Pay frozen for Australia's highest-paid public servants in 2026
The Remuneration Tribunal froze salaries for MPs, judges and top officials for the first time since the COVID era, citing pending reviews.
Australia's top tribunal that sets pay for senior officials has frozen wages for the first time in years. The Remuneration Tribunal announced no pay rises for 2026 for MPs, judges, departmental secretaries and senior officials.
Some officials have seen their salaries fall in real terms as wages fail to keep pace with inflation. Australia has 16 departmental secretaries.
They earn between $828,000 and over $1 million each year. The freeze means they get nothing.
This is more than Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earns ($622,000). The tribunal repeated past decisions to end first-class international travel for politicians and officials.
It also limited business-class flights on some domestic routes. It capped family reunion flights to Canberra to economy fares.
The tribunal said the freeze allows time for major reviews into whether senior pay is fair. Those reviews are due in April next year.
- 16
- Departmental secretaries
- $828,000 to $1 million+
- Secretaries' salary range
- $622,000
- Prime Minister salary
- 12.65 percent collective rise
- Pay increases since 2022
Why it mattersThe freeze holds pay for Australia's most powerful officials and judges. Major reviews will examine whether their salaries fit the role.
AustraliaAustralian taxpayers will save on wages for top public servants this year, but departmental secretaries, who lead key agencies, will see their real purchasing power decline.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 d ago
