Business Support Officer Salary Guide (2026)

In the APS, the base salary for a Business Support Officer ranges from $71,800 at the entry APS 3 level up to $123,500+ at the senior APS 6 level, depending on agency enterprise agreements and specific job responsibilities. On top of base pay, all ongoing APS employees receive a mandatory 15.4% employer superannuation contribution.

Yes. Unlike titles like Personal Assistant, "Business Support Officer" is an official, commonly advertised job title across almost all Australian Government departments, mapped directly to standard APS classifications between APS 3 and APS 6.

Entry to mid-level BSOs handling routine administration and records are recruited at the APS 3 or APS 4 level. Senior BSOs coordinating complex cases, reporting, or financial processing are hired at APS 4 or APS 5. Business Support Coordinators and Operations Managers supervising teams are classified as APS 5 or APS 6.

An APS 3 BSO works under routine direction performing transactional administrative duties, records management, and basic client service. An APS 5 Business Support Coordinator operates with limited direction, supervises junior staff, oversees team budgets, manages complex procurement, and drives process improvements.

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C), Department of the Treasury, and Department of Defence offer some of the highest base salaries. For example, an APS 6 Business Operations Manager at Treasury can earn up to $122,500, while at PM&C base pay reaches $123,500 plus 15.4% super.

Yes. All ongoing and non-ongoing public servants in Commonwealth government agencies receive a 15.4% employer superannuation contribution as standard under federal enterprise agreements.

Yes. Under the 2024–2027 APSC bargaining outcomes, APS employees have a general right to request flexible and hybrid working arrangements, including working 2 to 3 days per week from home, subject to operational requirements.

Standard full-time working hours in the APS are 37.5 hours per week (or 7 hours 30 minutes per day, Monday to Friday). Flex-time provisions allow employees at APS 1 to APS 6 to accrue time off for hours worked beyond standard daily bandwidths.

For employees classified at APS 3 to APS 5, overtime is payable for authorized hours worked outside standard bandwidths, or hours worked on weekends and public holidays. Alternatively, employees can elect to accrue flex-time credits under agency Enterprise Agreements.

There are no mandatory formal university degree requirements for most BSO roles. Practical administrative experience, strong written and verbal communication, proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Excel, Word, Teams, Outlook), and customer service skills are highly valued.

Most APS BSO positions require a Baseline security clearance, while BSOs working in sensitive areas within Defence, Home Affairs, Treasury, or PM&C may require NV1 (Negative Vetting Level 1) or NV2 security clearances.

A typical APS 4 BSO earning a base salary of $83,680 (e.g. at the ATO) receives an estimated fortnightly take-home pay of approximately $2,420 (assuming no HELP debt and standard Medicare levy), plus $495 per fortnight in 15.4% employer super.

Progression within an APS level occurs through annual performance reviews. Provided performance meets requirements, BSOs advance one pay step each year until reaching the top increment of their classification band.

Yes. Experienced BSOs and Business Operations Managers gain deep operational, financial, and governance expertise. Many progress into EL 1 Assistant Director, Business Manager, or Operations Manager positions.

Starting base salaries for entry-level APS 3 Business Support Officers range between $71,800 and $77,500 across major departments, representing a total remuneration package of $82,850 to $89,400 including 15.4% super.

Yes. If an APS 4 BSO acts in a higher classification (e.g. stepping up into an APS 5 Business Support Coordinator role for more than 5 consecutive days), Higher Duties Allowance (HDA) is paid to match the minimum salary of the higher level.

Government BSO roles generally offer higher starting base salaries ($71k–$85k), superior job security, flex-time, and 15.4% super. Private sector administration officers may have higher salary caps in specialised corporate firms, but often receive lower super (11.5%) and less flexible working conditions.

APS employees can salary package certain expenses pre-tax, such as novated car leases, additional superannuation contributions, and portable electronic devices, reducing taxable income and boosting net take-home pay.

Standard annual entitlements include 20 days paid annual leave, 18 days paid personal/carer’s leave, paid public holidays, shutdown leave between Christmas and New Year (in most agencies), and long service leave after 10 years of service.

Pay scales are updated annually on 1 July in accordance with approved wage increases negotiated in agency 2024–2027 Enterprise Agreements under the APSC Bargaining Framework.

An APS 5 Business Support Coordinator earns an average base salary between $88,085 and $102,500 per year, yielding an annual total package of $101,650 to $118,280 with 15.4% super.

APS 6 Business Operations Managers lead administrative units, manage operational budgets, oversee procurement workflows, enforce departmental governance, and manage operational improvement projects.

Generally, applicants must be Australian citizens to be employed in the Australian Public Service. Under exceptional circumstances, agency heads may grant citizenship waivers.

Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (data tracking & formulas), Word, Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, TRIM/Content Manager (record keeping), and enterprise financial systems like SAP or Oracle is essential.

Yes. Under agency Enterprise Agreements, staff at APS 1 to APS 6 levels accrue flex-time for hours worked beyond 37.5 hours per week, which can be taken as approved flex leave.

The selection process involves submitting a resume, a one-page pitch or response addressing selection criteria, followed by a structured interview and referee checks.

Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to provide concrete examples of how you managed administrative workloads, resolved client issues, or improved operational processes.

New ongoing employees typically serve a 6-month probation period during which performance and suitability for public service employment are formally evaluated.

Yes. Part-time positions and job-share arrangements are supported under public service employment frameworks, subject to operational requirements.

APS pay scales are standardized nationwide across all states and territories under Commonwealth Enterprise Agreements. An APS 4 BSO earns the exact same base salary in Sydney, Melbourne, or Canberra.

The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) sets workplace bargaining parameters and common core conditions across all non-corporate Commonwealth entities.

HELP repayments are calculated by the ATO based on taxable income. At an APS 4 salary of $82,000, HELP repayments are approximately 4.5% of taxable income, reducing fortnightly net pay by around $140.

Most Commonwealth agencies close between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Employees receive paid leave for working days during the shutdown without deducting from annual leave balances.

Yes. Under Section 26 of the Public Service Act 1999, ongoing APS employees can transfer at level between Commonwealth departments without losing service length or leave balances.

Purchased leave schemes allow staff to purchase 1 to 4 additional weeks of leave per year through small fortnightly deductions from gross pre-tax salary.

Ongoing employees have permanent public service tenure. Non-ongoing employees are engaged on specified-term contracts (e.g. 6 to 12 months) to cover parental leave or operational surges.

Official federal vacancies are advertised on the government portal APSJobs (apsjobs.gov.au) as well as individual departmental career websites.

At $93,740 gross base salary, income tax is approx. $19,300, Medicare levy is $1,875, leaving net take-home pay of ~$72,565 ($2,790/fortnight). ATO pays an additional $14,436 in super, making total compensation $108,176.

Yes. Most agency Enterprise Agreements provide financial assistance and paid study leave for approved tertiary courses relevant to public sector administration, business, or management.