Every day last year, another senior executive joined the NSW government. Some days, two joined.
The sharp increase - at a time when the previous government was purportedly trying to reduce positions in the top ranks - was revealed in an annual report on the NSW public sector.
Some 379 new positions were created in 2022 - a 10 per cent increase on the year prior.
Labor Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said he was "shocked and dismayed about the explosive growth" that is set to cost the state budget $400 million over four years.
"What's really disappointing is that last year's explosive growth followed the previous year's massive expansion as well," Mr Mookhey told reporters on Wednesday.
"Over the last two years of the Perrottet government, the size of the top brass of the public service swelled by more than 600."
While police and health both reduced senior ranks, the transport department added 229 positions.
Mr Mookhey said he would prefer that money heading into the back pockets of senior executives was spent resourcing schools, hospitals and other public services properly.
One senior executive's remuneration equated to the total wages of three junior paramedics, he said.
But he acknowledged the cost of sacking the executives immediately could leave the government with a substantial redundancy bill.
The NSW parliament last week voted to freeze the salaries of MPs and executives from July.
With more than 363,000 full-time equivalent employees and a wages bill of more than $40 billion, the NSW public sector is the country's largest employer.
