Photo: AAP

Australia's highest-paid public servant announced his resignation on Thursday, two weeks after a revelation that he made $5.6 million Australian ($4.3 million) last year sparked a public furor.

Australia Post managing director Ahmed Fahour said he was quitting the national mail service on the same day the government-owned corporation posted a profit of AU$131 million for the six months through December. The figure was a big jump from the AU$16 million profit the corporation made in the same half a year earlier.

The Lebanese-born former banker, 50, said he was leaving because Australia Post had transformed from a traditional mail service to a parcel and e-commerce business during his seven years at the helm.

His resignation was not caused by the widespread public outrage at his high salary, he said.

"Clearly, this has been a very difficult and emotional decision for me and my family. But I've come to the conclusion that the timing is right. As the half-year results show, the transformation has worked," Fahour said.

Fahour said he would leave Australia Post in July following the announcement of his successor.

Earlier this month, a Senate committee revealed Fahour's pay despite objections from Australia Post that making it public could damage the corporation's brand.

His AU$4.4 million salary plus an AU$1.2 million bonus in the last fiscal year was more than 10 times the prime minister's salary of AU$507,000.

By contrast, U.S. Postal Service Chief Executive and Postmaster General Megan Brennan's salary was $286,137 last year.