APS Levels and Salary 2026: APS 1–6 and EL1 Pay by Agency

The Australian Public Service has six APS levels (APS 1 to APS 6), then two Executive Levels (EL 1 and EL 2). Each level is a pay range, and each agency sets its own range in its enterprise agreement. From 12 March 2026, in the six agreements we compared (APSC, ATO, Services Australia, DFAT, Defence and Treasury), APS 1 starts at A$57,497 in five of them (A$58,608 at the ATO), APS 4 pay runs from a lowest minimum of A$79,322 (Services Australia) to a highest maximum of A$91,199 (ATO), APS 5 from a lowest minimum of A$88,834 (Services Australia) to a highest maximum of A$99,307 (ATO), and EL 1 from a lowest minimum of A$122,493 (Services Australia) to a highest maximum of A$157,498 (Treasury), all base salary (the APSC, Services Australia, DFAT and Treasury agreements add 15.4% employer super, explained below). The APSC's October 2026 bargaining examples use the same figures as current salaries: an APS 6 at Services Australia "currently earns $99,734", and an ATO APS 6.1's "current salary is $101,142".

Below: what each level does (our summary of the APSC's work level standards), a pay table for all seven levels in six agencies, a closer look at APS 4, APS 5, APS 6 and EL 1, where graduates start, how pay rises and advancement work, and what the APSC has proposed for 2027. The salary tables come from each agency's agreement and the other figures from the sources named in each section, all dated under Sources; our own calculations are labelled. Independent practice – not affiliated with the APSC or any department.

Agency enterprise agreements, salary attachments, rates from 12 March 2026.

The APSC's work level standards (as at 1 December 2014, on a page last updated 18 December 2024) describe each classification by the direction you work under, the complexity of the work and the leadership expected. The standards are "not intended to be an exhaustive list" of duties; a role is classified by "the highest function performed on a regular basis". In short:

This guide does not include EL 2 pay. The work level standards group work into five functions (service delivery, program and project management, policy, regulatory, and professional or technical), so an APS 5 in a contact centre and an APS 5 in a policy branch share a classification but not a job.

Each cell is the lowest and highest rate the agency's agreement sets for that level from 12 March 2026. Most agreements split a level into pay points (APS 4.1, 4.2 and so on); Services Australia and Defence print only the bottom and top of each band.

Three things the table shows. First, the bottom of APS 1 is the same A$57,497 in five agreements; Defence says its extra increases for the minimum APS Level 1, the maximum APS Level 5 and the minimum APS Level 6 are "to reduce pay fragmentation within the APS", and Treasury's footnote says the Commonwealth's "pay fragmentation mechanism" lifted its APS 1 minimum by more than 3.4%, but the ranges above APS 1 still differ. Second, the gaps grow with the level: about A$1,100 between the lowest and highest APS 1 minimum, but A$14,808 between the lowest and highest EL 1 minimum (our arithmetic). Third, the ranges overlap between agencies: the top of APS 3 at the ATO (A$81,381) and at DFAT (A$81,817) is above the bottom of APS 4 at the APSC and at Services Australia. The table shows each agreement's standard classifications only: Services Australia's table is subject to its job streams and entry level programs, and the Defence figures are from its Table 1: Standard Classifications.

At APS 4 the work level standards describe tasks of moderate complexity, some research and analysis, and some discretion in how legislation, procedures and guidelines are interpreted and applied. Across the six agreements, APS 4 pay runs from a lowest minimum of A$79,322 (Services Australia) to a highest maximum of A$91,199 (ATO) a year from 12 March 2026. For budgeting, our suggestion is to use the bottom of the range until the agency confirms your starting salary: at the APSC, clause 23 pays a new or promoted employee "at the minimum of the salary range" unless the Commissioner determines a higher salary.

An APS 5 works under limited direction and gives policy advice within an area of specialisation. Across the six agreements, APS 5 pay runs from a lowest minimum of A$88,834 (Services Australia) to a highest maximum of A$99,307 (ATO) a year from 12 March 2026. Moving from the bottom of APS 4 to the bottom of APS 5 is worth A$9,732 at the APSC (about 12.2%) and A$8,638 at DFAT (all our arithmetic).

The APS 6 is the top of the APS levels proper: complex work, reasonable autonomy, and detailed advice on complex problems. Across the six agreements, APS 6 pay runs from a lowest minimum of A$99,733 (Defence) to a highest maximum of A$127,521 (Treasury) a year from 12 March 2026. It is also where the agencies differ most below the Executive Levels: Treasury's APS 6 range has four pay points and reaches A$127,521, above the bottom of EL 1 in four of the other five agreements.

Executive Level 1 is the first Executive Level classification: very complex or sensitive work under broad direction, with a considerable degree of independence. Across the six agreements, EL 1 pay runs from a lowest minimum of A$122,493 (Services Australia) to a highest maximum of A$157,498 (Treasury) a year from 12 March 2026. At the APSC the EL 1 range has seven pay points, from A$123,996 to A$142,116; the ATO has three, DFAT four and Treasury three.

At the APSC, the jump between the bottoms of two levels is largest from APS 6 to EL 1 among the levels in our pay table: the bottom of EL 1 is A$22,141 above the bottom of APS 6 (about 21.7%, our arithmetic), compared with about 13.9% from APS 5 to APS 6.

Graduate programs start at these levels too: our guides record Finance graduates joining as APS 3, DFAT graduates at APS 4 and Defence graduates at "APS level 4 equivalent". The published ATO and DFAT graduate salaries match their agreement pay points: the ATO's graduate starting salary of A$75,431 is the bottom APS 3 point in the ATO agreement, and its A$84,028 after the program is the bottom APS 4 point; DFAT's A$84,115 on commencement is its APS 4.1 point and A$92,753 on completion is APS 5.1. For more on graduate starting levels and pay, see our map of APS graduate programs and our APS graduate aptitude test guide; the ATO and DFAT details are in our ATO Graduate Program guide and DFAT Graduate Program guide.

Our note: the ranges here are base salary only. Super is on top, and some agreements pay extra for particular work: Defence, for example, provides overtime payments for APS 1 to 6 employees. Whatever your level, the APS Values apply in every role; our APS Values guide covers them.

The APSC, Services Australia, DFAT, Defence and Treasury agreements nominally expire on 28 February 2027, and APS-wide bargaining for the next round is under way. On 13 October 2026 the APSC published the Commonwealth's proposed pay package. It says the proposal "remains subject to bargaining, it is not an agreed outcome". As published, it includes: