Queensland Public Service Salary Scales
Compare salary scales across Australian federal and state public services
Queensland Public Service
| Classification | Range | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
AO Level 1 Junior administrative roles (under 21 rates) | $46,908Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ | $52,987Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ | |
AO Level 2 Entry level administrative roles (adult minimum starts here) | $60,918Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ | $72,554Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ | |
AO Level 3 Experienced administrative officer roles | $77,354Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ | $85,833Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ | |
AO Level 4 Senior administrative officer roles | $90,868Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ | $99,582Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ | |
AO Level 5 Advanced administrative officer roles | $104,721Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ | $113,618Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ | |
AO Level 6 Team leader and specialist roles | $119,801Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ | $127,940Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ | |
AO Level 7 Senior specialist and supervisory roles | $133,602Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ | $143,124Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ | |
AO Level 8 Management and senior specialist roles | $147,768Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ | $156,143Use in calc →Open in tax calculator ↗ |
Notes
- ·Rates are from the Queensland Public Service Officers and Other Employees Award – State 2015, effective 1 September 2025, applying the General Ruling wage adjustment.
- ·Level 1 contains junior rates for employees under 21. The award identifies Level 2 Paypoint 1 as the adult minimum salary for the Administrative stream.
- ·No prior salary column is published in the source, so no historical comparison values are shown.
Salary Snapshot
QLD Administrative salary bands, shown per year.
Entry salary
$46,908
AO Level 1
Top salary
$156,143
AO Level 8
Midpoint band
$109,170
AO Level 5
Classifications
8
Administrative stream
Classification range ladder
Min to max salary within the currently selected jurisdiction and stream
AO Level 1
Junior administrative roles (under 21 rates)
AO Level 2
Entry level administrative roles (adult minimum starts here)
AO Level 3
Experienced administrative officer roles
AO Level 4
Senior administrative officer roles
AO Level 5
Advanced administrative officer roles
AO Level 6
Team leader and specialist roles
AO Level 7
Senior specialist and supervisory roles
AO Level 8
Management and senior specialist roles
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The Australian Public Service (APS) employs over 150,000 people across the country.
About Queensland Public Service Salary Scales
The default guide view for Queensland Public Service highlights the Administrative with 8 classification levels — from AO Level 1 ($46,908–$52,987) up to AO Level 8 ($147,768–$156,143). Salaries are reviewed and updated through enterprise agreements and government determinations.
Superannuation: QLD employees receive 12% employer superannuation. This matches the standard Superannuation Guarantee rate.
Salary Data Last Updated
5 September 2025 — Source: Queensland Industrial Relations Commission Rates shown are effective from 1 September 2025.
Key Information
- Rates are from the Queensland Public Service Officers and Other Employees Award – State 2015, effective 1 September 2025, applying the General Ruling wage adjustment.
- Level 1 contains junior rates for employees under 21. The award identifies Level 2 Paypoint 1 as the adult minimum salary for the Administrative stream.
- No prior salary column is published in the source, so no historical comparison values are shown.
Classification Streams
Compare with Other Jurisdictions
See how QLD salaries compare with other Australian public service jurisdictions:
QLD Administrative Salary Guide by Classification
Quick reference for every Queensland Public Service Administrative classification and what it pays in 2025–2026. All figures are annual gross salary. Select any level to calculate your take-home pay after tax, Medicare, and super.
AO 1 Salary — Administrative Officer Level 1
The AO 1 classification (also written as AO1 or Administrative Officer Level 1) pays $46,908–$52,987 per year. Junior administrative roles (under 21 rates). Calculate AO 1take-home pay →
AO 2 Salary — Administrative Officer Level 2
The AO 2 classification (also written as AO2 or Administrative Officer Level 2) pays $60,918–$72,554 per year. Entry level administrative roles (adult minimum starts here). Calculate AO 2take-home pay →
AO 3 Salary — Administrative Officer Level 3
The AO 3 classification (also written as AO3 or Administrative Officer Level 3) pays $77,354–$85,833 per year. Experienced administrative officer roles. Calculate AO 3take-home pay →
AO 4 Salary — Administrative Officer Level 4
The AO 4 classification (also written as AO4 or Administrative Officer Level 4) pays $90,868–$99,582 per year. Senior administrative officer roles. Calculate AO 4take-home pay →
AO 5 Salary — Administrative Officer Level 5
The AO 5 classification (also written as AO5 or Administrative Officer Level 5) pays $104,721–$113,618 per year. Advanced administrative officer roles. Calculate AO 5take-home pay →
AO 6 Salary — Administrative Officer Level 6
The AO 6 classification (also written as AO6 or Administrative Officer Level 6) pays $119,801–$127,940 per year. Team leader and specialist roles. Calculate AO 6take-home pay →
AO 7 Salary — Administrative Officer Level 7
The AO 7 classification (also written as AO7 or Administrative Officer Level 7) pays $133,602–$143,124 per year. Senior specialist and supervisory roles. Calculate AO 7take-home pay →
AO 8 Salary — Administrative Officer Level 8
The AO 8 classification (also written as AO8 or Administrative Officer Level 8) pays $147,768–$156,143 per year. Management and senior specialist roles. Calculate AO 8take-home pay →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the AO 1 salary?
An Administrative AO 1 (also written as AO1 or Administrative Officer Level 1) earns $46,908 to $52,987 per year as set by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. After income tax and Medicare levy, take-home pay is approximately $41,000–$45,000 per year. This classification covers junior administrative roles (under 21 rates). QLD employees receive 12% employer superannuation.
