APS remuneration survey
The APS Remuneration Survey (the Survey) is the source of data for the APS Remuneration Report (the Report), an annual snapshot of remuneration across the Australian Public Service. The Report's findings provide a breakdown of remuneration across classification levels as well as illustrating the changes from year to year.
Remuneration Survey resources, including the updated Data specifications, are available below.
View the previous Remuneration Reports.
Important dates
Important dates for the APS remuneration survey
| Date | Task |
|---|---|
| 31 December 2025 | Date of Effect |
| 20 February 2026 | Remuneration data submission due date. |
It is appreciated if data files are submitted prior to the due date.
Please note that the collection of Remuneration Survey data is independent of and in addition to the collection of APSED data.
Please respond to any data queries within three business days, and the Remuneration team will continue to work with you until the data file is cleaned.
Remuneration survey resources
Agencies are encouraged to update their existing Survey templates to ensure that fields are not populated for Data Items that are no longer collected through the Survey.
Ensure that the number of columns exported from your agency’s HR information system are consistent with previous years as columns are retired rather than removed to maintain the Survey file format.
Remuneration survey data specifications
The Remuneration Survey Guide and Data Specifications (the Guide) outlines the procedure for completing the Survey and detail the data items to be reported on.
FAQs are incorporated into the Guide and are included in the overview for each relevant data item.
List of allowances
A list showing all known allowances and in which Data Item each allowance should go can be found in Appendix A of the Guide. It also shows some allowances that are 'out of scope' and should not be reported.
If you have a question regarding an allowance that is not covered in this list please contact remuneration@apsc.gov.au.
Agency template
The Header template sheet can be used to assist you with viewing raw data.
The Data Fields sheet shows the name and number of each data item, and is colour-coded to show fields that are related to each other. If you fill out one of these coloured fields you must also complete any other field with the corresponding colour. The fields that are shaded yellow must contain a value for all employees. The template prints on to one A4 landscape page.
The Current Year Data sheet provides a header for each data item and also includes an explanatory comment that can be viewed upon hovering your mouse over the header. This is to assist you while completing the data file.
Example data submission
This document provides example or mock data to assist in the preparation of your agency’s submission. The first tab includes headers, while the second shows how the data would be submitted to the Commission..
Annualised and FTE payments calculator
This basic calculator can assist agencies in preparing payment values for employees who are part-time or have only received a relevant payment for part of the year.
2025 remuneration survey business validation rules
The Remuneration Survey Business Validation Rules (the Validation Rules) outline the parameters used to process and validate data received from agencies for the Remuneration Survey. Data validation ensures that the data received meets the data specifications (see above), and also confirms that data is assigned to the appropriate categories. The purpose of sharing the Validation Rules is to ensure improved data quality and to help streamline the remuneration reporting process in the current and future cycles.
The Commission applies various data-checking processes to the data, comparing data received in the Remuneration Survey against employee information collected through APS Employment Database reporting. To reduce discrepancies and the number of queries sent to agencies, the Commission encourages all agencies to apply the Validation Rules to their Remuneration Survey data prior to submitting to the Commission.
If you have any questions about the Validation Rules or how they should be applied to your agency’s data, please contact remuneration@apsc.gov.au.
Changes to the remuneration survey
A summary of changes to the remuneration survey are outlined below, with further context following. Please read the detailed changes carefully and contact the Remuneration Team via remuneration@apsc.gov.au for further information if required.
| Change | Data Items | Date |
| Individual Flexibility Arrangement (IFA) Dollar Value for PAL (Pay & Allowance) IFAs and IM (Income Maintenance) to be reported in agency surveys | 45 | End of 2025 |
| Realignment and One Off Payment data no longer collected as payments have ceased | 35 and 36 | End of 2025 |
| ANZSCO and job family code fields removed | 8 and 9 | End of 2022 |
| Acting Classification, Acting Salary and Partial Higher Duties fields removed | 5, 35 and 36 | End of 2022 |
| Superannuation fields for APS and EL staff to be calculated by the APSC on agency’s behalf. | 50 and 51 | End of 2022 |
| Annual leave loading and Income maintenance allowance fields removed | 19 and 25 | End of 2022 |
Data Item 45 Individual Flexibility Arrangement Dollar Value
An Individual Flexibility Arrangement is a written agreement between an employer and employee that varies the effect of an enterprise agreement or award.
This field is intended to capture the dollar amount paid to an employee through an Individual Flexibility Arrangement for pay and allowances and/or income maintenance.
For the 2025 survey, agencies must report the dollar values of individual flexibility arrangements for both pay and allowances (PAL) and income maintenance (IM) in Data Item 45. This requirement continues a process that began with a pilot in 2023 and is being expanded to include income maintenance (IM) alongside pay and allowances (PAL) for the 2025 survey.
As in previous years agencies should ensure that values reported in Data Item 45 are also reported in the relevant base salary or allowance fields. This is because values reported in Data Item 45 do not form part of the overall remuneration calculation. This data is used for the APSC’s workplace relations research and will not be included in the publicly released remuneration reporting.
The column is next to the text value for the Individual Flexibility Arrangement (IFA) field, in column AS.
Data Item 55 Comments
Just a reminder that we encourage agencies to use the ‘Comments’ data item where necessary for further explanation to assist the remuneration team.
In particular, comments relating to IFA $ value payments should be included, especially where both PAL & IM payments are being reported.
Earlier survey changes to superannuation reporting
As per previous remuneration reporting, please only report superannuation values for SES staff (Superannuation Salary and Agency Superannuation Contribution).
For Graduates, APS and EL staff this field will be calculated for agencies by the Commission. These will not require any action on behalf of agencies, and should be left blank in your submission.
For any questions relating to the preparation of your agency’s Survey data please contact the Remuneration team via remuneration@apsc.gov.au.
Machinery of Government changes
If you have any questions regarding your Agency’s reporting as a result of Machinery of Government changes contact remuneration@apsc.gov.au.
Sending data to the Commission
Agencies must use the specifications in the Guidance and Data Specifications and the Remuneration Survey Business Validation Rules to check the data is correct and aligns to the appropriate parameters before submission.
Remuneration Survey data must be sent to the Commission securely.
If your agency is on GovLink (a Commonwealth secure Virtual Private Network) you may email data to the Commission as all emails between GovLink agencies are encrypted automatically in transition.
You can check if your agency is using GovLink by searching the list here: http://govlink.sge.net/UserList.aspx- external site- external site- external site.
If your agency is not on GovLink, please use the secure method used to upload APSED movement and snapshot files. This is via the GovTeams platform, a digital collaboration service that allows data files to be uploaded and shared in a secure manner to the Commission. If you require an invitation for this GovTeams community, please email remuneration@apsc.gov.au.
Privacy
Information collected for the Commission must be treated in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) of the Privacy Act 1988 (the Privacy Act) and compliance with these APPs is the responsibility of each agency.
To assist agencies in ensuring that they comply with the Privacy Act when providing APS employment information, the Commission has prepared the collection notice
Contact us
If you have any questions about the Remuneration Survey, please contact the project team at remuneration@apsc.gov.au.