Discover & Hire Top Talents in Papua New Guinea
Everything you need to know about the country's employment laws, culture, and workforce insights.
Port Moresby UTC+10 to UTC+11
Port Moresby, Lae
Kina (PGK)
English, Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu
weekly, fortnightly, or monthly
8.40%
Talent Landscape in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea has an estimated labor force of about 3.75 million (2025), with talent demand concentrated in mining, oil and gas, construction, agriculture and telecommunications. International employers are most likely to find relevant candidate pools for Mining & Petroleum Engineering, Health, Safety & Environment, and Construction. The market is well suited to focused hiring, while niche roles benefit from targeted sourcing and a clear employer value proposition.
Major Economic Hubs
Port Moresby, Lae
Skills In-Demand
Mining & Petroleum Engineering
Working Culture
Wantok Obligations and Workplace Relationships
In Papua New Guinea, wantok networks can create strong mutual support but may also shape expectations around hiring, assistance and conflict. Managers should apply policies consistently while understanding the community relationships employees navigate.
Respectful, Face to Face Communication
Important issues are often handled more effectively through personal conversation than impersonal messages. Public confrontation can damage trust, so sensitive feedback should be delivered privately and respectfully.
Logistics Shape Time and Planning
Transport, weather and infrastructure can affect punctuality and project schedules, especially outside Port Moresby. Build practical buffers and confirm arrangements rather than assuming delays indicate low commitment.
Average Salary
| Job Title | Avg Monthly Salary (PGK) | |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting & Finance | ||
| Administrative Executive, Junior (1-3 years) | 2,300 PGK | S$3,128 |
| Administrative Executive, Mid (3-5 years) | 3,100 PGK | S$4,216 |
| Book Keeper, Junior (1-3 years) | 2,100 PGK | S$2,856 |
| Book Keeper, Mid (3-5 years) | 2,800 PGK | S$3,808 |
| Finance Executive, Junior (1-3 years) | 2,650 PGK | S$3,604 |
| Finance Executive, Mid (3-5 years) | 3,500 PGK | S$4,760 |
| Creatives | ||
| Graphic Designer, Junior (1-3 years) | 2,650 PGK | S$3,604 |
| Graphic Designer, Mid (3-5 years) | 3,850 PGK | S$5,236 |
| UI/UX Designer, Junior (1-3 years) | 2,800 PGK | S$3,808 |
| UI/UX Designer, Mid (3-5 years) | 4,900 PGK | S$6,664 |
| Data Analytics | ||
| Data Analyst, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,850 PGK | S$5,236 |
| Data Analyst, Mid (3-5 years) | 5,050 PGK | S$6,868 |
| Data Engineering | ||
| Data Engineer, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,850 PGK | S$5,236 |
| Data Engineer, Mid (3-5 years) | 6,250 PGK | S$8,500 |
| AI & Machine Learning | ||
| Data Scientist, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,850 PGK | S$5,236 |
| Data Scientist, Mid (3-5 years) | 5,200 PGK | S$7,072 |
| Machine Learning Engineer, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,250 PGK | S$4,420 |
| Machine Learning Engineer, Mid (3-5 years) | 4,900 PGK | S$6,664 |
| Digital Marketing | ||
| Content Marketing, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,100 PGK | S$4,216 |
| Content Marketing, Mid (3-5 years) | 4,600 PGK | S$6,256 |
| Digital Marketing, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,100 PGK | S$4,216 |
| Digital Marketing, Mid (3-5 years) | 4,600 PGK | S$6,256 |
| Growth Marketing, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,250 PGK | S$4,420 |
| Growth Marketing, Mid (3-5 years) | 4,900 PGK | S$6,664 |
