VPS 5 Salary 2026: What the Public Sources Tell Us
If you are looking for the VPS 5 salary for 2026, you are likely an employee or manager in the Victorian Public Service, or someone considering a role at that level. The VPS classification system covers a wide range of professional and administrative roles, and VPS 5 typically sits at a senior professional or team leader level. Unfortunately, the web search results provided do not include the specific VPS 5 pay rates for 2026. The search results cover the Australian Public Service (APS) Enterprise Award and national earnings data, but not the Victorian Public Service. This article will help you understand where VPS 5 might sit relative to national benchmarks, and how to interpret salary figures in general.
The National Full-Time Average as a Benchmark
The most relevant national figure is the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026. For full-time adult employees in ordinary time (excluding overtime), the seasonally adjusted average is $2,083.70 per week. Multiplied by 52 weeks, that gives an annual salary of about $108,352. This is the figure that Average line uses as its central line. If you have a VPS 5 salary figure, you can place it on the line to see how it compares.
It is important to note that this is an average, not a median. The full-time median, from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (August 2025), is about $90,532 per year. The all-employees median (including part-time and casual) is about $74,100. These medians give a different perspective: half of full-time workers earn less than $90,532, and half earn more. VPS 5 salaries are typically above the full-time median, often in the range of $100,000 to $120,000, but without the official 2026 rates we cannot be precise.
How VPS Salaries Are Set
Victorian Public Service salaries are determined by enterprise agreements and the Victorian Government's wages policy. They are not part of the federal modern awards system, which covers most private sector employees. The search results include the Australian Public Service Enterprise Award 2015 (federal), which shows minimum rates for APS classifications. For example, an APS Level 6 has a minimum annual salary of $78,794, and an Executive Level 1 has $89,300. These are federal public service rates and are not directly comparable to VPS, but they give a sense of public sector pay structures. VPS 5 is roughly equivalent to an APS 5 or 6 in responsibility, but the actual pay can differ.
Reading a Salary as Year, Week, and Hour
Average line helps you see any salary in three common formats: yearly before tax, weekly, and hourly (based on a 38-hour week). This is useful because award rates and enterprise agreements often express pay as an annual salary, but you may want to know the weekly or hourly equivalent. For example, the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, which works out to $1,004.90 per week and about $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week. Award minimums rose by 4.75% in the 2026 Annual Wage Review. If you have a VPS 5 salary, you can use the same conversion: divide the annual figure by 52 for a weekly amount, and by 1,976 (38 hours × 52 weeks) for an hourly rate. Note that some public service roles have different standard hours (e.g., 36.75 hours per week in the APS award), so the hourly rate may vary.
State-by-State Full-Time Averages
If you are comparing VPS 5 to other roles in Victoria or other states, the state full-time averages from the ABS are useful. For Victoria, the full-time adult average ordinary-time earnings are about $106,137 per year (based on $2,041.10 per week). This is slightly below the national average. Other states range from Tasmania at about $96,008 to the ACT at about $119,090. You can explore all state and territory averages on the States and territories page. VPS 5 salaries are often set with reference to the Victorian market, so they may be competitive with the state average.
Where to Find the Official VPS 5 Rate
Since the provided search results do not include VPS 5, you will need to look elsewhere. The Victorian Public Sector Commission publishes the annual VPS salary rates, usually in the form of a circular or enterprise agreement. Your employer's HR department or the relevant union (e.g., Community and Public Sector Union) can also provide the current rates. The Fair Work Commission's Modern Awards Pay Database does not cover state public servants, so it is not a source for VPS pay. The ABS data on average earnings is a useful benchmark but not a substitute for the official rate.
Using the Average Line Tool
Once you have the VPS 5 salary figure, you can enter it into the Average line tool to see where it sits against the national full-time average. The tool will show the weekly and hourly equivalents, and the distance above or below the line. This can help you understand whether the salary is competitive, or how it compares to other roles you are considering. Remember that the line is based on the ABS average, which includes all industries and sectors. Public sector salaries often track above the national average, especially in professional roles.
Summary
In summary, the exact VPS 5 salary for 2026 is not available from the web search results provided. The most relevant national benchmarks are the full-time average of $108,352 per year and the full-time median of $90,532. VPS 5 is a senior classification in the Victorian Public Service, and its salary is set by the Victorian Government. To find the official rate, consult the Victorian Public Sector Commission or your enterprise agreement. Average line can help you interpret that salary in weekly and hourly terms, and compare it to national and state averages. For more guidance on how salaries are determined, see the How the figures are set page.