How to become an asset manager
Official title: Asset manager
Also called: Infrastructure asset manager, Financial asset manager, Wealth manager, Investment manager, Property asset manager
Asset managers ensure physical assets like property, infrastructure and equipment are in good condition, or manage financial assets like investments so they grow in value.
Main tasks
- Plan maintenance of buildings, roads and other assets
- Manage and track investments to grow wealth
- Find and fix risks for assets
- Cut costs on assets
- Analyse data to improve asset use
- Budget for repairs and new assets
- Follow legal and safety rules
- Work with communities and businesses
How to become one
You need experience to become an asset manager and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 or University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Required: experience in asset management, finance, accounting or similar area. Other requirements: to complete training courses; a New Zealand Diploma in Infrastructure Asset Management; a bachelor’s degree in commerce, business, engineering, property or similar area; a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in Infrastructure Asset Management; a Master of Infrastructure Asset Management; to be registered with a relevant industry body.
Pay · Past change
- Most common pay: $87,000 to $153,000 a year (median $120,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $65,000 a year · Upper: $197,000 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Steady (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 770 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
- Water resource specialist
- Renewable energy development manager
- Power station and substation electrical technician
- Industrial measurement and control technician
- Signal technician
- Roadmarker
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Questions people ask
How do I become an asset manager?
You need experience to become an asset manager and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 or University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Required: experience in asset management, finance, accounting or similar area. Other requirements: to complete training courses; a New Zealand Diploma in Infrastructure Asset Management; a bachelor’s degree in commerce, business, engineering, property or similar area; a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in Infrastructure Asset Management; a Master of Infrastructure Asset Management; to be registered with a relevant industry body.
How much does an asset manager earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $120,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $87,000 to $153,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as an asset manager grown in New Zealand?
It has held steady: TEC records the number of people doing this job as steady between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026