The chairmen of the finance watchdogs - APRA (the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority), ASIC (the Australian Securities and Investments Commission) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission top the pay pile.

APRA boss Wayne Byres, who was just appointed for a second five-year term, is on $886,800, and the heads of the other two agencies, James Shipton and Rod Sims, are paid $775,900.

The pay still lags behind departmental secretaries. The head of Prime Minister and Cabinet Philip Gaetjens receives $914,500, and Treasury head Steven Kennedy $892,290.

The secretaries were awarded a 2 per cent pay rise by the Remuneration Tribunal mid-year, and in a decision posted last week, about 170 full-time heads of government organisations received the same. They range from human rights commissioners to the head of the National Capital Authority, the director of Old Parliament House and the Christmas Island administrator, the officers paid just over $300,000 at the lower end and near $900,000 at the top.

Solicitor-general Stephen Donaghue is on the top salary tier alongside the finance watchdogs. Next comes the Public Service Commissioner Peter Woolcott on $720,500 (a pay rise of $14,200), and heads of police and intelligence agencies.

Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw, new to the job this month, and Office of National Intelligence director general Nick Warner are also now on $720,500. The heads of the Australian Signals Directorate and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) now earn $665,100. Mike Burgess is ASIO director general and John Frewen acting in the signals directorate position. Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram is paid $642,900.

While the ranks of highest paid full-time government office holders are dominated by men, among departmental secretaries there is an equal number of high-paid women and men.

The secretaries are paid much more than most of the full-time office holders. Heather Smith (industry), Frances Adamson (foreign affairs), Glenys Beauchamp (health), Rosemary Huxtable (finance), Renee Leon (human services) and Kathryn Campbell (social services) are all on the top pay tier for bureaucrats (other than Prime Minister and Cabinet and Treasury), of $775,900 to $864,600. Michele Bruniges (education), Kerri Hartland (jobs) and Liz Cosson (veterans) are in the next tier, $720,500 to $775,900.

Every one of them is paid more than Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose pay rate is $549,300.

Part-time officer holders also received the 2 per cent pay rise, which means Tony Abbott, newly appointed to the council of the Australian War Memorial, is set to receive $26,340 a year for his efforts - until and unless he makes chairman, which is twice the amount. The National Gallery of Australia councillors receive the same, but the council members for the National Museum, the National Film and Sound Archive, the National Library, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Old Parliament House board receive rather less, on $22,180.