A DJ career is the most sought-after dream job in New Zealand, according to a new global study by money transfer and exchange service Remitly.
The firm analysed online searches for phrases like “how to be” and “how to become a” across 145 countries. DJing placed first in New Zealand and tenth globally, ranking below actor, firefighter, lawyer and YouTuber but above doctor and nurse.
In New Zealand, “how to be a music producer” also appeared prominently, landing at number 15 on the country-specific list.
Remitly first conducted the research in 2022, repeated it in 2024, and has now released a third edition.
“In 2022, we set out to uncover the world’s most coveted dream jobs. We revisited the data in 2024, and now, two years on, we’re back for a third look at the most popular jobs people across 145 countries are searching for when they imagine their next career chapter. What those popular careers are has shifted dramatically since we first started this research.”
In the 2024 edition, DJ career searches ranked 24th globally.
“To find out which dream jobs are capturing imaginations in 2026, we analysed Google search data around the world, focusing not on traditional job search terms like “pilot jobs” but on the more revealing phrasing ‘how to be a…’ and ‘how to become a…’ — the language people use when they’re still in the dreaming stage.”
