APS6 salary in 2026
The APS6 classification is a common career level in the Australian Public Service. Salaries are set by enterprise agreement, not by award. From 12 March 2026, the APS6 salary range is:
- APS6.1: $105,260 per year
- APS6.2: $111,232 per year
- APS6.3: $119,921 per year
- APS6.4: $127,521 per year
These figures come from the Treasury Enterprise Agreement (Appendix A – Base salaries). They are annual salaries before tax and do not include the 15.4% superannuation guarantee.
How APS6 pay compares to the national average
The national full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). This is the line on this site. The APS6.1 salary of $105,260 is about $3,092 below that line. However, the APS6.2 salary of $111,232 is about $2,880 above the national average. Higher levels (APS6.3 and APS6.4) are well above.
For context, the full-time median salary in Australia is about $90,532 per year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). All employees (including part-time) have a median of about $74,100. Every APS6 level exceeds both medians.
The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or about $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week (Fair Work). The lowest APS6 hourly rate (APS6.1 at about $53.26) is more than double the minimum.
Weekly and hourly breakdown
On a 38-hour week, the weekly and hourly equivalents are:
- APS6.1: $2,024.23 per week, $53.26 per hour
- APS6.2: $2,139.08 per week, $56.29 per hour
- APS6.3: $2,306.17 per week, $60.69 per hour
- APS6.4: $2,452.33 per week, $64.54 per hour
These rates are before tax. For 2026–27, the tax brackets are: nil up to $18,200, then 15% to $45,000, 30% to $135,000, 37% to $190,000, and 45% above that. The Medicare levy of 2% applies (with possible reductions). An APS6.1 earner would pay roughly $24,000 in tax and Medicare, leaving about $81,000 after tax.
State and territory comparisons
The national average masks differences between states. The highest full-time average is in the Australian Capital Territory at about $119,090 per year, reflecting the concentration of public service jobs. An APS6.1 salary of $105,260 is about $13,830 below the ACT average. In contrast, the lowest state average is Tasmania at about $96,008, so an APS6.1 salary is about $9,252 above the Tasmanian average. Place a salary on the line to see how any APS6 level compares to your state.
Other state averages: New South Wales $109,658, Victoria $106,137, Queensland $106,064, South Australia $102,450, Western Australia $115,825, Northern Territory $103,173. States and territories has full details.
Gender pay gap context
The ABS reports that the gender pay gap for full-time ordinary earnings fell to 11.3% in May 2026. Men's full-time average is about $113,412 per year; women's is about $100,594. An APS6.1 salary sits between these two averages, closer to the women's average. Higher APS6 levels exceed both.
How the APS6 salary is set
APS salaries are negotiated through enterprise bargaining, not through the Fair Work Commission's annual wage review. The current agreement runs to 2026 with annual increases of 3.4% (plus a pay fragmentation mechanism). The next increase will apply from March 2027. How the figures are set explains the difference between award wages and enterprise agreements.
Summary
The APS6 salary range offers a clear career path: starting at $105,260, rising to $127,521 over four pay points. For most APS6 levels, the pay is at or above the national full-time average. The entry level is just below the line, but progression to APS6.2 quickly overtakes the average. For anyone comparing a job offer or planning a move, Place a salary on the line to see the distance from the national average.