What is the State Sector?

The State sector is the term used to cover all organisations that report to the Crown. It includes:

  • the State Services (including Public Service departments, other departments and Crown entities)
  • tertiary education institutions
  • Offices of Parliament.

You can see a list of the organisations in the State sector on the State Services Commission website.

The State sector is separate from local government (city, district and regional councils), which manages the infrastructure and development of particular areas.

What jobs are available?

Pretty much anything you can think of – the State sector employs more than 280,000 New Zealanders in a wide variety of jobs.

While 18 percent of State sector roles are concentrated in Wellington, many roles are found throughout New Zealand - even around the world.

Workplaces include farms and forests, courtrooms and laboratories, offices and offshore islands, embassies and international organisations. Some roles involve wearing a business suit or a uniform, while others involve getting around the community in jeans and t-shirt. And State sector staff might get to work by bike or boat, four-wheel drive or bus, train or international airliner.