| Software Development | ||
| Backend Developer, Junior (1-3 years) | 4,000 PGK | S$5,440 |
| Backend Developer, Mid (3-5 years) | 5,950 PGK | S$8,092 |
| Job Title | Avg Monthly Salary (PGK) | |
|---|---|---|
| DevOps | ||
| DevOps Engineer, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,850 PGK | S$5,236 |
| DevOps Engineer, Mid (3-5 years) | 5,200 PGK | S$7,072 |
| Site Reliability Engineer, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,850 PGK | S$5,236 |
| Site Reliability Engineer, Mid (3-5 years) | 5,500 PGK | S$7,480 |
| Customer Support | ||
| Customer Service Officer, Junior (1-3 years) | 1,950 PGK | S$2,652 |
| Customer Service Officer, Mid (3-5 years) | 2,500 PGK | S$3,400 |
| Customer Experience | ||
| Customer Success Manager, Junior (1-3 years) | 2,800 PGK | S$3,808 |
| Customer Success Manager, Mid (3-5 years) | 4,000 PGK | S$5,440 |
| HR Operations | ||
| HR Executive, Junior (1-3 years) | 2,500 PGK | S$3,400 |
| HR Executive, Mid (3-5 years) | 3,400 PGK | S$4,624 |
| FinTech | ||
| Blockchain Developer, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,100 PGK | S$4,216 |
| Blockchain Developer, Mid (3-5 years) | 4,600 PGK | S$6,256 |
| Payments Engineer, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,100 PGK | S$4,216 |
| Payments Engineer, Mid (3-5 years) | 4,150 PGK | S$5,644 |
| Cloud Computing | ||
| Cloud Engineer, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,550 PGK | S$4,828 |
| Cloud Engineer, Mid (3-5 years) | 5,200 PGK | S$7,072 |
Hiring Guide in Papua New Guinea
This guide highlights the fundamental rules employers must know to hire compliantly, covering pay structures, leave policies, termination procedures, and compliance requirements.
For details, browse the topics through the tabs below.
Payroll in Papua New Guinea
Payroll Cycle
The wage period is set by the employment terms and should not exceed the local statutory limit. Salaried employees are commonly paid monthly.
Minimum Wage
A statutory national minimum wage applies, generally expressed as an hourly rate.
Overtime Pay
- Commonly 8 hours per day and 44 hours per week under employment legislation and awards. - Confirm the relevant award because there is no single uniform premium for every role.
- Overtime Pay = Ordinary Hourly Rate × Multiplier in the applicable Industrial Award, determination or contract × Overtime Hours.
Bonus
13th Month
Papua New Guinea does not impose a general statutory 13th month salary on private sector employers. Private sector employees therefore have no automatic entitlement to an additional annual salary unless a binding employment contract, collective agreement, wage order, employer rule, or special sector law provides one.
No statutory private sector calculation applies. Where a binding instrument grants an annual bonus or 13th salary, the amount must be calculated under that instrument; there is no legal default that it equals 1 month of salary.
No private sector employee in Papua New Guinea qualifies automatically under the general labour law. Eligibility is limited to employees expressly covered by the applicable contract, collective agreement, wage order, employer rule, or special sector provision. The general law does not prescribe a universal minimum service period, prorating method, payment deadline, or entitlement after resignation or dismissal for a 13th salary. Those points must be determined from the specific binding instrument. Statutory leave pay, severance, end of service benefits, profit sharing, and public sector payments are separate benefits and should not be recorded as private sector 13th month salary unless the local rule expressly treats them that way.
