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

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

This year the Remuneration team has updated our column header template to include some data checking tools:

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.

Annualised and FTE payments calculator (XLSX - 12.12 KB)

2024 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.

Data Item 35 Realignment Payment

Realignment payments were paid to support employees in transitioning to the common APS pay date of 14 March 2024.

The payment compensated employees for earnings they would have received between 1 September 2023 and 14 March 2024.

To be captured in the 2024 REM reporting period, the payment must have been made between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024.

This field will be calculated for agencies by the Commission using base salary and work hours.

This item will not require any action on behalf of agencies, and should be left blank in your submission.

More information can be found on the APSC webpage for common pay increase dates for APS agencies

Data Item 36 One-off Payment

One-off payments were made to employees following a successful enterprise agreement ballot in each agency. 

To be eligible to make the one-off payment agencies must have commenced a consideration period for an enterprise agreement ballot by 14 March 2024 and that ballot must have resulted in a yes vote.

To be captured in the 2024 REM reporting period the payment must have been made between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024.

This field will be calculated for agencies by the Commission using base salary and work hours. This item will not require any action on behalf of agencies, and should be left blank in your submission.

More information can be found on the APSC webpage for APS bargaining package of pay and conditions – final offer.

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.

The remuneration team piloted this field in 2023.  Agencies are again required to place individual flexibility arrangement dollar values for pay and allowances (PAL) in Data Item 45 in addition to the relevant field (i.e base salary or allowance fields).

The column is next to the text value for the Individual flexibility arrangement field, in column AS.

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.

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.