How to become a Māori cultural adviser
Also called: Chief Māori adviser, Principal adviser Māori strategy, Māori development manager, General manager Māori, Māori engagement adviser, Deputy chief executive pou matua, Principal adviser capability Māori
Māori cultural advisers help organisations to engage and work with Māori by developing and applying cultural capability.
Main tasks
- Develop and support cultural competency and capability
- Design and implement cultural programmes
- Establish a cultural competency strategy and approach
- Promote Māori principles and values
- Support te reo Māori use
- Promote diversity and cultural inclusiveness
- Implement the Māori worldview
- Build relationships with iwi and crown agencies
How to become one
You need experience to become a Māori cultural adviser and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Required: experience in engaging and working with iwi and Māori groups and communities in a leadership role. Other requirements: a tertiary qualification in business and management, human society (Māori customs tikanga), language (te reo Māori) or Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Ways in
- Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in management and business studies. TEC links this job to study in business and management. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Business, Dip in Business Studies, Cert in Business Studies, Dip in Business, Dip in Commerce. Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $52,000 a year one year after study and $61,000 five years after; 61% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Entry certificates in te reo māori. TEC links this job to study in language and literature. Qualifications: Te Pokaitahi Reo (Rumaki, Reo Rua), NZ Cert in Te Reo (Rumaki, Reo Rua), Te Pokaitahi Reo (Reo Rua) NZ Cert in Te Reo (Bilingual). Usually 6 months. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $46,000 a year one year after study and $53,000 five years after; 51% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Intermediate certificates in māori customs tikanga. TEC links this job to study in human society. Qualifications: Te Pōtaitahi Tikanga (Waka, Rongoā, Te Ara Nunumi, Mātauranga Māori, Māori Development, Rangahau), Te Pou Hono ki Mahi Marae. Usually 4 months to 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $47,000 a year one year after study and $56,000 five years after; 46% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
Pay
- Most common pay: $115,000 to $171,250 a year (median $140,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $100,000 a year · Upper: $190,000 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.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Māori cultural adviser?
You need experience to become a Māori cultural adviser and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Required: experience in engaging and working with iwi and Māori groups and communities in a leadership role. Other requirements: a tertiary qualification in business and management, human society (Māori customs tikanga), language (te reo Māori) or Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
How much does a Māori cultural adviser earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $140,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $115,000 to $171,250 a year.
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