EX Group Salary in the Federal Government (EX-01 to EX-05, 2026)

The EX group is what most career federal employees are working toward — and also the group with some of the most counterintuitive pay dynamics. Working at PCO, I sit in rooms with EX-01 Directors and see first-hand that the EX-01 floor ($138K) is actually lower than the maximum of several senior working-level positions. An EC-07 maxing out at $147K or an IT-05 at $174K both beat an EX-01 on base salary. Many senior ECs and ITs quietly decide the promotion isn't worth it — more accountability, more hours, less actual pay until you hit EX-02 or EX-03.

Here's the full EX salary breakdown for 2026 — all five levels, the unique non-union pay structure, performance pay, and a real take-home example at EX-01.

EX Group Pay Scale — 2026

EX pay rates were last updated effective April 1, 2025. Unlike other groups that have multiple numbered steps, EX levels have a salary range — a minimum and maximum. The individual's placement within the range is determined by performance and departmental approval.

EX-01 Directors start at a minimum of $137,524 — significantly higher than the top of most other classification groups. EX-05 ADMs can earn up to $260,719. Deputy Ministers sit above the EX cadre under a separate Governor-in-Council classification (DM-1 through DM-4), and the most senior DMs — including the Clerk of the Privy Council — can earn well above $282,000.

How EX Pay Differs from Other Federal Groups

The EX group operates under a fundamentally different pay system than the rest of the federal public service:

• No collective agreement: EX pay is set by Order-in-Council, not negotiated with a union. EX employees are excluded from collective bargaining.
• Salary range, not steps: Each EX level has a minimum and maximum salary. Movement within the range is based on performance assessments rather than automatic annual step increases.
• Performance pay: EX employees can receive at-risk performance pay on top of base salary — a percentage of salary tied to meeting or exceeding performance commitments. This is separate from the base salary ranges shown above.
• Annual salary review: EX salaries are adjusted by the government based on private-sector comparisons and periodic Treasury Board reviews, typically on April 1 each year.

EX-01 (Director) Take-Home Pay Example — Ontario, Group 1, 2026

Most current EX-01s have been in the public service for 15+ years, meaning they fall under Group 1 pension (joined before January 1, 2013). Group 1 has higher contribution rates but allows unreduced retirement at age 60. Here's the approximate take-home at minimum salary:

An EX-01 at minimum in Ontario (Group 1) takes home approximately $89,554 per year. Group 1 pension contributions are higher than Group 2 — 9.10% below YMPE and 11.69% above — but the trade-off is retiring with an unreduced pension at 60 instead of 65. For most EX-01s who have 20+ years of service ahead of them, the pension's present value is worth well over $1 million.

For other provinces or salary levels within the EX range, use the take-home pay calculator.

EX Career Path: How to Become an EX

The path to the Executive group typically follows this progression:

• Pre-EX: Most EX directors come from EC-07/EC-08, IT-05, FI-04, AS-07, or similar senior classifications in their functional area. The jump to EX-01 is significant — EC-08 tops out at $159,046 while EX-01 minimum is $137,524, and EX-01 maximum ($161,773) is above the EC-08 ceiling.
• EX-01 (Director / Regional Director): Entry to the executive cadre. Most new EXs are EX-01. Manages a defined directorate, regional office, or functional unit.
• EX-02 (Senior Director / Executive Director): Expanded scope of leadership. May lead multiple EX-01 directors or a larger functional area.
• EX-03 (Director General): The DG level. Leads a branch or directorate with substantial resources and multiple reporting directors.
• EX-04 (Associate Assistant Deputy Minister): Associate ADM supporting an ADM in leading a large branch, or heading a smaller branch directly.
• EX-05 (Assistant Deputy Minister): The top of the EX classification. ADMs lead major branches and report directly to the Deputy Minister.

Above EX-05: The DM Classification (Deputy Ministers)

Deputy Ministers are not part of the EX group. They sit in their own Governor-in-Council classification — DM-1, DM-2, DM-3, and DM-4 — with pay set by separate Order-in-Council, distinct from the EX salary ranges shown above. DMs are appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, and are accountable to Ministers for the operations of their department.

The highest-paid federal officials — the Clerk of the Privy Council, DMs of major departments, and certain heads of crown corporations — fall under the DM schedule or separate GIC orders, with senior DM-3 and DM-4 compensation exceeding $282,000 per year. Equivalent senior tiers exist for crown corporation CEOs and certain agency heads.

For complete step-by-step rates and salary history for each EX level, see:

• EX-01 salary range — $137,524 to $161,773
• EX-02 salary range — $154,178 to $181,365
• EX-03 salary range — $172,548 to $202,918
• EX-04 salary range — $197,774 to $232,676
• EX-05 salary range — $221,654 to $260,719

See also: Highest paying federal government jobs or compare EX with other classifications.