Your APS6 Salary in 2026–27: Take-Home Pay, Tax and Super

What an APS6 Salary Means for Your Fortnight

If you are looking at an APS6 role in the Australian Public Service, the headline number is only part of the story. Your aps6 salary determines your fortnightly pay, but tax brackets, the Medicare levy, and the fact that super is on top all change what lands in your bank account.

APS6 Salary Ranges by Agency

Every agency negotiates its own enterprise agreement, so the same classification can pay differently. The table below shows the 2026–27 ranges from three large agencies, all effective from 12 March 2026.

Agency	APS6 salary range
Treasury	$105,260 – $127,521
Australian Taxation Office	$101,142 – $116,131
Services Australia	$99,734 – $113,242
Australian Public Service Commission	$101,855 – $111,701

These figures come from the agencies' enterprise agreements, which you can check directly: Treasury's Appendix A and FairWork Mate's summary.

From Annual Salary to Fortnightly Take-Home

Your annual salary is divided into 26 fortnights using the formula: annual × 12 ÷ 313. For example, an APS6 at the APSC on $101,855 gets $3,904.98 a fortnight before tax. But tax and the Medicare levy reduce that.

Income tax for 2026–27 uses these brackets:

• $0 – $18,200: nil
• $18,201 – $45,000: 15c per $1 over $18,200
• $45,001 – $135,000: $4,020 plus 30c per $1 over $45,000
• $135,001 – $190,000: $31,020 plus 37c per $1 over $135,000
• Over $190,000: $51,370 plus 45c per $1 over $190,000

Most APS6 salaries fall in the 30c bracket. The Low Income Tax Offset (LITO) can reduce tax by up to $700 for incomes under $37,500, but it phases out completely by $66,667 – so most APS6 staff get only a small offset or none.

Medicare levy is a flat 2% on taxable income. The latest published single-person thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013. Full-time APS6 salaries are well above the upper threshold, so you pay the full 2%.

What Changes Your Fortnight

• Your pay point: Moving up a step within APS6 (e.g., from APS6.1 to APS6.2) increases your gross pay and your take-home, but the marginal tax rate means you keep about 68c of each extra dollar (after 30% tax and 2% Medicare).
• Agency differences: Treasury's top APS6 point ($127,521) yields about $3,700 a fortnight after tax, while Services Australia's starting point ($99,734) gives about $2,973. See After-tax salary's take-home pay guide for a calculator.
• Super is not deducted: Your employer pays 15.4% super on top. That means your total remuneration is higher, but your take-home is based on the base salary. Super is a separate benefit – see Super for more.
• No further scheduled rises: The 2024 enterprise agreements expire on 28 February 2027 and have no further pay increases after the 3.4% rise on 12 March 2026. Bargaining for the next round is underway.

How to Estimate Your Own Take-Home

Use the tax brackets and LITO formula above, or try a pay calculator. Remember that HELP/HECS repayments, salary packaging, and the Medicare levy surcharge (if you don't have appropriate private hospital cover) can further reduce your net pay. This estimate is not a tax assessment.

For a quick benchmark: the national minimum wage is $26.44 an hour and $1,004.90 a week. An APS6 salary is well above that, reflecting the higher skill level and responsibilities.

Key Takeaways

• Your aps6 salary varies by agency – always check the specific enterprise agreement.
• Fortnightly take-home depends on tax brackets and the full 2% Medicare levy.
• Super is extra, not deducted from your pay.
• Pay progression within APS6 can boost your take-home over time.

For more on how tax and Medicare affect your pay, visit Tax and Medicare. To compare your salary against benchmarks, see Benchmarks.