Finance Officer Salary (Australia)
Official Australian Public Service (APS) & Federal Government Finance Officer Salary Guide. Verified data from active departmental Enterprise Agreements and APSC resources.
Important Classification Notice
Finance Officer is a professional job title rather than an official legislated APS classification. In the Australian Public Service, these positions are typically classified across the APS3, APS4, APS5, APS6, and EL1 bands depending on the level of financial delegation, complexity of transactional processing, and agency structure.
Finance Officer Salary Snapshot
Official wage ranges and estimated take-home pay structures across typical APS classification levels:
APS3 Level
APS4 Level
APS5 Level
APS6 Level
EL1 Level
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Take-Home Pay Breakdown
Salary Breakdown Allocation
Factual chart showing how your annual gross salary is divided between take-home pay and tax/Medicare deductions:
APS Finance Officer Level Guide
Overview of responsibilities and typical salary ranges for finance officers in the public service:
| APS Level | Typical Finance Role | Salary Range | Key Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| APS 3 | Assistant Finance Officer | $70,865 – $83,000 | Performs entry-level transactional financial processing, invoice coding, and basic ledger maintenance. Works under moderate supervision. |
| APS 4 | Finance Officer | $77,865 – $90,500 | Handles general ledger reconciliation, standard financial report generation, and coordinates payment runs. Resolves moderate financial issues. |
| APS 5 | Senior Finance Officer | $88,085 – $102,500 | Directs divisional budget monitoring, coordinates monthly accruals, and assists in preparing trial balances. Advises staff on compliance with financial guidelines. |
| APS 6 | Lead Finance Officer | $100,190 – $124,800 | Leads operational finance sections, reviews complex account reconciliations, compiles monthly corporate reports, and supervises junior processing staff. |
| EL 1 | Principal Finance Officer / Finance Manager | $120,750 – $151,200 | Directs agency-wide financial management, coordinates statutory reporting compliance under AASB, and liaises directly with ANAO external auditors. |
Salary by Agency
Compare base salary scales across 12 major federal departments:
| Agency | APS 3 Scale | APS 4 Scale | APS 5 Scale | APS 6 Scale | EL 1 Scale | Official Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Finance | $74,800 – $81,500 | $81,900 – $88,900 | $91,900 – $100,900 | $103,900 – $121,900 | $126,500 – $146,800 | Official EA ↗ |
| Department of Defence | $73,500 – $80,500 | $81,868 – $88,900 | $91,085 – $100,400 | $103,190 – $121,780 | $123,500 – $142,800 | Official EA ↗ |
| Department of Home Affairs | $71,800 – $78,500 | $78,900 – $87,900 | $88,900 – $97,900 | $101,900 – $119,900 | $121,900 – $138,900 | Official EA ↗ |
| Services Australia | $70,865 – $77,500 | $77,865 – $86,500 | $88,085 – $97,400 | $100,190 – $118,780 | $120,750 – $137,900 | Official EA ↗ |
| Australian Taxation Office (ATO) | $72,500 – $79,500 | $79,865 – $87,500 | $89,085 – $98,400 | $101,190 – $119,780 | $125,000 – $145,000 | Official EA ↗ |
| Department of Health & Aged Care | $72,800 – $79,500 | $79,800 – $86,900 | $89,600 – $98,600 | $101,600 – $119,600 | $124,800 – $144,500 | Official EA ↗ |
| Department of Education | $71,500 – $78,200 | $78,500 – $85,500 | $88,500 – $97,500 | $100,500 – $118,500 | $125,200 – $145,200 | Official EA ↗ |
| Department of Infrastructure, Transport & Regional | $72,900 – $79,600 | $79,900 – $86,900 | $89,900 – $98,900 | $101,900 – $119,900 | $126,100 – $146,200 | Official EA ↗ |
| Department of the Treasury | $75,500 – $82,000 | $82,500 – $89,500 | $92,500 – $101,500 | $104,500 – $122,500 | $128,400 – $148,900 | Official EA ↗ |
| Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) | $76,500 – $83,000 | $83,500 – $90,500 | $93,500 – $102,500 | $105,500 – $123,500 | $130,500 – $151,200 | Official EA ↗ |
| Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry | $71,900 – $78,600 | $78,900 – $85,900 | $88,900 – $96,900 | $100,900 – $118,900 | $120,900 – $137,900 | Official EA ↗ |
| Attorney-General’s Department | $73,500 – $80,200 | $80,500 – $87,500 | $90,500 – $99,500 | $102,500 – $120,500 | $125,800 – $145,800 | Official EA ↗ |
Responsibilities of a Finance Officer
Operational and financial management duties carried out by public service officers under PGPA directives:
Accounts Payable (AP)
Coding, processing, and scheduling payment runs for supplier invoices within agency payment guidelines.
Accounts Receivable (AR)
Raising customer invoices, processing receipt applications, and managing outstanding debt accounts.
Budget Administration
Tracking division expenditure against target budgets and identifying potential overruns.
Financial Reporting
Compiling monthly variance analyses and preparing financial dashboard briefs for delegates.
Bank Reconciliations
Reconciling bank account statements to the general ledger daily to ensure accounting accuracy.
Invoice Processing
Verifying valid tax invoice credentials under ATO guidelines before scheduling disbursements.
Purchase Orders
Raising and verifying purchase orders to secure pre-commitments in system databases.
Financial Compliance
Enforcing strict compliance with Accountable Authority Instructions (AAIs) under the PGPA Act framework.
Month-End Reporting
Executing necessary accrual, prepayment, and allocation journals to close general ledgers.
Financial Analysis
Evaluating operational spend structures and building cost-comparison scenarios.
