The Taxpayers Union has just released the public sector CEO rich list.

It's revealed this year taxpayers will pay $62 million in salaries for the 140 public sector CEOs.

The average is paid $443,950, and 53 earn more than the Prime Minister.

Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers Union told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the highest paid is Matt Whineray, who is head of the Guardians of the Superannuation, followed by Scott Pickering at ACC. 

"I think what the take home message here is the number of government agencies that most New Zealanders never would have heard of that are actually totally out of whack to the others."

He says that some agencies that exist to grant taxpayer money see their bosses paid up to half a million dollars. 

Williams says that these 'quasi-independent' agencies that have their own boards are the real problem.