IoD Directors' Fees Report
The 2025/26 Directors’ Fees Report is now available.
Your essential resource for benchmarking board fees and understanding governance trends in Aotearoa New Zealand, produced in association with EY.
The Directors’ Fees Report, produced annually by the Institute of Directors in partnership with EY, brings together insights from across Aotearoa New Zealand’s governance community. Now in its 11th year, the 2025/26 edition draws on responses from 1,158 directors, covering 1,957 organisations and 5,169 directorships.
It offers a clear and credible view of board remuneration and practice across sectors, sizes and governance structures, supporting confident decision making and greater visibility of changing expectations in the boardroom. Whether you're benchmarking fees, reviewing board workload or examining trends in governance, this report is your go-to resource.
Looking for a quick overview?
Get the key insights at a glance in our infographic summary.
This year’s report includes detailed breakdowns on:
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- Fees across organisation types, sizes, sectors and roles
- Time commitment and hourly rates for chairs, members and committee roles
- Remuneration practice including non-financial offerings
- Fee movements, satisfaction levels and long-term shifts
- Market insights and updates on the wider regulatory environment
Take a look at some of the standout findings from the 2025 survey.
Fees are up
The median fee for non-executive directors rose by 7.4%, reaching $53,700 (up from $50,000 in 2024).
Satisfaction is down
Just 58.1% of directors are satisfied with their remuneration (down from 65%), with key concerns including time commitment (85%), increased workload (55.4%), personal or reputational risk (50.7%) and compliance burden (27.8%).
Directors are refocusing their time
Average hours dropped to 161 (from 178), with directors stepping back from non-core activities such as CEO mentoring, conferences and site visits to focus on formal board duties.
Gender pay gap narrows - but representation gaps remain
The pay gap between male and female non-executive directors dropped to 2.4% (from 9.3%), with median fees rising to $53,700 for women (up from $45,000) and $55,000 for men (up from $50,000).
Appointments remain network-driven
More than half (57.9%) of directors were appointed through referrals from current board members — well ahead of recruitment firms or formal advertising.
You can also read more perspectives from the IoD and EY here.
For the full story - order the 2025/25 Directors' Fees Report today
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IoD members who participated in the survey: $525 + GST- IoD members and 'member' affiliated companies who did not participate in the survey: $1,015 + GST
- Non-IoD members or non-member companies who participated in the survey: $750 + GST
- Non-IoD members or non-member affiliated companies who did not participate in the survey: $1,450 + GST
All hardcopies will incur an additional fee of $100 + GST
If you have any questions about the report, please contact us at governanceservices@iod.org.nz, or give us a call on 0800 846 369.