What is the current APS4 salary range?

Under the Australian Public Service Enterprise Agreement, the APS4 classification has two pay points. From 12 March 2026, APS 4.1 is $82,995 a year and APS 4.2 is $87,337 a year. These figures are base salaries before allowances or overtime.

How does an APS4 salary compare to the national full-time average?

The national full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 a year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). An APS4 salary is well below this average. Even the top APS4 step ($87,337) is about $21,000 less than the national average.

What could move an APS4 salary above or below the national average?

An APS4 salary is set by the enterprise agreement and is unlikely to exceed the national average without additional payments such as overtime, shift penalties, or location allowances. However, these are not guaranteed. Promotions to APS5 or higher classifications would push pay above the average. Conversely, part-time hours or salary sacrificing could reduce take-home pay relative to the full-time average.

APS4 salary compared to the national full-time average

Where an APS4 salary sits against the national full-time average

The Australian Public Service (APS) classification structure sets salaries for government employees. An APS4 salary is a mid-level clerical or administrative role, typically requiring some experience or a diploma. Under the current enterprise agreement, the base salary for an APS4 ranges from $82,995 (APS 4.1) to $87,337 (APS 4.2) a year, effective from 12 March 2026. These figures come from the Commonwealth Enterprise Agreement published by the Department of the Treasury.

The national full-time average: the line

The site's line is the national full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings, as measured by the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026. That figure is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 a year when multiplied by 52. This is the benchmark for full-time workers across all industries and sectors. An APS4 salary falls short of this line by a noticeable margin.

How APS4 compares to the average

APS 4.1 ($82,995) is about $25,357 below the national full-time average.
APS 4.2 ($87,337) is about $21,015 below the national full-time average.

Even the highest APS4 step is roughly 19% lower than the average. This means the typical APS4 employee earns less than the typical full-time Australian worker. The gap is larger when compared to the public sector average (which includes higher-level APS roles) of about $117,681 a year (based on $2,263.10 per week for public sector full-time ordinary time earnings).

APS4 versus the median and minimum wage

For context, the full-time median earnings (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025) are about $90,532 a year. An APS4.2 salary of $87,337 is below that median, while APS4.1 is even further below. The all-employees median (including part-time) is about $74,100, so both APS4 steps sit above that broader median. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or about $52,255 a year on a 38-hour week. An APS4 salary is comfortably above the minimum wage, but still below the full-time average.

What would move an APS4 salary above or below the average?

Because APS4 salaries are fixed by enterprise agreement, individual movement within the classification is limited to annual step increases (from APS 4.1 to APS 4.2) or general wage rises negotiated in future agreements. To exceed the national full-time average, an APS4 employee would typically need:

Overtime or penalty rates: Some APS roles attract overtime or shift loadings, which can boost total earnings. However, these are not guaranteed and vary by role.
Location allowances: Employees in remote areas may receive additional allowances, but these are usually modest.
Promotion: Moving to APS5 (base salary from $93,312) or higher would push pay above the national average. An APS5.1 is about $93,312, still below the average, but APS5.2 is $99,287, and APS6 starts at $105,260, close to the line. Executive Level 1 roles ($137,301 and above) are well above.

Conversely, an APS4 salary could fall further below the average if the employee works part-time or uses salary sacrifice arrangements that reduce taxable income. The national average itself also rises over time; the ABS reported annual growth of 3.7% in ordinary time earnings to May 2026. If APS agreement increases lag behind, the gap widens.

State-by-state comparison

Full-time average earnings vary by state and territory. An APS4 salary is below every state average, but the gap is smallest in Tasmania (average $96,008) and largest in the ACT (average $119,090). For example:

Tasmania: APS4.2 ($87,337) is about $8,671 below the state average.
ACT: APS4.2 is about $31,753 below the state average.

APS employees in the ACT (where many are based) face a larger gap because the local average is boosted by higher-level public service roles.

How the figures are set

The national average is calculated by the ABS from employer surveys. The APS4 salary is set through enterprise bargaining between the government and unions. Both are published regularly: the ABS releases Average Weekly Earnings twice a year (May and November), while APS salaries are updated when new agreements are made. The current APS agreement runs until 2027.

For a personalised comparison, you can Place a salary on the line to see how any pay rate stacks up against the national average. You can also explore States and territories to see how averages differ around Australia.

Summary

An APS4 salary is below the national full-time average of $108,352. It sits between the all-employees median and the full-time median, but below both the average and the full-time median. Without additional payments or promotion, an APS4 employee earns less than the typical full-time worker. The gap is largest in high-earning states like the ACT and Western Australia, and smallest in Tasmania. Future wage growth in the APS will determine whether the gap narrows or widens.