Chapter 3: Base Salary
The term Base Salary describes the full-time annualised salary paid to an employee. It includes salary sacrifice amounts and pre-tax employee superannuation contributions made through salary sacrifice arrangements. It excludes bonuses and other benefits.
The greatest increase in median Base Salary was at the Graduate classification level with a 4.2% increase. The lowest median movement from 2016 to 2017 was a 0.7% increase at the APS 3 classification level. While there were several factors driving these increases, the most substantial influence was the successful enterprise agreement ballots from three of the largest APS agencies: Human Services, Australian Taxation Office and Defence. Graduate median salaries increased above the average rate, reflecting the fact that agencies with relatively higher graduate pay scales took in the largest graduate cohorts during 2017. When median Base Salaries are weighted to account for employees at each level, the increase from 2016 to 2017 was 2.5%, including 2.6% for SES employees and 2.5% for non-SES.
| Base salary P5 | Base salary Q1 | Base salary median $ | % change |
Base salary Q3 $ |
Base salary P95 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2017 | 2016 | 2017 | 2016 | 2017 | 2017 | 2016 | 2017 | 2016 | 2017 | |
| Grad | 56,319 | 57,752 | 59,238 | 61,067 | 62,493 | 65,133 | 4.2% | 63,322 | 65,508 | 69,210 | 72,049 |
| APS 1 | 39,144 | 40,318 | 43,216 | 44,512 | 47,567 | 48,194 | 1.3% | 48,533 | 49,989 | 49,697 | 51,497 |
| APS 2 | 49,013 | 51,313 | 51,626 | 53,353 | 54,588 | 56,220 | 3.0% | 55,096 | 56,749 | 56,435 | 58,437 |
| APS 3 | 55,553 | 57,190 | 57,965 | 59,933 | 61,512 | 61,970 | 0.7% | 62,492 | 64,367 | 63,095 | 64,746 |
| APS 4 | 62,493 | 64,368 | 66,904 | 67,958 | 69,239 | 71,317 | 3.0% | 69,239 | 71,317 | 70,144 | 72,557 |
| APS 5 | 69,238 | 71,316 | 72,856 | 74,024 | 74,451 | 76,561 | 2.8% | 76,404 | 78,052 | 78,451 | 79,860 |
| APS 6 | 78,054 | 80,468 | 85,418 | 86,438 | 87,263 | 89,449 | 2.5% | 89,217 | 91,894 | 92,542 | 94,481 |
| EL 1 | 100,120 | 102,728 | 106,719 | 108,833 | 108,796 | 111,633 | 2.6% | 111,427 | 113,522 | 117,885 | 120,805 |
| EL 2 | 120,128 | 124,041 | 132,053 | 134,892 | 135,583 | 138,195 | 1.9% | 140,471 | 143,254 | 152,523 | 155,630 |
| SES 1 | 161,000 | 166,365 | 174,202 | 179,255 | 184,626 | 189,353 | 2.6% | 201,447 | 205,099 | 219,975 | 226,761 |
| SES 2 | 210,561 | 214,929 | 229,219 | 237,786 | 239,272 | 245,348 | 2.5% | 259,114 | 265,219 | 284,621 | 290,011 |
| SES 3 | 282,457 | 302,111 | 304,542 | 316,813 | 327,000 | 336,876 | 3.0% | 350,000 | 357,000 | 393,666 | 393,605 |
| All employees | 57,779 | 59,933 | 69,239 | 71,317 | 78,457 | 81,206 | 3.5% | 104,260 | 106,574 | 137,021 | 140,591 |
Figure 3.1 presents a comparison of median Base Salary by classification in 2013 and 2017. These are nominal figures, not adjusted for inflation. While all classification levels have seen increases over the period, the pace of change has varied. The greatest percentage increase in median Base Salary was 12.3% at the SES 3 classification, followed by 9.6% at the Graduate level. The smallest percentage increase in median Base Salary was 0.3% at the APS 3 classification level.
Figure 3.1: Median Base Salary by classification, 2013 and 2017
Figure 3.2 shows the Base Salary ranges by classification. In 2017 there were increases and a slight widening in range for several pay bands accompanied by a more even distribution of staff salaries within most bands.
Figure 3.2: Base Salary range by classification, 2016 and 2017
