VPS Salary 2026
VPS Grades 1–7 from the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement 2024, using the 1 May 2026 salary column. Each grade is a value range, not one dollar.
Last updated September 2026.
Key takeaways
- VPS salary from 1 May 2026 is a grade plus a value-range pay point, not one dollar per grade.
- VPS 5 runs from $116,413 to $140,849. VPS 6 runs from $142,790 to $191,084.
- Grade 7 exists: $193,946 to $263,771. Older tables that stop at about $138,500 are stale.
- Accumulation super is 12% SG, not the federal APS 15.4% rate.
- The next agreement increase is 1 May 2027.
1. VPS salary bands from 1 May 2026
Entry and top-of-grade cells from Schedule C. Super is 12% SG. Tax is Stage 3 PAYG plus 2% Medicare (no HECS). Confirm the pay point on the offer letter.
| VPS pay point | Base Annual Salary | Employer Super (12%) | Estimated Annual Tax | Net Take-Home Pay | Net / Fortnight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VPS 1.1.1 Bottom of Grade 1. Grade 1 top (1.1.4) is $60,164. | $56,677 | $6,801 | $8,925 | $47,752 | $1,837 |
| VPS 2.1.1 Bottom of Grade 2 value range 2.1. Top of 2.2.7 is $79,753. | $62,104 | $7,452 | $10,661 | $51,443 | $1,979 |
| VPS 3.1.1 Bottom of Grade 3. Value range 3.1 runs to $90,227. | $81,496 | $9,780 | $16,867 | $64,629 | $2,486 |
| VPS 3.2.5 Top of Grade 3 (value range 3.2). | $98,955 | $11,875 | $22,454 | $76,501 | $2,942 |
| VPS 4.1.1 Bottom of Grade 4. Top (4.1.7) is $114,476. | $100,894 | $12,107 | $23,074 | $77,820 | $2,993 |
| VPS 5.1.1 Bottom of Grade 5. Value range 5.1 runs to $128,631. | $116,413 | $13,970 | $28,040 | $88,373 | $3,399 |
| VPS 5.2.5 Top of Grade 5 (value range 5.2). | $140,849 | $16,902 | $36,269 | $104,580 | $4,022 |
| VPS 6.1.1 Bottom of Grade 6 — not the same cell as VPS 5. | $142,790 | $17,135 | $37,026 | $105,764 | $4,068 |
| VPS 6.2.7 Top of Grade 6 (value range 6.2). | $191,084 | $22,930 | $55,947 | $135,137 | $5,198 |
| VPS 7.1.1 Bottom of Grade 7. Top of 7.3.5 is $263,771. | $193,946 | $23,274 | $57,293 | $136,653 | $5,256 |
2. VPS 5 salary versus VPS 6 salary in 2026
VPS 6 salary 2026 and VPS 5 salary 2026 are adjacent grades with a wide internal range. Under Schedule C of the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement 2024, from 1 May 2026:
- VPS 5 — $116,413 (5.1.1) to $128,631 (top of value range 5.1), then $128,635 (5.2.1) to $140,849 (5.2.5).
- VPS 6 — $142,790 (6.1.1) to $166,938 (top of value range 6.1), then $166,939 (6.2.1) to $191,084 (6.2.7).
A blended “VPS 5/6 around $138,500” matches neither the top of Grade 5 nor the bottom of Grade 6, and it hides more than $48,000 inside Grade 6. Role evaluation picks the value range. The pay point inside that range is progression, not a second grade.
3. Full grade spans (1 May 2026)
The Community and Public Sector Union wage sheet for 1 May 2026, aligned to the agreement’s Schedule C, publishes these spans. Older pages that start VPS 1 at about $59,800 and stop VPS 6 at about $138,500 are using a pre-2026 column and skipping Grade 7.
