How do you get a graduate job at the Reserve Bank?

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) hires graduates as permanent employees on a 2-year rotation programme. Streams cover economics and financial markets, money and cash, financial stability, data and statistics, and sustainability and financial inclusion. You need a New Zealand university degree, ideally in economics, commerce, finance, mathematics, law or accounting, with a B+ average or better. The process is an online application (CV, transcript and cover letter), a video interview and online test, a timed written assessment, and an assessment day in Wellington or Auckland.

Applications for the 2027 programme ran from 23 March to 19 April 2026, for a February 2027 start, and graduates from the past two years could apply.

Sources: RBNZ: Our Graduate Programme and RBNZ: Early careers (accessed via Internet Archive copies, February and April 2026).

How do you apply for other RBNZ jobs?

Vacancies are on the Reserve Bank's Workday jobs portal, linked from its careers page. On 18 October 2026 it listed six roles across actuarial, operational resilience, data, licensing and the Governor's office, each based in Wellington or Auckland.

Source: RBNZ jobs portal, checked 18 October 2026.

How much do Reserve Bank staff earn?

In 2024/25, 525 Reserve Bank employees received more than $100,000 in total pay (salary, KiwiSaver and benefits). The largest bands were $140,001–$150,000 (60 staff), $160,001–$170,000 (54) and $130,001–$140,000 (53). The median gender pay gap was 16.2% at 30 June 2025.

Source: RBNZ Annual Report 2024/25, pp. 42 and 49–51 (accessed via an Internet Archive copy).

What benefits does the Reserve Bank offer?

  • 5 weeks' paid annual leave, plus up to 3 weeks of extra "flexi leave" bought at 2% of pay per week
  • 15 days' wellness leave a year and a $600 annual wellness payment
  • KiwiSaver matched at 3.5%, or 4% for staff contributing 4–10%
  • Paid leave at birth or adoption, extra wellness days on return, and parental payments
  • Flexible or reduced hours, working from home, health checks and flu vaccinations

Source: RBNZ: Our benefits (last updated 1 July 2026; accessed via an Internet Archive copy).

Does the Reserve Bank offer internships or scholarships?

The Reserve Bank did not run its summer internship programme in the 2025/26 season. It offers university scholarships: Māori and Pasifika, Women in Central Banking, and the RBNZ Scholarship (each $11,000 over three years), plus the Roger Perry Memorial Scholarship ($10,000 for a final-year Honours or Master's student).

Source: RBNZ: Scholarship and internship programmes (accessed via an Internet Archive copy, January 2026).

What does the Reserve Bank do, and how big is it?

The Reserve Bank (Te Pūtea Matua) is New Zealand's central bank. It implements monetary policy, regulates banks, insurers and finance companies, issues banknotes and coins, and runs wholesale payment and settlement systems. Its head office is at 2 The Terrace, Wellington. It had 625 full-time-equivalent staff at 30 June 2025, and began a restructure that year to fit a reduced operating budget.

Source: RBNZ Annual Report 2024/25. See also our guide to NZ financial regulators.

Facts on this page were checked against the linked sources on 18 October 2026. FinanceJobs.co.nz is not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.