Stakeholder Support
Answering internal divisional inquiries regarding budget rules and financial processes.
Audit Support
Providing transaction files and evidence packages to ANAO or internal review auditors.
Required Skills & Capabilities
Core technical and professional competencies required to execute public buying procedures successfully:
Financial Administration
Solid grasp of ledger entries, accrual adjustments, and balance reconciliations.
Budgeting & Forecasting
Monitoring spend rates and estimating future monthly cash outlays.
Financial Reporting
Compiling structured financial summaries matching public accounting formats.
Microsoft Excel
Daily data manipulation using VLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables, and logical formulas.
Power BI
Reviewing and building visual finance dashboards to track operational KPIs.
SAP S/4HANA
Processing ledger adjustments and running general financial reports.
Oracle Financials
Managing accounts payable workflows and processing vendor disbursements.
TechnologyOne
Standard ledger operations, processing invoices, and raising purchase orders.
Communication
Explaining budget constraints and compliance rules to non-financial managers.
Problem Solving
Resolving ledger discrepancies, supplier disputes, and system errors.
Attention to Detail
Ensuring zero errors in processing ledger adjustments and financial balances.
Stakeholder Management
Liaising with delegates, system administrators, and external providers.
Government Finance Systems
Federal finance operations depend heavily on specific systems, with usage varying based on department size and technology infrastructure:
- SAP S/4HANA & SAP Ariba: Main enterprise resource planning systems used by major agencies for general ledger, asset administration, and vendor management.
- Oracle Financials: Sourcing and ledger system used by major departments for payments and internal operations tracking.
- TechnologyOne: Leading SaaS general ledger platform used by smaller statutory authorities for purchase approvals, ledger updates, and supplier payments.
- Aurion & Chris21: Enterprise payroll and HR platforms utilized to process fortnightly payroll calculations, super payments, and packaging benefits.
- Microsoft Excel & Power BI: Sourced to build financial models, analyze cost center reports, and visualize monthly dashboard metrics.
Benefits & Work Conditions
Key employee benefits and workplace conditions enshirined in Commonwealth agreements:
15.4% Employer Super
Enshrined super contribution paid in addition to base salary — providing a major retirement boost.
Annual Leave
Standard accrual of 20 days of paid annual leave per year with optional cash-out options.
Personal / Carer’s Leave
18 days of paid personal/carer’s leave accrued annually for illness or caring duties.
Long Service Leave
Entitlement to 3 months of paid leave after 10 years of continuous service.
Purchased Leave (4+4)
Option to buy up to 4 weeks of extra leave annually through pre-tax pay adjustments.
Flexible & Hybrid Work
Formal hybrid work arrangements allowing 2 to 3 WFH days weekly.
Salary Packaging
Ability to salary package novated vehicle leases and portable electronic devices.
Learning & Development
Study assistance, paid leave, and fee sponsorships for CA / CPA qualifications.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Free, confidential professional counselling services for employees and families.
Working Conditions
Finance officers operate in a professional office environment, with standard conditions outlining daily work patterns:
- Standard Hours: 37.5 hours per week (7.5 hours daily) with standard flex-time provisions for APS3-APS6 officers.
- Flexible Working: Formal WFH guidelines enshirining 2-3 days work from home weekly.
- Finance Deadlines: Elevated work volumes around June and July (EOFY) when departments execute month-end and annual closures.
- Security Clearance: Most positions require a Baseline clearance, with Negative Vetting 1 (NV1) required for defence finance roles.
Finance Career Progression Roadmap
Typical milestones, required experiences, and indicative salary growth throughout a finance career in government:
APS2 Administration Assistant
$60,500 – $67,500Milestone: Data entry, filing documentation, scanning records, and assisting with simple inquiries.
APS3 Assistant Finance Officer
$70,865 – $83,000Milestone: Process basic invoice payments, enter ledger transactions, and execute bank reconciliations.
APS4 Finance Officer
$77,865 – $90,500Milestone: Reconcile ledger accounts, coordinate payment runs, and prepare basic monthly tax reports.
APS5 Senior Finance Officer
$88,085 – $102,500Milestone: Monitor division budgets, prepare monthly accruals, and support audit requests.
APS6 Lead Finance Officer
$100,190 – $124,800Milestone: Manage general ledger close operations, compile corporate briefs, and supervise junior processors.
EL1 Finance Manager
$120,750 – $151,200Milestone: Direct operations, prepare CA/CPA accounting papers, and manage financial section teams.
EL2 Director Finance
$150,800 – $195,000Milestone: Direct agency budget strategy, coordinate annual financial statements, and advise executive board.
Required Qualifications & PD
Qualifications depend on the level of seniority, but typical guidelines indicate:
- Baseline Degrees: Bachelors of Commerce, Accounting, Finance, or Business provide solid baseline analytical credentials.
- Vocational Certificates: Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping is highly recognized for entry-level APS3 positions.
- Professional Accreditations: CPA Australia, CA ANZ, or IPA memberships are highly regarded and preferred for EL1/EL2 leadership roles.
Current APS Finance Vacancies
Finance roles are regularly advertised across the federal public service on APS Jobs.
Data sourced from official APSC vacancy boards. Last checked 31 July 2026.
Finance Officer Salary Trends
Historical and scheduled base wage increases enshirined under the 2024-2027 enterprise agreements:
Scheduled EA Wage Increases
Inflation & WPI Alignments
APS enterprise agreements enshrine standard salary increases designed to protect public servants from CPI inflation cost pressures. Wage indexation guarantees that finance salaries scale predictably over the multi-year duration of the agreement.
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