NZ Pathway
Guides
What Is an ANZSCO Code — and How to Find Yours
Updated: 2026-08-03 · Data verified: 2026-08-03
Every skilled visa application to New Zealand runs through one classification system: ANZSCO — the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations. Your ANZSCO code determines your wage threshold, whether your job counts as “skilled”, and whether you are on the Green List. Getting it right is one of the most consequential steps in your application.
How the codes work
ANZSCO codes are six digits, nesting from broad to specific. For example: 2 Professionals → 25 Health Professionals → 253 Medical Practitioners → 2533 Specialist Physicians → 25331 Specialist Physicians (general medicine) → 253312 Cardiologist.
Each occupation also carries a skill level from 1 to 5:
| Skill level | Typical requirement | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bachelor degree or higher | Engineers, doctors, software developers |
| 2 | Diploma or advanced diploma | Engineering technicians |
| 3 | Certificate III/IV or equivalent experience | Electricians, welders |
| 4 | Certificate II/III or 1 year experience | Many machine operators |
| 5 | Short on-the-job training | Labourers, cleaners |
Why the skill level decides your pay floor
For the Skilled Migrant Category, a “skilled job” must clear a wage bar that depends on its ANZSCO level:
- Level 1–3: at least the immigration median wage — $35.00/hour (since 9 March 2026)
- Level 4–5: at least 1.5× the median wage — $52.50/hour
The same thresholds apply when you claim points for NZ skilled work experience: level 4–5 experience only counts if it was paid at 1.5× the median wage or above. Declaring the wrong code — for example, claiming a level 3 code for work INZ considers level 4 — is a classic reason applications stall; see our guide to common SMC application mistakes.
How to find your code
- Start from duties, not your title. “Project lead” could be a Construction Project Manager (133111), an ICT Project Manager (135112), or something else entirely. Read the ANZSCO task descriptions.
- Use INZ’s skill level checker, linked from the SMC visa page, or browse the ABS ANZSCO catalogue.
- Cross-check the Green List. Our Green List Checker lets you search by job title or code and shows the exact tier and requirements INZ attaches to that code.
- Sanity-check the wage implication. Once you have a candidate code, confirm which wage threshold it triggers with the salary threshold guide.
ANZSCO vs the new National Occupation List (NOL)
Since late 2025, INZ also recognises occupations on a National Occupation List — but only for Accredited Employer Work Visas. If you are applying for SMC residence or checking Green List eligibility, use the ANZSCO code, not the NOL code.
Frequently asked questions
- What does ANZSCO stand for?
- Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations. It is the shared system both countries use to classify jobs, grading them by skill level from 1 (most skilled) to 5.
- Why does my ANZSCO skill level matter?
- It sets your wage threshold. For SMC purposes, level 1–3 jobs must be paid at or above the median wage ($35.00/hour), while level 4–5 jobs must be paid at or above 1.5× the median wage ($52.50/hour) to count as skilled.
- My job title is not in ANZSCO. What do I do?
- ANZSCO matches on job duties, not titles. Find the occupation whose description covers most of what you actually do — INZ assesses the match between your role and the ANZSCO description.
- Is ANZSCO being replaced?
- New Zealand has introduced a National Occupation List (NOL) that recognises additional occupations for the Accredited Employer Work Visa. But for SMC and Green List purposes, ANZSCO codes are still what counts.