Clerk Grade 3/4 is one of the most useful entry and early-career levels in the NSW public sector. It includes administration, customer service, registry, finance and technology roles where employees are expected to follow established frameworks, use sound judgement and take responsibility for accurate work.
The title can make the level sound more junior than the work. Current Grade 3/4 vacancies include preparing financial journals, supporting tribunal hearings, managing purchasing and stock, troubleshooting school technology and helping customers access government services. The role family changes, but the common thread is dependable delivery within clear procedures.
This guide explains the Clerk Grade 3/4 salary and increments, the experience employers expect, the candidates who can transfer into this level, common focus-capability patterns and the STAR examples worth building if you want to progress to Grade 5/6. It also links to nine current roles and a full Application Checklist for each vacancy.
In This Guide
- What is Clerk Grade 3/4?
- Clerk Grade 3/4 salary and increments
- How much experience do you need?
- Who is Clerk Grade 3/4 suitable for?
- Common focus capabilities at Grade 3/4
- How to build evidence for promotion to Grade 5/6
- Current Grade 3/4 Job Opportunities
What Is Clerk Grade 3/4 In NSW Government?
Clerk Grade 3/4 is a broad public-sector classification used for roles that deliver established services, processes and operational support. Employees are generally expected to manage their own workload, apply procedures correctly, communicate with customers or stakeholders and recognise when an issue needs escalation.
It is often the level where a person moves from assisting with isolated tasks to owning a defined process. An accounts officer may control a queue of transactions. A registry officer may prepare matters for hearing. A technology officer may diagnose and resolve user issues. A customer service representative may guide a person through a government service while protecting private information.
Grade 3/4 does not describe one profession or one fixed capability level. The NSW Government notes that capability levels depend on the actual function and context of the role. Always use the role description for the vacancy you are applying for.
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Clerk Grade 3/4 Salary And Increments In 2026
For roles covered by the standard Crown Employees salary structure, the Grade 3/4 salary points from 1 July 2026 are:
| Salary point | Annual base salary |
|---|---|
| First year of service | $87,199 |
| Second year of service | $89,829 |
| Third year of service | $92,632 |
| Thereafter | $95,482 |
These are base salary points before employer superannuation and annual leave loading. The figures are shown in the current Crown Employees salary schedule.
Progression through salary points is different from promotion. A promotion means moving from one grade to another, such as Grade 3/4 to Grade 5/6. Reaching the top salary point does not move you into the next grade. You normally need to apply for a higher-graded vacancy and succeed through the merit recruitment process, even when you already work in NSW Government.
An increment moves your pay within Grade 3/4. For most employees, progression to the next salary point occurs around the anniversary of completing 12 months at the previous point. Under the Government Sector Employment Regulation, however, payment of an increment remains subject to the agency’s performance-management requirements and satisfactory conduct. In practice, most employees progress unless there is a performance or conduct issue, but the increase is not legally unconditional.
An award-wide salary increase is different again. The Crown Employees salary award increased covered salaries by 3 per cent from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. That changed the dollar value of the salary scale. It did not move an employee from one salary point to the next.
There is also a separate $1,000 cost-of-living adjustment in 2026 for employees covered by eligible instruments. The one-off payment was triggered because annual Sydney CPI growth reached 4.1 per cent, above the agreed 4 per cent threshold. It is intended to be paid from July 2026, includes superannuation for eligible full-time employees and is generally pro-rated for eligible part-time and casual employees. It is not an increment and does not become part of base salary.
Some agencies and classifications use different awards. The current Service NSW customer service roles in this shortlist start at $74,118, while the school Technology Support Officer roles advertise $84,659 to $92,701. Read the salary line for the individual vacancy instead of assuming every Grade 3/4 role uses the same scale.
How Much Experience Do You Need For Clerk Grade 3/4?
There is no government-wide rule requiring a set number of years. Panels assess whether your experience demonstrates the role’s focus capabilities, technical needs and essential conditions. A candidate with a shorter but highly relevant record can be more competitive than someone with longer experience that is described vaguely.
For general Grade 3/4 roles, employers commonly look for evidence that you can work with moderate independence, organise competing tasks, follow policy, use systems accurately and communicate with customers or colleagues. Specialist roles can add specific expectations such as accounts payable experience, ICT troubleshooting, a driver licence or willingness to obtain a forklift licence.
Applicants should be ready with two or three solid examples from work, volunteering, study placements or community responsibilities. Each example needs enough complexity to show a decision, a problem or a result rather than routine task completion alone.
Who Is Clerk Grade 3/4 Suitable For?
