SES Band 2 salary and the national line
The SES Band 2 classification sits at the senior executive level of the Australian Public Service. Unlike award-covered or enterprise-agreement roles, SES Band 2 salaries are set by the Remuneration Tribunal, a separate body that determines base pay, performance bonuses, and other conditions. Because the Tribunal’s determinations are not captured in the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey or the Employee Earnings and Hours survey, a precise current figure is not available from the sources used on this site. However, we can place the role in context against the national full-time average and explore why state and award factors can move pay off the line.
Where the national average sits
The ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026 reports full-time adult ordinary-time earnings of $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year when multiplied by 52. This is the benchmark line used on Place a salary on the line. For comparison, the full-time median from the ABS Employee Earnings survey (August 2025) is about $90,532 per year, and the all-employees median is about $74,100. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week. SES Band 2 salaries, even at the base level, are well above all of these figures.
How states shift the line
The national average masks significant variation across states and territories. The on-site figures from the ABS show:
- New South Wales: $109,658
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- South Australia: $102,450
- Western Australia: $115,825
- Tasmania: $96,008
- Northern Territory: $103,173
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090
An SES Band 2 officer based in Canberra (ACT) would see their pay compared to a state average that is about $10,700 above the national line. In Tasmania, the state average is about $12,344 below the national line. This means that even if the Tribunal sets a uniform base salary, the local labour market and cost-of-living adjustments can make the same nominal salary feel different relative to the local full-time average. The States and territories page shows how each jurisdiction’s average earnings compare.
Award and agreement effects
Most Australian employees have their pay set by one of three methods: an award, a collective agreement, or an individual arrangement. The ABS Employee Earnings survey for May 2025 found that 38.5% of employees had their pay set by individual arrangement, 34.6% by collective agreement, and the remainder by award or other methods. SES Band 2 roles fall outside these categories because they are determined by the Remuneration Tribunal. However, the principle still applies: the method of setting pay can push earnings above or below the national average.
For example, employees covered by enterprise agreements in industries like mining or professional services often earn above the award rate and above the national average. Conversely, award-reliant industries such as retail or hospitality tend to sit closer to the minimum wage. The Industry medians page breaks down earnings by sector, showing that the highest-paying industries (mining, information media, financial services) have median weekly earnings well above the national average, while the lowest (accommodation, retail) are below.
Occupation and gender
SES Band 2 is a management occupation, and the ABS data shows that managers have the highest hourly earnings of any occupation: $69.20 per hour in May 2025. Professionals follow at $64.50. The national full-time average for men is about $113,412 per year, and for women about $100,594. The gender pay gap persists across all levels, including senior executive roles. The Job medians page provides more detail on how different occupations compare to the line.
What this means for your salary
If you are an SES Band 2 employee or considering a move to that level, the key takeaway is that your salary is determined by a separate process from the mainstream labour market. The national average is a useful benchmark, but your actual pay will depend on the Tribunal’s latest determination, your location, and any additional allowances or performance payments. The Guides section offers more on how to interpret these figures.
For a full explanation of how the ABS collects and publishes earnings data, see How the figures are set. And for more about this site’s approach, visit About this site.