More than 17,000 full-time public servants were hired during the Palaszczuk government's first term.
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The Queensland public service has grown to 218,957 full time equivalent workers, the latest figures reveal.
The LNP Newman government axed 14,000 public service jobs over its term.
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said Queensland had more nurses, teachers and police officers than under the former LNP Newman government.
"The vast majority of the public servants we are talking about are teachers, they're nurses, they're doctors, they're teacher aides, they're police officers, and we make no apology for that because Queenslanders expect us to actually deliver quality frontline services where they live," she said.
The Queensland government predicted it would spend $27.7 billion on employee wages and super in 2017-18, in its most recent budget.
That was about $4 billion more than the LNP's final budget in 2014-15.
LNP deputy opposition leader Tim Mander said Campbell Newman's government had proven emergency and other services could run better with fewer employees.
In fact, he argued, they significantly improved after it sacked 14,000 people, a decision which contributed to its 2015 electoral loss.
"During the LNP's term of government, the public housing waiting list went from 30,000 down to 17,000, we totally abolished the dental waiting list, trains ran on time and the emergency surgery waiting list was also slashed dramatically," he told ABC Radio.
"The services that I just mentioned before were improved greatly, so this is not about numbers, this is about making sure that we get the results."
Current LNP leader Deb Frecklington promised there would be no forced redundancies under a future LNP government.
In 2016, then-treasurer Curtis Pitt promised to keep public sector growth aligned to the state's population growth.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said budgeted growth in the public service at 1.7 per cent was in line with a forecast average population growth of 1.75 per cent.
Asked if the government would meet the principle next financial year, Ms Trad said they would "go through the budget process".
"We will make sure that all of that information is provided at the time of the budget," she said.
"The fiscal principle is public service growth to population growth over the term of the government, that is our fiscal principle and we will be meeting that fiscal principle."
The December quarter figures, from the Public Service Commission, also reveal that while women and men receive the same salary for the same classification job, the FTE average annual earnings for females was $9366 less than males.
Women were generally in lower-paid jobs than men, with 70.36 per cent of AO2 to AO6 and equivalent roles held by women.
Ms Trad the government was keen to address the pay gap in the public service.
"We have seen the recruitment and the selection of a number of women into the higher ranks of the public service, particularly in directors-general roles," she said.
"But we are also seeing that we ensuring that our 50 per cent policy of gender equity on government boards is paying off."
The Public Service Commission said more than nine out of 10 public servants were engaged in frontline and frontline support roles.
The strongest growth area was in law and order, with an extra 76 FTE positions mainly due to an increase in custodial correctional officers, following recommendations in the Sofronoff Parole Review.
- with AAP
