EX Rates of Pay – Executive (Government of Canada)
EX rates of pay for all EX (Executive) levels in the Canadian federal public service, 2026. Salaries range from $137,524 to $260,719 across 5 levels. Category: Executive. Source: Treasury Board collective agreements.
EX – Executive
$137,524 – $260,719
$5,289 – $10,028 biweekly (before deductions)
5 levels · Salary data from Treasury Board collective agreements
Rates effective from 2025-04-01 · Last verified 2026-04-16 · methodology
All EX Levels
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About the EX Classification
The EX (Executive) group encompasses the most senior management positions in the federal public service: directors (EX-01), directors general (EX-02), assistant deputy ministers (EX-03 and EX-04), and deputy ministers (EX-05). EX employees are exempt from collective bargaining — their pay, terms, and conditions are set unilaterally by the Treasury Board rather than negotiated with a union. Most EX appointments require formal executive staffing processes and, increasingly, participation in leadership development programs.
EX-01 ($137,524–$161,500) is a director-level role, typically managing a team of 5–30 employees and a defined program or function. EX-02 ($154,343–$181,590) covers directors general overseeing multiple director-level teams. EX-03 ($175,900–$206,900) and EX-04 ($206,600–$243,100) are ADM-equivalent positions with departmental-scale responsibilities. EX-05 ($222,100–$261,600) is the deputy minister level — political appointees at this level report directly to ministers and are the functional heads of federal departments.
EX compensation includes a performance pay component (ranging from 5% to 39% of salary at EX-05) in addition to base salary. However, performance pay has been frozen or delayed multiple times in recent years due to government-wide restraint measures. Many experienced public servants reach a point where the step from EX-pre-qualifying (often AS-07, EC-07, or IT-04) to EX-01 comes with a pay cut in the short term — the EX-01 minimum ($137,524) is below the maximum step of several senior working-level classifications.
Want to know your take-home pay after taxes and deductions? Use the take-home pay calculator or compare EX with other classifications. For a deeper breakdown, read our EX salary guide.