Employees of community based non-government organisation (NGO) social service agencies are vital in ensuring the most vulnerable people in our communities receive the services they need to enhance socio-economic outcomes. In 2018 an equal pay settlement provided a 30% increase in pay to social workers in the government’s Oranga Tamariki agency but this settlement was not extended to social workers in the NGO sector. Pay inequity is one reason why NGOs struggle to recruit and retain staff. SociaLink Tauranga Moana, funded to support the social service sector in the Western Bay of Plenty, sent an online survey on pay remuneration to staff of local organisations. The survey asked questions on typo of organisation worked for, role, qualifications, time in current job, type of employment agreement, hours worked per week,salary bands; changes in job complexity and hours worked over time; pay rise frequency; changes in staffing levels by organisation.