Their six figure salaries are already well above what most of us only dream of earning.
Yet a suite of annual reports tabled in State Parliament this week has revealed many of Queensland's top government executives also received generous performance sweeteners last financial year.
Departmental reports for 2013-14, tabled on Tuesday afternoon, reveal a number of the state's directors-general received hefty bonuses just in time for Christmas last year.
Leading the charge is the director-general of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Jon Grayson, who had a $63,300 boost to his bank account on November 15.
The bonus applied to the 2012-13 financial year.
Trumping all the departmental heads, however, including Mr Grayson, was the former chief executive of the Public Service Commission, Ian Maynard.
For 2012-13, the year thousands of public service employees were made redundant by the Queensland Government, Mr Maynard received a $74,402 bonus.
Mr Maynard is now the director-general of Queensland Health, where he is eligible for an annual bonus of up to $86,812.
However, that department's annual report does not reveal how much of that bonus pool he will receive for the 2013-14 financial year, reading only that the figure, "in respect of the 2013–14 financial year had not yet been confirmed".
Among the department heads next in line after Mr Grayson, the then-boss of the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection took home an extra $48,244 also paid on November 15 - almost two months after he left the job. Jon Black took over the role in September 2013 and his eligibility for a 2013-14 performance bonus was not confirmed at the time the financial statements were certified. Any payment would disclosed in the 2014-15 annual report.*
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry director-general Jack Noye took home an extra $14,562, while the head of the Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and Commonwealth Games, Richard Eden was paid a $21,976 bonus on December 27.
The former boss of the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services, Margaret Allison, received a $23,381 boost to her bank account on November 17.
In the Department of Justice and Attorney-General, director-general John Sosso, received a $24,056 boost to his bank balance on November 13.
Not all were so lucky, however.
The purse strings were tight in the Department of Local Government, Community Recovery and Resilience.
Director-general Craig Evans is eligible for an annual bonus of up to $46,643 but received nothing.
The department's annual report states that no performance payments were made to any of its key management personnel in 2013-14.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads annual report says the potential bonus for its director-general Neil Scales was yet to be determined, however, it revealed the deputy director-general in charge of public service provider Translink, Stephen Banaghan, received a $5720 bonus.
In the Department of Energy and Water Supply, director-general Dan Hunt's annual sweetener is also yet to be revealed, but the woman in charge of energy services, deputy director-general Karen Masnata, took home a $28,228 bonus for 2012-13.
The annual bonus for the man heading up the Department of Education, Training and Employment, Jim Watterston, is also yet to be determined.
Clarification: The $48,244 bonus was paid to the head of the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection based on 2012-13 performance. Jon Black took over in September 2013 but his eligibility for a bonus payment was yet to be confirmed.
