APS Pay Offer vs Inflation Calculator
Test any APS pay offer against inflation: the dollar rise a year and a fortnight for your pay point, and whether it beats CPI.
Last verified: 8 October 2026APS salaries rose 4.0% (March 2024), 3.8% (March 2025) and 3.4% (12 March 2026) under the 2024 agreements, which nominally expire on 28 February 2027. CPI inflation was 4.0% in the 12 months to August 2026 (ABS). A rise below the inflation rate is a cut in real terms.
Where APS bargaining stands
The 2024 APS agency agreements nominally expire on 28 February 2027 and schedule no rise after 12 March 2026. The Australian Public Service Commission's published bargaining schedule for the next service-wide round began with meeting 1 on 21 July 2026 and lists agenda items including working hours (including a 4-day week), flex time, leave, pay fragmentation and, for meeting 18 on 13 October 2026, the pay offer. As at 8 October 2026 no APS-wide pay offer had been published, so the calculator has no default offer: enter the figure you want to test.
Source: APSC — APS bargaining (meeting schedule, last updated 18 September 2026).
What the 2024 agreements paid
| Rise | From |
|---|---|
| 4.0% | First full pay period on or after 1 March 2024 |
| 3.8% | First full pay period on or after 1 March 2025 |
| 3.4% | First full pay period on or after 1 March 2026 |
Compounded, the three rises lift a 31 August 2023 salary by about 11.6%. Sources: APSC Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027 cl 20; ATO Enterprise Agreement 2024 cl 15.1; Services Australia Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027 cl C3.
Current APS salary ranges by agency (from 12 March 2026)
There is no single APS-wide pay scale — each agency's agreement sets its own pay points. These are the lowest and highest rates for each classification in three agency agreements.
| Classification | Australian Public Service Commission | Australian Taxation Office | Services Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| APS 1 | $57,497 – $60,946 | $58,608 – $64,728 | $57,497 – $61,603 |
| APS 2 | $62,775 – $69,317 | $66,274 – $73,452 | $64,202 – $69,288 |
| APS 3 | $72,397 – $76,820 | $75,431 – $81,381 | $71,170 – $79,320 |
| APS 4 | $79,731 – $86,246 | $84,028 – $91,199 | $79,322 – $87,886 |
| APS 5 | $89,463 – $97,837 | $93,676 – $99,307 | $88,834 – $96,829 |
| APS 6 | $101,855 – $111,701 | $101,142 – $116,131 | $99,734 – $113,242 |
| EL 1 | $123,996 – $142,116 | $129,551 – $141,239 | $122,493 – $135,731 |
| EL 2 | $155,479 – $174,790 | $155,911 – $185,713 | $141,751 – $168,571 |
Every pay point, with fortnightly pay ($3,904.98 a fortnight at APSC APS6.1): APS pay scales, ATO pay scales and Services Australia pay scales. Other states and territories: public sector pay scales.
Sources: APSC Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027 (FWC AE523664) Attachment A; ATO Enterprise Agreement 2024 (FWC AE523904) Attachment A Schedule 1; Services Australia Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027 Table C1. Inflation: ABS, Consumer Price Index, Australia, August 2026 (released 30 September 2026). Checked 8 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What pay rises did APS staff get under the 2024 agreements?
4.0% from the first full pay period on or after 1 March 2024 (14 March 2024), 3.8% from 13 March 2025 and 3.4% from 12 March 2026 — about 11.6% compounded. These are written into each agency's 2024 agreement (for example APSC Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027 cl 20 and ATO Enterprise Agreement 2024 cl 15.1). No further rise is scheduled before the agreements nominally expire on 28 February 2027.
What is the current inflation rate?
The ABS reported CPI inflation of 4.0% in the 12 months to August 2026, up from 3.5% in the 12 months to July 2026; trimmed mean inflation was 3.6% (Consumer Price Index, Australia, released 30 September 2026). The calculator uses 4.0% by default; change it to test other assumptions.
Has the government made an APS pay offer for 2027?
As at 8 October 2026 the Australian Public Service Commission had not published an APS-wide pay offer. Its bargaining schedule (last updated 18 September 2026) lists the pay offer as an agenda item for meeting 18 on 13 October 2026. This page will show an offer only once it is published by the APSC, the Government or a bargaining party.
How do I work out what a pay offer is worth per fortnight?
Multiply the annual rise by 12 and divide by 313 — the APS fortnightly pay formula (APSC agreement cl 22). For example, 3% of $101,855 (APSC APS6.1) is $3,055.65 a year, or $117.15 a fortnight before tax.
What does "real change" mean?
It compares your new salary with the salary you would need to keep pace with inflation. A rise smaller than inflation is a real pay cut even though the dollar figure goes up: with inflation at 4.0%, a 3% rise on $101,855 leaves you $1,018.55 a year (-0.96%) behind a salary that kept pace.
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General information and estimates only — not legal, financial or tax advice. Always check your specific award, agreement or contract, or a qualified professional, before you rely on the result.