The figures show a continuing pay gap between men and women, with women earning an average 98 cents for every dollar earned by men in the ACT public service - a gap at its worst among public service lawyers and doctors.

But the 1.7 per cent pay gap is markedly lower than in the wider Canberra workforce, where women earn just 91 cents for every dollar earned by men, and in the national workforce, where the pay gap is 18 per cent.

The ACT public service now numbers 20,550 people, up 2630 in five years, or 15 per cent.

Executive ranks are increasing faster than the rest, up 20 per cent in five years to 213. A year ago, there were 197 executives.

Salaries were up 14 per cent in the same period to an average $82,100, with pay rises of 2.2 per cent to 4.5 per cent per year over the time.

Health had the biggest increase in staff numbers. There were 140 more nurses and midwives than a year ago, to 2766, and 43 more doctors, at 857.

But the lid has largely been kept on other frontline staff numbers, with teacher ranks swelling by just 47 people, or 1.3 per cent, to 3480.

Numbers of ambulance officers and fire fighters are steady (each down one), and bus drivers are down by 16 (2 per cent), to 658.

The Land Development Agency had a significant increase in staff numbers, to 104 people, up about 12 per cent on the year before.

The average salary in the ACT Public Service is $80,140.

Teachers earn an average $82,600, nurses $76,600, prison guards $63,700, bus drivers $66,000, fire fighters $73,700 and ambulance officers $77,300.

Trainees and apprentices, the only area to show any significant numbers of indigenous employees (accounting for 9 per cent), earn an average $37,000.

And at the top end, executives are paid an average $187,500 - doctors $118,700 and school leaders $114,700.

The average age of public servants remains steady at 42, but the relative influence of baby-boomers is declining as they age.

In 2009/10, 43 per cent of public servants were baby boomers (born from 1946 to 1964). Now, they make up 33 per cent, only a little more than generation Y (born from 1980), at 29 per cent.

Thirty-eight per cent of public servants are generation X (1965 to 1979).

The Capital Metro Agency, set up a year ago to develop the Gungahlin tram, is the most youthful agency of all, with an average age of 38, the only agency to come in under 40. It has, though, just 18 staff.

Women dominate the ACT public service, largely because of their overwhelmining numbers among nursing (89 per cent of nurses and midwives are women) and teaching (77 per cent female).

Forty-three per cent of executives are women, and 72 per cent of dentists in the public service.

In both cases, they earn slightly more than their male counterparts, averaging $1.03 for each dollar earned by men.

Female numbers are lowest among ranks of bus drivers (9 per cent), and fire fighters (2 per cent).

The pay gap is widest for prosecutors, where women make up 63 per cent of the workforce, but earn just 77 cents for every dollar earned by a male prosecutor.

Forty-seven per cent of doctors are female; they earn 88 cents for every dollar earned by a male doctor.

Female apprentices, though, earn more. They only make up 22 per cent of trainees and apprentices, but earn $1.14 for every dollar earn by a male apprentice or trainee.