What is the AO 2 salary?
An Administrative AO 2 (also written as AO2 or Administrative Officer Level 2) earns $60,918 to $72,554 per year as set by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. After income tax and Medicare levy, take-home pay is approximately $51,000–$59,000 per year. This classification covers entry level administrative roles (adult minimum starts here). QLD employees receive 12% employer superannuation.
What is the AO 3 salary?
An Administrative AO 3 (also written as AO3 or Administrative Officer Level 3) earns $77,354 to $85,833 per year as set by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. After income tax and Medicare levy, take-home pay is approximately $62,000–$68,000 per year. This classification covers experienced administrative officer roles. QLD employees receive 12% employer superannuation.
What is the AO 4 salary?
An Administrative AO 4 (also written as AO4 or Administrative Officer Level 4) earns $90,868 to $99,582 per year as set by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. After income tax and Medicare levy, take-home pay is approximately $71,000–$77,000 per year. This classification covers senior administrative officer roles. QLD employees receive 12% employer superannuation.
What is the AO 5 salary?
An Administrative AO 5 (also written as AO5 or Administrative Officer Level 5) earns $104,721 to $113,618 per year as set by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. After income tax and Medicare levy, take-home pay is approximately $79,000–$85,000 per year. This classification covers advanced administrative officer roles. QLD employees receive 12% employer superannuation.
What is the AO 6 salary?
An Administrative AO 6 (also written as AO6 or Administrative Officer Level 6) earns $119,801 to $127,940 per year as set by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. After income tax and Medicare levy, take-home pay is approximately $89,000–$95,000 per year. This classification covers team leader and specialist roles. QLD employees receive 12% employer superannuation.
What is the AO 7 salary?
An Administrative AO 7 (also written as AO7 or Administrative Officer Level 7) earns $133,602 to $143,124 per year as set by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. After income tax and Medicare levy, take-home pay is approximately $98,000–$104,000 per year. This classification covers senior specialist and supervisory roles. QLD employees receive 12% employer superannuation.
What is the AO 8 salary?
An Administrative AO 8 (also written as AO8 or Administrative Officer Level 8) earns $147,768 to $156,143 per year as set by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. After income tax and Medicare levy, take-home pay is approximately $107,000–$112,000 per year. This classification covers management and senior specialist roles. QLD employees receive 12% employer superannuation.
What are the current Queensland public service salary scales for 2025–2026?
This site shows all six classification streams from the Queensland Public Service Officers and Other Employees Award – State 2015 reprint as at 1 September 2025: Administrative (AO Level 1–8, $46,908–$156,143), Professional (PO Level 1–6, $48,212–$156,143), Technical (TO Level 1–6, $48,212–$133,602), Operational (OO Level 1–7, $41,429–$109,182), Nursing (Registered Nurse Level 1 through Nurse Unit Manager Grade 6, $61,727–$137,228), and Safe Food Queensland (SFO Level 1–8, $50,274–$156,143). Use the stream selector on the QLD salary page to switch between streams.
How does QLD public service pay compare to the APS?
Queensland’s administrative stream AO Level 5–6 ($104,721–$127,940) and professional stream PO Level 3–4 ($102,817–$127,940) are broadly comparable to APS 5 through lower EL1 salary ranges, although the structures are not one-to-one. The Queensland source is an award minimum table rather than a certified-agreement table, so direct comparisons should be treated as approximate. Like most states, QLD offers 12% superannuation compared to the APS’s 15.4%.
When is the next Queensland public service salary increase?
The Queensland award reprint is operative from 1 September 2025 and states that the listed salaries include the arbitrated wage adjustment payable under the 1 September 2025 Declaration of General Ruling. The source PDF does not publish a later salary column or a next scheduled increase date, so this site does not project one.
How does a HECS/HELP debt affect QLD public service take-home pay?
QLD public servants with a HECS/HELP debt have compulsory repayments withheld via PAYG once income exceeds the threshold ($54,435 in 2025–26). At a QLD Level 6 salary of about $120,000 to $128,000, HECS repayments add several thousand dollars annually on top of income tax. Use the Tax Calculator on this site with the HECS toggle to see your exact take-home pay.
Can QLD public servants salary sacrifice?
Yes. QLD public servants can salary sacrifice into superannuation as concessional contributions, taxed at 15% rather than their marginal rate. Some Queensland Health and government-owned corporation roles also offer fringe benefit tax-exempt salary packaging. Check with your agency’s payroll team for specific options available in your department.
What leave entitlements do QLD public servants receive?
Under the State Government Entities Certified Agreement, QLD public servants receive 20 days annual leave per year (with a loading of 17.5% on annual leave), 15 days sick leave (cumulative), and long service leave at 1.3 weeks per year of service (approximately 13 weeks after 10 years). The annual leave loading of 17.5% is a notable benefit not universally available in other jurisdictions.
How does QLD public service pay compare to NSW and WA?
Queensland administrative stream Levels 5–6 ($104,721–$127,940) are broadly comparable to NSW Clerk Grade 5/6 and WA Level 5–6. Western Australia’s current Schedule 2 table is slightly higher at the top end of Level 6, while all three jurisdictions use the standard 12% superannuation setting. Brisbane’s lower cost of living compared to Sydney and Perth can still make Queensland salaries feel competitive in real purchasing-power terms.
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