Information technology

How to become a computer programmer

Official title: Computer programmer

Also called: Programmer, Network programmer, Software engineer, ICT programmer, Informations systems programmer, IT engine programmer, Analyst programmer

Computer programmers develop and manage code and scripts that allow computer applications to run.

Main tasks

Write computer programming code
Create and modify software programs
Test software performance
Learn different programming languages
Fix computer software problems
Develop operational documents
Train others to use software
Learn new tools and technology

How to become one

You usually need a qualification to become a computer programmer and experience may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: a relevant tertiary qualification in computer science or similar area; experience in similar work.

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: $91,000 to $152,000 a year (median $120,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
Lower: $68,000 a year · Upper: $191,000 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.
People employed in the group Software and Applications Programmers: 27,834 at the 2018 Census and 38,946 at the 2023 Census (+39.9%). Past change, not a forecast.
Generative AI could change many tasks in this job, which usually reshapes the work more than it replaces it, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

About 1,900 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
In the group Software and Applications Programmers, 19% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
Where people in the group Software and Applications Programmers work (2023 Census): Auckland 45.8%, Wellington 21.9%, and Canterbury 12.2%.

Questions people ask

How do I become a computer programmer?

How much does a computer programmer earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $120,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $91,000 to $152,000 a year.

Will AI change the work of a computer programmer?

Generative AI could change many tasks in this job, which usually reshapes the work more than it replaces it, 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