Taxpayers have stumped up an extra $550 million to pay public-sector employees in the last year. All up, 1247 public servants are earning more than $200,000 a year - a 5 percent rise on the previous year. Photo: 123RF That was a 13 percent rise in just one year. In the last financial year a further 62 public service staff were paid salaries of more than $200,000, representing a 5 percent increase. Altogether, 1247 staff now earn above that amount. Over the last decade the total cost of salaries in the public sector has gone up by 69 percent, to $4.84 billion. The average salary is now $84,500, up four percent on the year before.