 – $7,541,773 | 113 |  Group Executives(SKC) |
9 Healthcare | $998,398 | $1,425,553 | $39,313 – $6,437,906 | 83 |  John Cullity(EBO) |
10 Consumer Staples | $784,000 | $1,377,536 | $30,000 – $8,320,406 | 95 |  Chief Executive Officer(FCG) |
11 Information Technology | $511,149 | $717,215 | $40,000 – $1,869,839 | 40 |  Gary Miles(GTK) |
