IS Group Salary in the Federal Government (IS-01 to IS-06, 2026)

At PCO, the IS staff are the ones who rewrite your briefing note at 10pm because the minister is appearing before committee at 9am. They draft the media lines, manage the digital channels, and field the press calls. It's high-pressure work, and yet the IS pay scale is identical to AS — an IS-04 earns exactly the same as an AS-04. A lot of communications professionals I know feel that disconnect keenly: the visibility and stress of the role doesn't show up in the salary relative to less public-facing work.

Here's the full IS salary breakdown for 2026 — all six levels, a take-home example at IS-03, and why the IS/AS pay parity exists.

IS Group Pay Scale — 2026

The IS group falls under the Programme and Administrative Services (PA) collective agreement, effective June 21, 2024 — the same agreement as the AS and PM groups. There are six levels (IS-01 through IS-06). Most IS levels have three pay steps, meaning you reach the level maximum within 2 years of progression.

Source: Treasury Board / PA collective agreement (IS group), effective June 21, 2024.

The IS group spans from $61,786 at the entry level to $129,017 for a senior Director of Communications — a range comparable to the AS group, with which IS shares its pay scale.

IS and AS Have the Same Pay Scale

One of the most important things to know about the IS group is that it shares an identical pay scale with the AS (Administrative Services) group at corresponding levels — IS-01 pays the same as AS-01, IS-03 pays the same as AS-04, and so on. Both groups are covered under the same PA collective agreement negotiated by PSAC.

The difference is the functional area: IS positions are in communications, public affairs, media relations, and information services, while AS positions are in general administration. A communications professional classified as IS-03 earns exactly the same salary as an administrative officer classified as AS-04, since both share the same level equivalence in the PA pay scale.

IS-03 Take-Home Pay Example (Quebec, 2026)

Many IS positions in the National Capital Region are on the Gatineau side — Canadian Heritage, ISED, and several other departments have large communications teams in Quebec. Here's what an IS-03 Step 1 earns after deductions in Quebec:

Estimates for Quebec (Group 2 pension, 2026 rates). Quebec residents pay QPP instead of CPP and receive a 16.5% federal tax abatement, but face higher provincial tax rates. Use the FedPay take-home calculator for a personalized breakdown.

At $80,612 gross, an IS-03 Step 1 in Quebec takes home approximately $52,708 per year — about 65% of gross salary. Since IS-03 shares the same salary as AS-04, this breakdown applies equally to AS-04 Step 1.

IS Career Path

Communications careers in the federal government typically follow the IS classification ladder, with most working-level communicators spending years at IS-02 and IS-03:

• IS-01: Entry-level communications support. Media monitoring, publications support, junior web content. Starting at $61,786.
• IS-02: Working-level communications officer. Writing news releases, managing social media accounts, coordinating events. Starting at $68,849.
• IS-03: Senior communications officer. Media relations, issue management, speechwriting, strategic communications support. Starting at $80,612.
• IS-04: Senior manager or team lead. Often oversees a communications unit or leads a specific channel (digital, media, executive communications). Starting at $96,235.
• IS-05: Director-level communications management. Senior strategic advisor to departmental leadership. Starting at $107,193.
• IS-06: Director of Communications or equivalent. Leads the entire departmental communications branch. Starting at $112,834, capping at $129,017.

IS Group Step Progression

Most IS levels have only 3 steps, meaning you reach the level maximum in 2 years. IS-01 has 4 steps (3 years to maximum) and IS-06 has 5 steps (4 years to maximum). This means career advancement in the IS group depends more on promotions to the next level than on step increments within a level — unlike the IT or EC groups where 5–8 steps provide several years of automatic salary growth.

After reaching the maximum step, salary only increases when a new PA collective agreement is ratified. The most recent agreement (June 2024) delivered a 2.06% increase.

IS vs Private Sector Communications

Government communications is one area where federal pay is genuinely competitive with the private sector at the working level. A senior communications officer (IS-03) earning $80,612–$87,108 is roughly comparable to a PR manager or communications specialist at a medium-sized private company. At senior levels, IS-05 and IS-06 directors often earn similar to or more than corporate communications managers outside government, when pension and benefits are included.

That said, some private sector communications roles (corporate affairs at major banks, PR agencies, or tech companies) can offer substantially more at the director level, especially with bonuses. The federal advantage remains job security, pension, and leave provisions.

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

• IS-01 salary scale — $61,786 to $69,106
• IS-02 salary scale — $68,849 to $74,180
• IS-03 salary scale — $80,612 to $87,108
• IS-04 salary scale — $96,235 to $104,044
• IS-05 salary scale — $107,193 to $115,642
• IS-06 salary scale — $112,834 to $129,017

You can also compare IS with other classifications or view the AS group salary guide (identical pay scale).