This grade can suit:
- administrators, receptionists and team assistants ready to own more complete processes
- retail, banking, hospitality and contact-centre workers with strong customer and systems evidence
- accounts payable, accounts receivable and payroll support staff
- school, health, legal or community-service administrators moving between public-sector settings
- service desk and desktop-support staff seeking a government ICT pathway
- graduates with substantial placement, project, service or administration evidence
- existing Clerk Grade 1/2 employees ready to demonstrate greater independence and judgement
The role title matters less than the evidence match. A retail supervisor may have a stronger Service NSW example than an office worker if the example proves enquiry resolution, privacy, system use and calm service under pressure.
What Focus Capabilities Often Appear At Clerk Grade 3/4?
The revised NSW Public Sector Capability Framework contains 20 core capabilities across Personal Attributes, Relationships, Results, Business Enablers and People Management. Current role-design guidance says a non-manager Grade 3/4 or 5/6 role generally has at least four focus capabilities, while a people-management role generally has at least five.
The exact mix changes by job. Across administration, service, finance and technology roles, common focus areas include:
- Manage Self: organise your work, seek feedback and continue developing your knowledge.
- Communicate Effectively: give clear information in writing, by phone and face to face.
- Commit to Customer Service: understand the customer’s need and provide a reliable, respectful service.
- Work Collaboratively: share information and coordinate work across a team.
- Deliver Results: complete agreed work to the required quality and timeframe.
- Plan and Prioritise: manage several tasks and adjust when priorities change.
- Think and Solve Problems: identify the issue, use evidence and choose a practical response.
- Demonstrate Accountability: follow policy, keep records and take responsibility for decisions.
- Technology or Finance: use systems and financial controls appropriate to the role.
Capability levels do not map mechanically to grade. Check the behavioural indicators in the specific role description and use the government’s Capability Application Tool to practise examples at the stated level.
How To Build Evidence For Promotion From Grade 3/4 To Grade 5/6
Promotion requires evidence that you can handle broader responsibility, greater ambiguity and work that influences other people or processes. The best time to build that evidence is while you are still in Grade 3/4.
| Capability to build | Deliberate work to seek | STAR example to create |
|---|---|---|
| Plan and Prioritise | Take ownership of a recurring workflow with several deadlines and stakeholders. | A period where demand changed, you reset priorities, communicated the plan and still delivered the critical outcomes. |
| Think and Solve Problems | Investigate a recurring error, delay or customer complaint and propose an improvement. | A root-cause example showing the evidence you analysed, the option you recommended and the improvement after implementation. |
| Deliver Results | Own a small project, service improvement or reporting cycle from planning through completion. | An end-to-end result with a clear baseline, your actions and a measurable change in quality, time, cost or service. |
| Communicate Effectively | Prepare a briefing, procedure, customer guide or training session for a mixed audience. | A complex process you translated into clear guidance, including how you checked understanding and corrected confusion. |
| Demonstrate Accountability | Volunteer for work involving compliance, reconciliations, privacy or formal records. | A situation where you found a risk, documented it, escalated appropriately and protected the organisation or customer. |
| Work Collaboratively | Coordinate a task across teams rather than completing only your own component. | A cross-team problem where you clarified responsibilities, resolved a hand-off issue and improved the final outcome. |
Keep a simple evidence log while you work. Record the problem, your decision, the stakeholders, the result and what you learned. By the time a Grade 5/6 vacancy opens, you should already have several examples showing that you can coordinate work and improve a process, rather than trying to reconstruct them from memory.
Current Grade 3/4 Job Opportunities
The roles below show how varied Grade 3/4 work can be. Use the shortlist to compare the agency, location, closing date, application documents and evidence each panel wants. Every vacancy includes a link to the official advertisement and a separate Application Checklist that breaks down what to submit and what to highlight.
Administrative Support Officer
This ongoing role supports Business Services within State Intelligence Command. It combines administration with accurate financial processing and stakeholder service, and the advertisement confirms there is no remote or work-from-home arrangement. It suits applicants who can prove strong controls around transaction data and calm handling of difficult service situations.
Application requirements
Two-page cover letter, current resume and two targeted responses of up to 300 words each.
What to highlight
journal preparation and checking, data integrity, customer-service standards, confidentiality and appropriate escalation.
Talent Pool Creation, Accounts Payable Officer
This talent-pool recruitment covers potential ongoing full-time accounts payable opportunities. The work includes invoices, payments, vendor maintenance, purchase cards, assets and travel. It is a strong fit for finance administrators who can explain their checking process and prioritise customer requests without weakening accuracy.
