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Army Officer

Āpiha Ope Tauā

Alternative titles for this job

Army officers train army soldiers, manage field exercises and lead soldiers in combat, peacekeeping missions and disaster relief. 

Pay

Army officer cadets usually earn

$34K-$51K per year

Depending on rank, graduated army officers usually earn

$52K-$120K per year

Source: NZ Defence Force, 2017

Job opportunities

Chances of getting a job as an army officer are average because of high competition for limited positions.

Pay

Pay for army officers varies depending on specialist trade, experience and rank.

  • Officer cadets usually earn between minimum wage and $51,000 a year.
  • Lieutenants can earn between $52,000 to $84,000.
  • Captains can earn between $77,000 to $103,000.
  • Majors can earn between $80,000 to $120,000.

Army officers may also get food and accommodation allowances and free medical and dental care.

Source: New Zealand Defence Force, 2017.

(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our pay information)

What you will do

Army officers may do some or all of the following:

  • organise and conduct training
  • instruct and lead troops during training exercises and on deployment
  • budget, and manage resources assigned to them
  • operate and maintain army equipment
  • help in search and rescue operations, and disaster relief efforts in New Zealand and overseas
  • train soldiers in fitness, first aid and combat.

Army officers also have duties related to their area of specialisation. For example, engineering officers oversee the erection of bridges, and construction and maintenance of roads.

Skills and knowledge

Army officers need to have:

  • leadership, management and budgeting skills
  • knowledge of army regulations, tactics and protocol, including health and safety, ethics, and conduct
  • knowledge of drills and parade requirements
  • knowledge of how to operate and maintain weapons and radio equipment
  • problem solving skills
  • first aid and rescue skills.

Army officers also need to have skills and knowledge related to their field of specialisation or trade. For example, medical officers need knowledge of emergency care, nursing and surgical methods.

Working conditions

Army officers:

  • usually work regular business hours but may be expected to work long or irregular hours on training exercises or when on deployment
  • work and train at military camps in New Zealand and overseas
  • work in all weather conditions and may have to work in combat situations
  • may spend long periods away from home on overseas assignments.

What's the job really like?

Find out what it takes to be an officer in the New Zealand Army – 1:52 mins. (Source: NZ Army)

View transcript
Officer Cadet 1: So basically this exercise is exercise Santici and this is an urban operation. It's very similar to the type of stuff the Army's working on at the moment; the stuff that we're doing overseas as an army is the type of stuff that we're training for here. So earlier on in the year we were training for more conventional warfare, which we're not doing so much of nowadays and this is our urban operation.

Officer Cadet 2: So it's a sedan with about five guys in it. Yep, okay?

Officer Cadet 3: There's a great deal of emphasis on leadership; it's basically what they train us in, rather than training us, in many ways, to fight, they're training us to lead; so there is a lot of emphasis on things like courage, commitment, comradeship and integrity.

Officer Cadet 4: So, at the moment I'm conducting sentry up in this hangar, so I'm providing security for this front gate; just keeping an eye out and making sure nothing untoward happens around here and controlling who comes and goes through the gate.

Officer Cadet 1: We do a whole lot of different exercises but the one thread that's the same is that leadership that we do through all of them; all they're doing is giving us scenarios, military scenarios, and saying here's a scenario, lead, make a decision, and come up with a plan and execute it and hopefully start making the right decisions with the training we get given. It's all based on leadership and basically what they're trying to do at the end is to produce junior leaders for the Army. So, we need to have people who are good leaders who can take any situation and run with it.

Entry requirements

To be eligible for Army officer basic training you need to:

  • be at least 17 years old
  • have no criminal convictions
  • have a minimum of NCEA Level 2 with 12 credits in English
  • hold a current and clean driver's licence
  • be medically and physically fit
  • be a New Zealand citizen, or a New Zealand residence class visa holder.

If you meet the criteria, you also need to:

  • pass aptitude and fitness tests
  • attend a formal interview for your selected trade (area of specialisation).

Some trades differ in their age requirements, and may require you to have NCEA credits in specific subjects or a tertiary degree.

On-the-job training

New officer cadets are posted to RNZAF Woodbourne base to complete a seven-week Joint Officer Induction Course (JOIC).

After the JOIC, cadets are posted to Waiouru Army Camp for 11 months to complete the New Zealand Commissioning Course and be commissioned as an officer in the New Zealand Army.

Secondary education

NCEA Level 2 with a minimum of 12 credits in English is required for this job. Useful subjects include construction and mechanical technologies, digital technologies, mathematics, physical education and physics.

Personal requirements

Army officers need to be:

  • disciplined and organised
  • confident
  • careful and accurate, with an eye for detail
  • efficient and able to work well under pressure
  • able to manage and lead people
  • able to solve problems and make decisions
  • able to give instructions well.

Useful experience

Useful experience for army officers includes:

  • training as a soldier in the Territorial Force/Army Reserve
  • involvement in youth organisations such as Scouts and Cadets
  • work or sporting experience in a team environment
  • experience in a trade, such as automotive mechanics, carpentry or plumbing.

Physical requirements

Army officers need to be able to pass Army fitness tests, so they should be fit, healthy and strong, with good hearing and eyesight (with or without corrective lenses).

Find out more about training

Defence Careers
0800 136 723 - www.defencecareers.mil.nz
Check out related courses

What are the chances of getting a job?

Chances of becoming an army officer are average as the number of available positions has been reducing each year, causing high competition for vacancies. 

There are around 700 officers in the New Zealand Army.

Ageing workforce may increase vacancies

The Army workforce is ageing, therefore more officer vacancies may arise as officers retire in the next 10 years.

Diversity of staff important                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

The Army is committed to diversity, and is looking to increase the number of women and have more of a mix of cultures. Women typically make up about 15% of Army staff.

Chances good for cyber officers

The Army is looking to increase the number of intelligence officers and information technology specialists to boost New Zealand's cyber security.

Defence force only employer

Army officers work for the New Zealand Defence Force in New Zealand and overseas.

Sources

  • Army News, 'A Message from Chief of Army', February 2017, (www.army.mil.nz).
  • Defence Careers website, 'Army Intake Schedule', accessed July 2017, (www.defencecareers.mil.nz).
  • New Zealand Defence Force, 'Defence White Paper 2016', June 2016, (www.defencecareers.mil.nz).
  • New Zealand Defence Force, 'Future35 Our Strategy to 2035', accessed July 2017, (www.nzdf.mil.nz).
  • New Zealand Defence Force, 'New Zealand Government Defence Capability Plan 2016', (www.nzdf.mil.nz).
  • New Zealand Defence Force, 'The 2015-2016 Annual Report', accessed July 2017, (www.nzdf.mil.nz).
  • Patterson, J, 'NZ Defence Force to get $20bn Upgrade', 8 June 2016, (www.radio.co.nz).

(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our job opportunities information)

Progression and specialisations

Army officers may progress in rank to:

  • second lieutenant
  • lieutenant
  • captain
  • major.

Army officers may specialise in: 

  • combat
  • engineering
  • intelligence
  • communications and logistics.
Warrant officer Class 1 Rodger Moana, instructs a group of soldiers outside during a military exercise.

Warrant officer Class 1 Rodger Moana instructs a group of soldiers during a weapons exercise

Last updated 10 April 2018