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Compare 2026 APS pay scales (APS 1 to EL 2) with State Government salary pathways. Understand how government pay increases work, then choose your target level for a tailored interview strategy from former Government Hiring Managers.
Below is the cleanest current mapping extracted from publicly indexed APS sources. Important caveat: there is not one single exact APS-wide salary table that every agency uses for APS1 to EL2. APS agencies still have their own enterprise agreements and salary scales. The table below uses the Treasury 2024–2027 EA salary table as a current, fully indexed, APS-reference pay grid because it clearly lists APS1 to EL2 rates through 12 March 2026. The APS-wide increase dates themselves were standardised across agencies to 14 March 2024, 13 March 2025, and 12 March 2026.
| APS Level | Pay Point(s) | 12 Mar 2026 Salary |
|---|---|---|
| APS 1 | APS 1.1 | $57,497 |
| APS 1 | APS 1.2 | $61,822 |
| APS 2 | APS 2.1 | $65,619 |
| APS 2 | APS 2.2 | $69,966 |
| APS 3 | APS 3.1 | $74,307 |
| APS 3 | APS 3.2 | $78,645 |
| APS 4 | APS 4.1 | $82,995 |
| APS 4 | APS 4.2 | $87,337 |
| APS 5 | APS 5.1 | $93,312 |
| APS 5 | APS 5.2 | $99,287 |
| APS 6 | APS 6.1 | $105,260 |
| APS 6 | APS 6.2 | $111,232 |
| APS 6 | APS 6.3 | $119,921 |
| APS 6 | APS 6.4 | $127,521 |
| EL 1 | EL 1.1 | $137,301 |
| EL 1 | EL 1.2 | $148,073 |
| EL 1 | EL 1.3 | $157,498 |
| EL 2 | EL 2.1 | $167,708 |
| EL 2 | EL 2.2 | $175,962 |
| EL 2 | EL 2.3 | $184,214 |
| EL 2 | EL 2.4 | $192,469 |
Sometimes yes. Sometimes no.
The APS often offers strong structure, nationally recognised classifications, and clear promotion pathways from APS 3 through to Executive Level. State Government roles can be more varied. In some states, certain roles may pay more at equivalent junior and mid levels. In others, the APS may offer stronger long term progression, portability, and role clarity.
That is why applicants should not compare roles on salary alone. A smarter comparison includes:
Across the APS, salary growth usually comes from a mix of annual enterprise agreement increases, pay point progression within the classification, and promotion to a higher level.
That means most APS employees do not increase earnings through private sector style bonuses. Instead, income growth usually comes from:
This is one reason generic applications often fail. A candidate may have solid experience but still miss out because the written application does not clearly match the level expectations.
State Government progression depends heavily on the jurisdiction and framework. Titles differ across states and territories, and the same work level can be described very differently.
Examples include:
This is where many applicants get stuck. They try to reuse an APS style application for a State Government role, or a State Government style application for an APS role, without adjusting the language, examples, and structure.
The biggest salary gains usually come from moving up levels, not just waiting for annual pay increases.
That means a strong strategy should focus on:
A candidate who keeps applying with generic STAR answers may stay stuck at the same level for years. A candidate who understands the scoring logic behind APS and State Government assessments can often progress faster.
One of the biggest mistakes made by applicants is assuming that job titles automatically translate across systems.
For example, an APS 5 is not always a direct match to a State Government title in another jurisdiction. The duties may overlap, but the panel will still assess against that agency's own capability framework, behaviours, and expectations.
That is why role matching should focus on:
The most effective progression strategy is not to apply for everything. It is to apply for the right level with the right positioning.
That means:
Below is a curated list of major APS department Enterprise Agreement links. These are current 2024–2027 agreements with accessible pay tables inside, providing real, verifiable salary data for different agencies.
While APS pay increases are now standardised across all agencies (4.0% in 2024, 3.8% in 2025, 3.4% in 2026), each department still operates its own Enterprise Agreement with slightly different salary bands, pay points, and progression structures.
This means two APS 6 roles across different departments may have slightly different salary ranges, even though the classification level is the same.