- Grade 1 — $56,677 to $60,164
- Grade 2 — $62,104 to $79,753
- Grade 3 — $81,496 to $98,955 (3.1 to $90,227; 3.2 from $91,971)
- Grade 4 — $100,894 to $114,476
- Grade 5 — $116,413 to $140,849
- Grade 6 — $142,790 to $191,084
- Grade 7 — $193,946 to $263,771
The agreement provides four annual increases of 3% (1 May 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027). This page uses the 1 May 2026 column because 21 September 2026 is after that date and before 1 May 2027. A once-off lump sum in 2024 is not part of the ongoing salary.
4. Progression, top-of-range payment, and higher duties
Movement inside a value range is progression through numbered pay points when the performance criteria are met. It is not an automatic jump from VPS 5 to VPS 6. Employees at the top of a grade or value range who meet progression criteria can receive the agreement’s top-of-range lump sum (lifted from 1% to 1.5% in the 2024 agreement). That payment is not a new pay point above 5.2.5 or 6.2.7.
Higher duties follow the higher grade’s minimum, not an average of two grades. A VPS 5 acting as VPS 6 should be checked against 6.1.1 ($142,790), not against $140,849.
5. Superannuation is 12% SG, not APS 15.4%
VPS accumulation members receive the Superannuation Guarantee (12.0% from 1 July 2025). Package figures that add 12% on top of salary are not a higher agreement rate. Compare them with the NSW clerks scale (also 12% SG, 35-hour week), the NTPS administrative stream (also 12% SG), and the APS (typically 15.4% employer contributions) on the public service hub before a mobility move. Model cash on the take-home pay calculator after the pay point is fixed. HELP withholding is separate — HECS-HELP guide.
6. How to verify a VPS offer
- Read the grade, the value range (for example 5.1 or 6.2), and the pay point (for example 6.1.1).
- Match it to Schedule C, 1 May 2026 column, of the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement 2024.
- Reject a single “VPS 5/6” salary.
- Treat a “package” as salary plus 12% super unless the letter says otherwise.
- Compare net pay on the job-offer comparator.
Primary sources: Department of Treasury and Finance — VPS Enterprise Agreement 2024 and the CPSU 1 May 2026 salary sheet. Related: Victorian teacher salaries (a different agreement) and Victorian stamp duty if the offer includes a move.
Sources
- Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance — Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement 2024
- CPSU Victoria — VPS salaries effective 1 May 2026
NSW public service salaries
Crown Employees clerks, with Grade 9 and Grade 10 listed as separate award cells.
Frequently Asked Questions
Official Australian tax, superannuation, and take-home pay guidance grounded in current ATO rulings.
What is the VPS salary in 2026?
From 1 May 2026 the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement 2024 sets Grade 1 from $56,677 to $60,164, Grade 2 from $62,104 to $79,753, Grade 3 from $81,496 to $98,955, Grade 4 from $100,894 to $114,476, Grade 5 from $116,413 to $140,849, Grade 6 from $142,790 to $191,084, and Grade 7 from $193,946 to $263,771. Each grade has value-range pay points. A single “VPS 5 salary” hides that range.
What is VPS 6 salary in 2026?
VPS Grade 6 from 1 May 2026 is $142,790 at pay point 6.1.1 through $191,084 at 6.2.7. Value range 6.1 ends at $166,938. Value range 6.2 starts at $166,939. It is not a flat $138,500.
What is VPS 5 salary compared with VPS 6?
VPS 5 tops out at $140,849 (5.2.5). VPS 6 starts at $142,790 (6.1.1). The grades meet, but a new VPS 6.1 is not the top of VPS 5, and the top of VPS 6 ($191,084) is a different job value.
How much superannuation do VPS employees receive?
Accumulation-scheme employees receive the 12.0% Superannuation Guarantee from 1 July 2025. That is not the federal APS 15.4% rate. Some Emergency Services and State Super members remain on defined-benefit rules.
Where is the official VPS pay scale?
Schedule C of the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement 2024, published by the Department of Treasury and Finance. This page uses the 1 May 2026 column. The agreement also schedules a further increase from 1 May 2027.