APS Salary 2026
APS salary in 2026 is the classification range that applies from the first full pay period on or after 1 March 2026. These figures are the Commonwealth pay-fragmentation thresholds, not one department’s payslip.
Last updated 20 October 2026.
Key takeaways
- The 3.4% rise applies from the first full pay period on or after 1 March 2026, which the APSC agreement dates as 12 March 2026.
- Service-wide floors: APS 1 $57,497, APS 6 $99,734, EL 1 $121,755, EL 2 $140,675.
- An agency can pay above the floor. Treasury’s APS 6.1 rate from the same date is $105,260.
- PSSap employer contributions are 15.4% of ordinary time earnings, not the 12% Superannuation Guarantee.
- The rounded “APS 1 is $58,200” table does not match the published thresholds.
1. APS salary ranges from 12 March 2026
Minimum and maximum the service-wide pay-fragmentation mechanism requires. Tax is Stage 3 PAYG plus 2% Medicare on the minimum only, with no HECS. Super is 15.4% of that minimum. Compare a state offer on the NSW public service salary page.
| Classification | Minimum | Maximum | 15.4% super on the minimum | Estimated tax on the minimum | Net on the minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APS 1 Service-wide minimum and maximum the range must meet. | $57,497 | $60,946 | $8,855 | $9,187 | $48,310 |
| APS 2 Operational and processing work. | $62,775 | $68,425 | $9,667 | $10,876 | $51,899 |
| APS 3 Procedural and service-delivery work. | $70,477 | $76,820 | $10,853 | $13,341 | $57,136 |
| APS 4 Experienced administrative work. | $79,125 | $86,246 | $12,185 | $16,108 | $63,017 |
| APS 5 Specialist or team-lead work inside APS 1–6. | $88,834 | $96,829 | $13,680 | $19,215 | $69,619 |
| APS 6 The floor many 2026 vacancy notices start on. | $99,734 | $111,701 | $15,359 | $22,703 | $77,031 |
| EL 1 Executive Level 1. Not an APS 6 top pay point. | $121,755 | $132,713 | $18,750 | $29,750 | $92,005 |
| EL 2 Executive Level 2. Senior Executive Service is a different instrument. | $140,675 | $153,336 | $21,664 | $36,201 | $104,474 |
The APS Bargaining Statement of Common Conditions sets those year-3 thresholds. The 3.4% column is the increase from the first full pay period on or after 1 March 2026. Clause 20 of the Australian Public Service Commission Enterprise Agreement 2024–2027 dates that pay period as 12 March 2026, after 4.0% on 14 March 2024 and 3.8% on 13 March 2025.
A new engagement is usually paid at the minimum of the agency’s range unless the agency head sets a higher salary inside it. The service-wide minimum is the floor of that range, not a promise that every APS 6 is paid $99,734.
2. APS 6 salary versus an EL 1 salary
The service-wide APS 6 span is $99,734 to $111,701. EL 1 starts at $121,755 and runs to $132,713 on the same threshold table. Moving from the top of APS 6 to the bottom of EL 1 is a promotion, not the next increment inside APS 6.
Agency agreements sit above those floors. The Treasury enterprise agreement appendix pays APS 6.1 at $105,260 and APS 6.4 at $127,521 from 12 March 2026, and EL 1.1 at $137,301. Treasury’s APS 1.1 rate is $57,497, which is the service-wide APS 1 minimum, so the floor is binding at the bottom even when the top of a classification runs higher. Victorian public service grades are a different agreement — see VPS salary scales before you treat an EL 1 and a VPS 6 as the same job.
3. Employer super is 15.4% of ordinary time earnings
Clause 42 of the APSC agreement sets the employer contribution at 15.4% of ordinary time earnings for employees in the Public Sector Superannuation Accumulation Plan and in other accumulation funds. The Department of Finance states the same 15.4% of superannuation salary for PSSap. Salary sacrifice does not reduce that employer contribution.
On the APS 6 minimum of $99,734, 15.4% is $15,359. That amount is not cash in the fortnight. NSW clerks on the Crown Employees scale receive the 12% Superannuation Guarantee, not 15.4%. Model tax on base salary with the take-home pay calculator after you lock the pay point, and add a HELP debt on the HECS-HELP guide if the offer is above the repayment threshold.
4. How to read an APS offer
- Read the classification (APS 1–6, EL 1, or EL 2) and the pay point inside it.
- Check the date. The current column is the first full pay period on or after 1 March 2026.
- Confirm the figure is at least the service-wide minimum in the table above.
- Open the agency enterprise agreement. Treasury is one worked example, not the scale for Defence or Services Australia.
- Treat 15.4% super as extra, not as part of the base salary, unless the letter says “total remuneration”.
- Do not use a single “APS salary” dollar from a 2025 blog. The 3.4% rise had not been paid yet on 31 December 2025.
Start at the public service salary hub if you are comparing a state role with a federal one. The photographs on this page are AI visuals. Raw files: classification ranges, APS 6 and EL 1, and the offer letter.
Sources
- APS Bargaining Statement of Common Conditions (November 2023) — pay-fragmentation thresholds
- APSC Enterprise Agreement 2024–2027 — increase dates, 15.4% OTE, salary setting
- Department of Finance — PSSap
- Treasury enterprise agreement — Appendix A base salaries
- APSC — pay offer page for the next bargaining round
Public service salary hub
State scales sit next to the APS. NSW clerks use 12% super, not 15.4%.
Frequently Asked Questions
Official Australian tax, superannuation, and take-home pay guidance grounded in current ATO rulings.
What is the APS salary in 2026?
From the first full pay period on or after 1 March 2026 (12 March 2026), the Commonwealth pay-fragmentation thresholds set APS 1 at $57,497 to $60,946 and APS 6 at $99,734 to $111,701. An agency enterprise agreement can pay more. It cannot set the range below those thresholds.
How much does an APS 6 earn in 2026?
The service-wide APS 6 threshold is $99,734 to $111,701 from 12 March 2026. The Treasury enterprise agreement, for example, pays APS 6.1 at $105,260 and APS 6.4 at $127,521 from the same date. Read the agency agreement named on the offer.
Is there one APS pay scale for every department?
No. Each agency’s 2024 enterprise agreement sets its own pay points. The common 4.0%, 3.8% and 3.4% rises, and the pay-fragmentation floors, are the service-wide rules those agreements sit on.
What super do APS employees receive?
For PSSap and other accumulation funds, the Australian Public Service Commission enterprise agreement sets the employer contribution at 15.4% of ordinary time earnings. The Department of Finance states the same 15.4% of superannuation salary for PSSap. That is not the 12% Superannuation Guarantee used in most state public services.
When is the next APS pay rise?
The 2024 agreements schedule the last rise on the first full pay period on or after 1 March 2026. The APSC enterprise agreement’s nominal expiry is 28 February 2027. A later rise depends on the replacement agreement. The APSC has published a separate pay-offer page for bargaining that is not yet an agreed salary table.