Application requirements
Two-page cover letter, current resume and two targeted responses of up to 500 words each.
What to highlight
transaction accuracy, competing deadlines, purchasing procedures, internal customer advice and a complete audit trail.
Customer Service Representative, Deniliquin
This temporary part-time role combines face-to-face customer service with phone enquiries and supports a talent pool for future vacancies. It is useful for applicants transferring from retail, banking, reception, community services or contact centres. The strongest evidence will show accurate system use, privacy and practical enquiry resolution.
Application requirements
Resume and cover letter showing how your experience meets the role’s focus capabilities.
What to highlight
service across different channels, confident problem solving, personal-information controls, roster flexibility and teamwork.
Technology Support Officer, Clerk Grade 3/4, Full Time, Temporary ACIP, Irrawang High School
This role supports the ICT systems used by students, teachers and school staff. Technical troubleshooting is important, but the application also tests how well you communicate with people who have different levels of ICT confidence. Use examples that connect service reliability with teaching and learning.
Application requirements
Two-page cover letter, two targeted responses of up to 300 words each, five-page resume and copies of qualifications or transcripts.
What to highlight
a logical diagnostic process, patient user support, collaboration with technical and school stakeholders, and reduced disruption.
Administration Assistant, Clerk Grade 3/4, Junee Correctional Centre
This position coordinates purchasing, stock, suppliers, records and routine financial administration in a correctional setting. It suits organised applicants from office administration, logistics, inventory or procurement support. Examples should show that you can keep operational supplies moving while protecting cost, quality and compliance.
Application requirements
Two-page cover letter, resume of up to five pages and copies of relevant qualifications or licences.
What to highlight
purchasing and inventory control, accurate records, supplier relationships, confidentiality and work within safety requirements.
Customer Service Representative, Tamworth
This ongoing part-time opportunity offers between 20 and 35 hours per week across a six-day roster, including every second Saturday. It suits applicants who enjoy variety and can move between face-to-face and inbound-call service. The application should translate customer experience into evidence about systems, privacy and complex enquiries.
Application requirements
Resume and cover letter showing how your experience meets the focus capabilities.
What to highlight
enquiry resolution, several systems used accurately, confidential information, resilience and reliable roster availability.
Accounts Officer
This ongoing accounts payable and receivable role has a stated hybrid arrangement. The application does not request a cover letter, so the two targeted responses carry the detailed evidence. Applicants need recent examples from high-volume finance work and clear application of legislation, policy or procedure.
Application requirements
Current resume and responses to two targeted questions in the online application.
What to highlight
accounts payable or receivable, minimal supervision, competing deadlines, financial controls and clear advice to stakeholders.
Senior Registry Officer, NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal
This recruitment includes one ongoing and six temporary roles. Senior Registry Officers help clients understand Tribunal processes, prepare hearing matters, write reports and manage documents under legislation and procedure. Strong applicants will combine patient client service with deadline discipline and accurate formal records.
Application requirements
Resume of up to four pages and a three-page cover letter containing responses to two targeted questions.
What to highlight
explaining processes to someone who is struggling, competing fixed deadlines, accessible service and accurate case or hearing preparation.
Technology Support Officer, Clerk Grade 3/4, Full Time, Ongoing, Hunter River High School
This ongoing school ICT role supports academic, vocational and industry-connected learning programs. The two targeted questions are the same core application task as the Irrawang role, but your examples should still be written for this school context. Show how your technical service protects learning continuity and helps users become more confident.
Application requirements
Two-page cover letter, two targeted responses of up to 300 words each, five-page resume and copies of qualifications or transcripts.
What to highlight
troubleshooting, service reliability, user education, collaboration and preventative documentation.
Compare NSW Government job grades
Grade 3/4 is one part of the entry-level market. Compare it with the current entry-level list, then use the wider grade analysis before deciding whether your evidence also supports Grade 5/6 roles.
Start with the NSW Government jobs guide, then use the grade and salary analysis to compare the market across levels.
Choose The Role Where Your Evidence Is Strongest
A Grade 3/4 shortlist is most useful when it helps you compare the real application task, not just the job title. Look at the closing date, required documents, targeted questions, essential conditions and the examples you would need to prove your fit. The Accounts Officer role relies on targeted responses. NCAT combines questions inside a three-page cover letter. The school technology roles require four separate application components.
This comparison helps you avoid spreading your effort across roles that only look similar on the surface. Prioritise the vacancies where your recent evidence matches the work and where you can complete every document properly before the deadline. A smaller number of tailored applications will usually give the panel more to assess than several generic submissions built from the same recycled example.