Higher duties allowance

Your HDA will be 5% of your usual salary.

You’re not eligible for HDA if you’re in the Officer Aviation Specialist Structure or you’re in the Specialist Pathway in the OAPS. 

If you’re in the Officer Aviation Pay Structure (OAPS), your HDA will be the lowest salary for your competency stream for the rank above you in the Command or Staff Pathway minus your current salary (including any salary non-reduction arrangements). 

If your salary is already higher than the lowest salary for your competency stream for the rank above you, then your HDA will be 5% of your salary.  

You’re not eligible for HDA if you’re an Aviation Specialist.

Medical, Dental or Legal Officers as well as Chaplains or Maritime Spiritual Wellbeing Officers get the following rates of HDA:

If you’re performing duties within your specialisation, your HDA will be the lowest rate for your competency level at the next rank.

The lowest rate for medical officers will be at the same military medical level (MML) and the same increment you currently hold at the higher rank.

If you’re performing duties outside your specialisation, your HDA will be 5% of your usual salary.

Your HDA will be the lowest salary for a Warrant Officer Class 1 in your pay grade minus your usual salary.

If you’re in a salary non-reduction period and you:

• are in the OAPS, go to You’re in the Officer Aviation Pay Structure.
• held an enlisted rank, go to You held an enlisted rank immediately before becoming an officer.

If your salary (including any salary non-reduction arrangements) is less than the lowest salary for a member one rank above you, your HDA rate will be the lowest salary for a member one rank above you in the same pay grade minus your usual salary (including salary protection arrangements).

Your HDA will be 5% of your usual salary (including any salary non-reduction arrangements) if:

• your salary is higher than the lowest salary for a member one rank above you in the same pay grade 
• you’re a Captain and you’re paid under Schedule B.4.

If you’re in the Army and hold the rank of private or the proficiency of a private proficient, your HDA will be the lowest rate of salary for a corporal in the same pay grade minus your usual salary.

Your HDA will be your salary on promotion minus your usual salary if you’re a: 

• Colonel performing the duties of a Brigadier 
• Brigadier performing the duties of a Major General.  

If you’re a Major General performing the duties of a Lieutenant General, your HDA will be the base salary of pay point 1 in Schedule B.1 Part 3 Member of the Permanent Forces minus your usual salary.

If you’re performing the duties of an SES 1, 2 or 3, your HDA will be:

If you’re performing the duties of any other APS position or another military force, your HDA will be the lowest rate of salary you’d get at the rank above you in the ADF minus your usual salary.

To apply for HDA through PMKeyS: 

1. Click on My Pay
2. Click on ADF Allowances
3. Click on Request New Allowance
4. Click on the magnifying glass
5. Click 'Look UP'
6. Scroll down the list until you see ADF HDA
7. Enter the details. 

Ch 4 Pt 1 Higher duties allowance