Former New South Wales premier Mike Baird was paid close to $900,000 for his first five months of work at National Australia Bank.

Mr Baird now runs the bank’s corporate and institutional unit.

NAB’s annual report for the year to September 30 shows Mr Baird, who took up his role on April 21, received total remuneration of $886,845.

It is a big upgrade from Mr Baird’s salary as NSW premier of close to $378,000.

Mr Baird has been working involved with the banking sector since 1989, including working in corporate banking with Deutsche Bank and HSBC before his run in state politics.

NAB chief Andrew Thorburn was paid $6.63 million this year, down slightly on $6.71 million the previous financial year.

The bank’s full-year cash profit increased 2.5 per cent to $6.64 billion, but Mr Thorburn was awarded just 49 per cent of his maximum short-term incentives because NAB did not meet its targets for improving customer advocacy.