Award rates, not every agreement. The AO3 figures on this page are the award minimum. Most Queensland departments pay under their own agreement; the last question below explains.
AO3 Pay Points and Take-Home Pay
Every pay point in AO3, from 1 September 2026. Fortnightly figures divide the year by 26. Take-home pay uses 2026–27 resident tax rates, the Medicare levy and no HECS.
| Step | Salary | Gross per fortnight | Take-home a year | Take-home per fortnight | Full breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AO3/1 | $81,032 | $3,117 | $64,581 | $2,484 | $80,000 page |
| AO3/2 | $83,954 | $3,229 | $66,569 | $2,560 | $85,000 page |
| AO3/3 | $86,955 | $3,344 | $68,609 | $2,639 | $85,000 page |
| AO3/4 | $89,903 | $3,458 | $70,614 | $2,716 | $90,000 page |
Every pay point in AO3. Full-time annual salary; super is paid on top. Read from the Queensland Public Service Officers and Other Employees Award – State 2015, from 1 September 2026; verified 23 September 2026.
From the first pay point to the top of AO3 is 3 moves, worth $8,871 a year in total (10.9% on the starting salary). That is about $2,957 a move on average. The biggest single move is AO3/2 to AO3/3, at $3,001. After tax, the bottom of AO3 is $2,484 a fortnight and the top is $2,716.
Four pay points.
AO3 Hourly Rate
AO3 works out at $42.87 to $47.56 an hour before tax. Hourly rate = annual salary ÷ (36.25 × 52.1429). Clause 15.1 of the award sets ordinary hours of 36.25 a week (7.25 a day). A year has 52.1429 weeks (365 ÷ 7).
| Step | Salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| AO3/1 | $81,032 | $42.87 |
| AO3/2 | $83,954 | $44.42 |
| AO3/3 | $86,955 | $46.00 |
| AO3/4 | $89,903 | $47.56 |
AO3 base hourly rate on 36.25 ordinary hours a week, before tax. No casual loading, overtime or penalties. A payslip can differ by a few cents.
What AO3 Staff Do
AO3 work needs relevant experience and a sound knowledge of the main activity in the work area. It includes drafting early reports, papers and letters, giving information to clients and supporting senior officers, usually under general direction. It is the first AO level where the award mentions supervision, such as on-the-job training and checking team members' work.
Our summary of the Queensland Public Service Officers and Other Employees Award – State 2015, reprint as at 1 September 2026 (clause 15.1; Schedule 4), read 23 October 2026.
AO3 Under an Agency Agreement
One agency's agreement rate: Department of Education Certified Agreement 2025, from 1 September 2026 (the award applies wherever it is higher). At AO3 the award is higher at every pay point, so the award rate is what this agency pays.
| Pay point | Agreement rate | Award rate | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| AO3/1 | $80,505 | $81,032 | $81,032 |
| AO3/2 | $83,407 | $83,954 | $83,954 |
| AO3/3 | $86,399 | $86,955 | $86,955 |
| AO3/4 | $89,326 | $89,903 | $89,903 |
Where the agreement rate is below the award rate, the award rate is paid.
AO3 Superannuation
The Queensland Government pays 12.75% employer super for employees under 75, above the Superannuation Guarantee. It is paid on ordinary time earnings, including paid leave and ordinary-time allowances such as shift and weekend penalties.
At 12.75%, employer super on AO3 is $10,332 a year at the bottom and $11,463 at the top. Super is paid on top of salary and is not part of take-home pay.
Moving Up Within and Beyond AO3
Queensland levels are written as level and pay point, so AO5/2 is the second pay point of AO5. You move up one pay point at a time under the certified agreement and public sector directives. A move to the next level is a promotion to a job classified at that level. AO7 and PO5 pay the same at every pay point, so a move between streams at the same level is not a pay rise.
The level below is AO2 ($63,814 to $75,997). The next level up is AO4 ($95,173 to $104,304).
Every level, the full schedule and the other streams are on the Queensland (AO, PO, TO, OO) pay scales page. Other services are on the public service pay scales hub, including APS levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
AO3 salary questions and answers
How much does an AO3 earn?
From 1 September 2026, AO3 pays $81,032 at the first pay point (AO3/1) and $89,903 at the top (AO3/4), across 4 pay points. That is a full-time annual salary before tax, with superannuation paid on top.
What is the AO3 hourly rate?
From 1 September 2026, AO3 works out at $42.87 an hour at AO3/1 and $47.56 at AO3/4, on 36.25 ordinary hours a week. AO3 hourly rates for all 4 pay points are in the table above.
Does Queensland Health pay an AO3 the same rates?
Queensland Health pays AO3 from schedule 1 of its own agreement, the Queensland Public Health Sector Certified Agreement (No. 12) 2025 (EB12), not from the award table on this page. Its AO3 rates include a 0.5% CPI uplift added in mid-2026, and they are listed on the Queensland Health administrative stream wage rates page.
What is AO3 pay per fortnight?
Before tax, AO3 is about $3,117 a fortnight at the bottom and $3,458 at the top, dividing the annual salary by 26. Your payslip can differ slightly because Queensland payroll uses its own fortnightly rate. The table on this page shows take-home pay for every pay point.
What is the difference between AO3 and AO4?
The top of AO3 is $89,903 and the bottom of AO4 is $95,173, so a promotion from the top of AO3 is a rise of $5,270 a year. AO4 runs to $104,304.
When does AO3 pay go up next?
Award rates rose 4.75% from 1 September 2026 under the 2026 State Wage Case and next move when the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission decides the 2027 case. The State Government Entities Certified Agreement 2023 nominally expired on 30 June 2026 and keeps applying until a replacement is certified.
Is this what every Queensland department pays an AO3?
These are the award rates, the legal minimum. Most Queensland departments pay under the State Government Entities Certified Agreement 2023 (the core agreement). We have not reproduced its wage schedule, so check your department's schedule. The Department of Education rates further down are one agency's agreement, shown for comparison. Where any agreement rate is below the award, the award rate is paid.
How we worked this out▼
Every salary on this page is copied from the Queensland Public Service Officers and Other Employees Award – State 2015, from 1 September 2026, the same figures as the Queensland (AO, PO, TO, OO) page. Nothing is averaged or estimated. Fortnightly figures divide the annual salary by 26, so they can differ by a few dollars from a payslip.
Take-home pay uses the same engine as our take-home pay pages: 2026–27 resident tax rates, the low income tax offset and the 2% Medicare levy, with no HECS, salary sacrifice or Medicare levy surcharge. General information, not advice.
Sources & References
- 1Queensland Public Service Officers and Other Employees Award – State 2015, reprint as at 1 September 2026, Queensland Industrial Relations Commission
- 2Schedule of all salary rates under current certified agreements, uplifted for the CPI Uplift Adjustment, Queensland Department of Education
- 3Administrative stream wage rates, Queensland Health
Last verified: 23 September 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.