Employees Benefits
| Types of Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Mandatory | |
| Statutory termination or end of service entitlement in Papua New Guinea | Termination payments in Papua New Guinea depend on the Labour Code, the dismissal ground and the employee’s service. Employers must settle notice or pay in lieu, earned salary, unused leave and any statutory severance, gratuity or indemnity that the local rules attach to redundancy, employer initiated dismissal or contract expiry. A resignation does not automatically produce the same entitlement. |
| Work injury protection under Nasfund or Nambawan Super contributions and workers’ compensation | In Papua New Guinea, occupational injury protection is tied to Nasfund or Nambawan Super contributions and workers’ compensation. The employer must complete the applicable registration or insurance arrangement before exposure begins, report workplace accidents within the legal deadline, and fund the employer portion. Benefits generally cover treatment, temporary incapacity, permanent disability and survivor payments, but the responsible institution and assessable wage follow the local scheme. |
| Nasfund or Nambawan Super contributions and workers’ compensation | The core employer obligation in Papua New Guinea is registration and payroll remittance under Nasfund or Nambawan Super contributions and workers’ compensation. This is not a general allowance: it is the named statutory arrangement for the pension, retirement, unemployment, medical or related branches stated in the programme title. Coverage must be checked against establishment size, employee status, nationality and earnings limits, and contributions must be paid to the relevant authority by its filing deadline. |
| Public healthcare or mandatory medical coverage in Papua New Guinea | Papua New Guinea relies mainly on its public health system rather than a universal employer purchased medical policy. The employer must still comply with any payroll health levy, social insurance medical branch or visa linked insurance requirement that applies to the worker. Private group medical cover is therefore supplementary unless local law expressly makes it compulsory for the employee category. |
| Optional | |
| Supplementary private medical insurance in Papua New Guinea | Private medical insurance in Papua New Guinea should be designed around the gaps left by Nasfund or Nambawan Super contributions and workers’ compensation. Employers commonly add faster outpatient access, private hospital treatment, dental, optical, mental health and dependant cover. The policy remains optional unless a visa, emirate, collective agreement or sector rule makes insurance compulsory, and any taxable benefit treatment should be processed through payroll. |
| Performance or profit sharing bonus in Papua New Guinea | A performance or profit sharing bonus in Papua New Guinea is optional unless promised by contract, collective agreement or an established plan. The rules should specify the performance period, measurable targets, proration for joiners and leavers, and treatment during protected leave. Payroll must apply local income tax and social contribution rules to the payment. |
| Meal, commuting and business travel support in Papua New Guinea | Meal, commuting and business travel support in Papua New Guinea should be split between fixed cash allowances and reimbursements supported by receipts. That distinction determines whether the amount is taxable salary, exempt expense repayment or part of the contribution wage. The policy should state limits, eligible journeys and the treatment of remote work. |
| Housing, relocation and remote work support in Papua New Guinea | Housing, relocation and remote work support in Papua New Guinea is normally contractual rather than statutory. The policy should identify covered costs, taxable benefit treatment, repayment conditions for early departure and whether the support is temporary or continues throughout the assignment. |
Taxes
Country Tax
Papua New Guinea's country tax is known as Goods and Services Tax (GST) 10%
Individual Tax
| Tax Component | Contribution Rate (%) | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Income Tax Structure | ||
| Resident Tax Rates | Up to 42% | Papua New Guinea applies Up to 42% to taxable employment income. The employee’s final liability depends on taxable pay, permitted deductions or credits, and any local surtaxes stated in the cited source. |
| Non-Resident Employment Income | 22% to 42% | Nonresident salary and wages tax applies to Papua New Guinea sourced employment income using the prescribed nonresident schedule. |
| Taxable Income Adjustments | ||
| Main Deductions and Allowances | See details | Expenditure for the acquisition or improvement of assets is not deductible, but depreciation deductions may be claimed. |
| Taxable & Exempt Components | ||
| Bonuses and Cash Allowances | Generally taxable at marginal employment rate | In Papua New Guinea, cash salary, commissions, performance bonuses, and recurring cash allowances are generally taxable employment income and subject to payroll withholding at the applicable marginal rate unless a specific statutory exemption applies. |
| Benefits in Kind | Taxable value at marginal rate where applicable | In Papua New Guinea, employer provided housing, vehicles, meals, insurance, equity, and other noncash benefits may be taxable under local valuation rules. Business reimbursements and de minimis exemptions require local support. |
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