Software engineering courses in New Zealand
Square1 Ai is an online school, registered in Sri Lanka. It runs five live software engineering bootcamps (Software Engineering with AI, Claude Code for Engineering, Codex for Software Engineering, Forward Deployed Engineer and Cloud Engineer with AI), each twelve weeks on Zoom with one instructor and 10 projects you keep, for NZ$249; self-paced courses start at NZ$49. New Zealand students join the Australian cohorts: weekday evenings from 8:30 PM New Zealand time (6:30 PM in Sydney), with full-day sessions at weekends.
Founding price, half the NZ$499 standard, until 1 December. Self-paced courses from NZ$49.
The Software Engineering with AI Bootcamp handbook
The twelve weeks, the 10 projects and what the roles pay, in one PDF. Free: tell us where to send it.
What developers earn in New Zealand
Annual base salary in New Zealand, from Payscale (read 29 October 2026). The range is the middle half of reported salaries, and each row shows how many salary profiles it rests on.
| Role | Median a year | Middle half | Train for it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior software engineerPayscale113 salary profiles | NZ$123,300 | NZ$108,900 to NZ$139,300 | Claude Code for Engineering, Codex for Software Engineering |
| DevOps engineerPayscale23 salary profiles | NZ$97,000 | NZ$70,000 to NZ$115,900 | LLMOps, Cloud Engineer with AI |
| Full stack developerPayscale25 salary profiles | NZ$90,200 | NZ$68,600 to NZ$108,200 | Software Engineering with AI |
| Software engineerPayscale192 salary profiles | NZ$84,600 | NZ$71,700 to NZ$105,200 | Software Engineering with AI, Claude Code for Engineering, Codex for Software Engineering |
| QA engineerPayscale29 salary profiles | NZ$78,800 | NZ$62,800 to NZ$96,300 | AI Security and Red-Teaming |
| Junior software engineerPayscale13 salary profiles | NZ$62,500 | NZ$53,500 to NZ$69,000 | Software Engineering with AI |
Salaries are what employers in New Zealand report paying, not what Square1 Ai students earn: the first cohorts have not graduated.
Bootcamps that fit a working week in New Zealand.
Twelve weeks each, weekday evenings and weekend days, 25 spots a cohort. Reserving a seat holds the founding price.
Software engineering courses in New Zealand, side by side
Software engineering courses you can take in New Zealand in 2026, with their length, how they are taught and the fee each provider lists.
| Course | Length | How it is taught | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Development bootcamp (full time)Dev Academy Aotearoa | 17 weeks | Live online | $13,990 (2027; GST not stated) |
| AI Development bootcamp (part time)Dev Academy Aotearoa | 46 weeks, nights and weekends | Live online | Not listed on its site |
| Full Stack Developer AcceleratorMission Ready | 12 weeks full time | Live online | NZ$3,320 domestic |
| Live software engineering bootcamps (5 tracks)Square1 Ai | 12 weeks, about 15 hours a week | Live online, weekday evenings from 8:30 PM NZ time and weekend days | NZ$249 (founding price) |
Fees and lengths as each provider lists them on its own site, checked 29 October 2026. Ask the provider for the current intake before you pay.
Four ways into software engineering in New Zealand
Each fits a different person. The right one depends on whether you need a degree, a university name, a free start or a portfolio.
- Route 1
A degree or master's
Fits when You want a formal qualification in software engineering, or the theory in depth.
Watch for Years of study and a large fee; check how much of it uses the tools teams work with now.
- Route 2
A university or institute short course
Fits when You want a known name on a short software engineering course, online or on campus.
Watch for Most are a few weeks and teach concepts; ask whether you build and deploy something.
- Route 3
A free or funded programme
Fits when You want to try software engineering before paying for anything.
Watch for Good for basics; nobody reviews your work, so you still need projects to show.
- Route 4
A live online bootcamp
Fits when You are working and want a job-shaped portfolio in twelve weeks, taught live on New Zealand time.
Watch for Square1 Ai's bootcamps are new and not accredited: the first cohorts have not graduated, so there is no placement rate yet.
Questions people in New Zealand ask about software engineering
Which software engineering course is best in New Zealand?
It depends on what you need. Dev Academy Aotearoa's AI Development bootcamp (full time) lists $13,990 (2027; GST not stated) and Mission Ready's Full Stack Developer Accelerator lists NZ$3,320 domestic; the table above lists each one's length and fee. If you are working and want a portfolio an employer can check, Square1 Ai's twelve-week live bootcamps are NZ$249 at the founding price.
How much does a software engineering course cost in New Zealand?
A Square1 Ai live software engineering bootcamp is NZ$249, the founding price until 1 December (the standard price is NZ$499), and a self-paced course is NZ$49. Other providers' fees are in the table above.
What does a senior software engineer earn in New Zealand?
Payscale puts the median base salary for a senior software engineer in New Zealand at NZ$123,300 a year, with the middle half between NZ$108,900 and NZ$139,300, from 113 salary profiles.
Is there a full stack development course?
Yes. In the Software Engineering with AI bootcamp you build and ship a full-stack product, front end, API and database, with coding agents doing much of the typing and you reviewing, testing and deploying it.
Will AI coding tools replace software engineers?
They are changing the job rather than removing it: teams now expect engineers to direct tools such as Claude Code and Codex, review what they write and prove it works. That is what these bootcamps teach.
Can I learn software engineering online in New Zealand while working full time?
Yes. New Zealand students join the Australian cohorts: weekday evenings from 8:30 PM New Zealand time (6:30 PM in Sydney), with full-day sessions at weekends. The work between sessions is graded by Nova, Square1 Ai's AI tutor, whenever you submit it. Plan for about fifteen hours a week across the twelve weeks.
Is it NZQA approved, and do Fees Free or StudyLink cover it?
No. Square1 Ai is not an NZQA-registered provider and its bootcamps are not NZQA-approved qualifications, so Fees Free, StudyLink loans and allowances do not apply. You leave with 10 deployed projects and a recorded defence of your work.
Does the bootcamp guarantee a job?
No. No placement rate is published because the first cohorts have not graduated. You leave with 10 projects an employer can open and run, a recorded defence of your work, and a hiring plan worked through with your instructor.
How do I pay?
Reserving a seat is free and takes your name, email and country. Nothing is charged until the start date is confirmed and you say yes.
25 spots a cohort. Hold one on New Zealand time.
Pick a bootcamp, reserve with your name and email, and hear the start date first. Nothing is charged until you confirm.