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Public Service Commission

Executive summary

Chapter 1, Workforce Profile Report 2021

Size of the sector

Census period FTE

360,190

+3.4% vs 2020

Employee headcount at census

431,350

+4.3% vs 2020

10.4%

of all NSW employed persons are NSW public sector employees

Public sector employment

Metro vs regional

34.3% of census date headcount based in regional areas 

Median salary

$90,394

+0.3% vs 2020

Australian full-time adult average weekly earnings increased by 1.6%

Median tenure

8.1 years

75.3% of roles are ongoing

Public sector diversity

Women

65.7% of employees

+0.2pp vs 2020

Female senior leaders

42.7% of government sector

+1.6pp vs 2020

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

3.7% of employees

+0.2pp vs 2020

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander senior leaders

130

+25 vs 2020

Disability

2.5% of employees

+0.1pp vs 2020

English as a second language

18.5%

+0.4pp vs 2020

Median age

44 years

No change from 2020

27.9% aged under 35, 23.9% aged 55 and over

Note: ‘pp’ stands for percentage points.