Information technology

How to become a computer and information scientist

Official title: Computer and information scientist

Also called: Change control analyst, Information analyst, Information and research analyst, IT and business development analyst, Information strategist, Information system adviser

Computer and information scientists explore and create ways to improve computer systems. They solve complex computing problems and develop new hardware and software.

Main tasks

Create ways to improve computer systems
Solve computing problems
Analyse data to fix computer and business issues
Design and build computer programs and hardware
Check computer network activities
Give tasks and schedules to team members
Work with others to fix computer problems
Study data to find patterns and trends

How to become one

You usually need more than one qualification to become a computer and information scientist and experience may be useful. You usually need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: a bachelor's degree in computer science or similar area; a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer and Information Sciences; a master's degree in computer science; a doctoral degree in computer science or similar.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

University: Computing & IT degrees, Offered by 6 universities in New Zealand

Pay · Past change · AI and this job

Most common pay: $73,000 to $119,000 a year (median $95,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
Lower: $56,000 a year · Upper: $163,000 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: Increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
People employed in the group ICT Business and Systems Analysts: 15,288 at the 2018 Census and 17,892 at the 2023 Census (+17%). Past change, not a forecast.
Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

About 270 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
In the group ICT Business and Systems Analysts, 33% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
Where people in the group ICT Business and Systems Analysts work (2023 Census): Auckland 43.4%, Wellington 27.5%, and Canterbury 9.6%.

Questions people ask

How do I become a computer and information scientist?

How much does a computer and information scientist earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $95,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $73,000 to $119,000 a year.

Has the number of people working as a computer and information scientist grown in New Zealand?

It has grown: TEC records an increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.

Will AI change the work of a computer and information scientist?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

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
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census totals by topic for individuals 2013, 2018, 2023 (CEN23_TBT_004): employed by occupation, ANZSCO V1.3, summed to unit group (2023 Census (CEN23_TBT_004)), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), 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