Other justice-sector agencies fared better
Ministry of Justice workers had the lowest average salary among 32 departments in public service, the State Service Commission’s (SSC) public service workforce data for 2018 revealed.
The average salary of an employee in the ministry brought up the rear even through the average increased 1.4% on the year to $67,800.
The average Ministry of Justice employee’s pay falls below the average of all public service employees, which increased to $77,900 in 2018, up 3.3% from 2017.
The SSC said that departments that have a higher proportion of staff in operational and service delivery jobs tend to have lower average salary. This included justice-sector agency Department of Corrections, with an average salary of $69,300. The average corrections employee’s salary was the third-lowest salary in the report, even though it increased 5% from last year.
The other departments in the bottom five were the Ministry of Social Development ($68,500), the Department of Conservation ($71,300), and Oranga Tamariki ($71,800).
Other justice-sector departments fared better. The Crown Law Office posted an average salary of $99,600, up 1.1% from last year. The pay was the 12th-highest in the report.
The Serious Fraud Office had the sixth-highest average salary, which was reported to be $113,200, up 1.5% on the year.
The five departments with the highest average salary were the Pike River Recovery Agency ($141,200), SSC ($138,200), the Social Investment Commission ($138,200), the Ministry of Defence ($130,400), and the Treasury ($116,200). These agencies have a larger proportion of staff in leadership and policy roles, the SSC said.
