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If you’re up for a challenge, New Zealand can offer you a happy and satisfying career as well as a lifestyle that sonographers in most countries can only dream of.
Great job opportunities for sonographers
Your skills are highly sought-after in New Zealand – there are sonographer shortages throughout the country, and demand is growing.
Flexible work
Time for family
“I didn’t know anyone who worked part-time in the States, but almost all the sonographers I work with in New Zealand are part-time. Most of them have young children and they want to organise their schedules around their families”
Sonographers work in small, friendly teams in our public and private health systems. Many sonographers are part-time, especially those with children.
Working conditions are excellent and our world-class public sector emphasises health and safety, and continuing education.
Sonographers are on New Zealand’s skill shortage lists, so if you have a full-time job offer – and the right experience and qualifications – it may be easier to apply for a visa.
Sonographers in New Zealand have a varied case mix, opportunities to work flexibly, and the support they need to thrive professionally and personally.
New Zealand’s high-quality public health system is made up of 20 districts that provide health services in hospitals and the community. The country also has a strong private health sector.
It’s a supportive environment that emphasises health and safety, and professional development. Public sectors patients are given half-hour appointment times, which reduces the likelihood of occupational overuse issues.
There are vacancies around the country, so you may be able to choose what size of hospital you want to work in and whether you’d like to live in a big city, a fast-growing regional centre or a relaxed country town.
Many sonographers work part-time, especially those with young children.
Interested in coming to New Zealand?
Take the first step to a new life by registering your interest with Immigration New Zealand. We’ll send you personalised emails about job opportunities in your profession, life in New Zealand and choosing the right visa.
It’s free and there’s no obligation.Sonography by the numbers
- Average weekly working hours for public sector sonographers:
- 30
- Number of sonographers in New Zealand:
- 399
- % of overseas-trained sonographers in New Zealand:
- 26%
- % of women sonographers in the public sector:
- 86%
- Size of public sector sonography teams:
- 2-30
World renowned quality of life
New Zealand has the work-life balance just right.
Working hard and getting ahead is important to us. We’re a well-developed, well-connected country with all sorts of opportunities to advance your career. But New Zealanders also believe life is for living. It’s about balancing a good day’s work with time for family and friends plus easy access to some of the world's most stunning landscapes.
Safe and secure
New Zealand consistently rates at the top of lists of the world’s most peaceful and least corrupt countries. While feeling safe is a luxury in many places, it's one that New Zealanders are accustomed to. Our strict border controls and low level of crime means safer communities, greater personal freedom and peace of mind for you and your family.
New Zealand ranked second on the 2021 Global Peace Index of safest countries to live and tied top of Transparency International’s 2021 Corruption Perception Index.
Family friendly
If you have a family, New Zealand is probably one of the best choices you could make. Along with affordable, quality education, your children will be able to get close to nature and enjoy an incredibly diverse range of activities.
It’s why so many Kiwis living abroad come back home when it’s time to start nesting. They know that children here enjoy many things other countries just can’t offer.
We make fitting in and getting set up in your new country easy. And less commuting plus a better work-life balance means you get to spend more time with your family.
New Zealand is the world's second most desirable place for families, according to HSBC's 2015 Expat Explorer survey. One family-critical topic of the survey covered was 'healthcare', where our system was rated as the best in the world.
Space to breathe
We're similar in size to the UK and have all the benefits of an advanced Western economy - but with only a fraction of the population, so you'll have space to breathe.
Auckland, our largest city, was ranked third in the 2016 Quality of Living survey conducted annually by the global HR consultants Mercer.
New Zealand’s renowned natural beauty is never far from view. Over thirty percent of New Zealand is dedicated to national parks, boasting fertile green countryside, majestic forests and snow-capped mountains, and no part of New Zealand is more than seventy-five miles (120km) away from the ocean.
A very warm welcome
New Zealanders open their hearts to newcomers. The Maori people have a saying “He aha te mea nui o te ao. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata” which translates to “What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, it is the people, it is the people.”
Our warmth and hospitality are a product of our size. Living on the edge of the world as we do, it’s second nature for New Zealanders to reach out and make connections.
It's not surprising then that nine out of ten migrants find the welcome they receive meets or exceeds their expectations.
Sonographers in New Zealand tend to work in small, friendly teams, so it’s easy to meet people and make new friends.
More information
Moving to New Zealand
There may be a number of visas you are eligible to apply for – each with its own criteria and application process.
Your 5 step plan to make it happen
1. Get registered
Sonographers must be registered to work in New Zealand by the Medical Radiation Technologists Board. As well as holding a relevant postgraduate qualification, overseas-trained sonographers must be able to provide evidence that they have at least 3360 hours of clinical experience.
Qualified Overseas | Medical Radiation Technologists Board
Qualified Overseas | Medical Radiation Technologists Board
2. Find a job
Sonographers are needed in many of the country’s 20 district health boards and in the private sector. You may be able to choose what size of hospital you want to work in, or whether you’d like to live in a busy city or a relaxed rural area. Whatever you prefer, you’ll need a job offer before you can apply for a work visa. To discover where you could work as a sonographer in New Zealand, check out these job websites:
- Kiwi Health Jobs - for jobs in the public health sector
- Seek or Trade Me Jobs - general job vacancy sites
- Workhere or Working In New Zealand match offshore workers with Kiwi employers
- Job vacancy and recruitment sites listed by Careers New Zealand
3. Apply for a visa
Good news - sonographers are on New Zealand’s skill shortage lists. That means applying for a visa may be easier, providing you have a full-time job offer and the right work experience and qualifications. You may also be able to bring your partner and children with you.
4. Investigate your costs
The cost of living may be different to back home, depending on where you’re from and where you plan to live in New Zealand.
5. Plan your move
To make your move hassle-free, try NZ Ready. This free online tool gives you a personalised task list to help you plan your move to New Zealand and make settling here easier.
NZ Ready
NZ Ready
You love your job as a sonographer, but does it come at the expense of time with your family and friends? Do you want to make a difference to patients’ lives, while still having the time and energy for a life of your own? New Zealand could well be the answer.
NZ Ready online planning tool
NZ Ready is a free online tool to help you plan your move to New Zealand, ensuring you know how things work here and have a hassle-free move.