AUSTRALIA'S army of public servants has topped two million for the first time, costing taxpayers $166 billion a year in wages, as fat cats collect record salaries 10 times higher than the average wage.

The public sector payroll surged three times faster than inflation, rising 5.2 per cent in 2018/19 to cost $457 million a day, the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed yesterday.

Federal Government fat cats are pocketing more than the Prime Minister, based on The Courier-Mail's analysis of senior staff salaries, published for the first time in departmental annual reports.

Defence Force chief General Angus Campbell earned just over $1 million in total benefits, making him the top-paid public servant in 2018-19.

Defence Department secretary Greg Moriarty earned $886,145 - just pipping Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo, who was paid $884,984 - more than 10 times the average wage of $85,000.

Former head of Prime Minister and Cabinet Martin Parkinson was paid a package of $802,910 last financial year, before retiring in August. But his replacement, Phil Gaetjens, will earn $914,460 this financial year, based on a Remuneration Tribunal decision that pays him more than his boss, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose base salary is $549,229.

Australian Taxation Commissioner Chris Jordan earned an $838,357 salary package and

Treasury secretary Philip Gaetjens earned $879,978 in 2018-19. Health Department secretary Glenys Beauchamp, whose department oversees the aged care system described by a Royal Commission as a "cruel and shameful'', was paid $858,014.

The secretary of the Human Services Department, Renee Leon, was paid $800,352 while deputy secretary John Murphy was paid $807,005 in total remuneration in 2018-19.

Human Services is responsible for the bungled robo-debt system, which is being investigated by a Senate inquiry.

Australia now employs 242,000 Commonwealth bureaucrats costing $22.1 billion, 1.6 million state and territory public servants costing $131.4 billion a year and 194,000 council workers costing $13.2 billion last financial year. In Queensland, the wage bill for 412,500 federal, state and local government workers jumped 5 per cent to $35 billion in 2018-19.

The Queensland Government hired 10,000 extra public servants last financial year, bringing the total to 341,200 - including police, teachers, nurses and backroom bureaucrats - with a wages bill jumping 5.5 per cent to $28.5 billion.

Queensland councils spent $3.3 billion paying 43,100 staff, and the federal government spent $2.3 billion paying 28,100 Queensland-based staff.

TOP PUBLIC SERVANT SALARIES

General Angus Campbell, Chief of the Defence Force $1,024,351

Defence Department secretary Greg Moriarty $886,145

Prime Minister & Cabinet secretary (retired) Martin Parkinson $802,910

Home Affairs Department secretary Michael Pezzullo $884,984

Treasury Secretary Philip Gaetjens $879,978

Attorney-General's Department secretary Chris Moraitis $878,551

Health Department secretary Glenys Beauchamp $858,014

Australian Taxation Commissioner Chris Jordan $838,357

Department of Education secretary Michele Bruniges $825,023

Department of Human Services secretary Renee Leon $800,352

Deputy secretary (payments reform) John Murphy $807,005

Source: departmental annual reports 2018/19. Salary packages include salary, superannuation, long-service leave and other benefits and allowances.