Teacher Salary and Take-Home Pay in Australia
Graduate teacher starting salaries range from $79,589 in Victoria to $96,180 in the Northern Territory, a gap of $16,591 a year. See every state and territory scale, and what it actually pays after income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and 12% super for the 2026-27 financial year.
Australian Take-Home Pay Calculator 2026-27
Graduate Teacher Starting Salary by State, 2026-27
Every state and territory sets its own graduate starting salary through its own public-school enterprise agreement. This is the single most reliable figure for what a new teacher actually earns, because it applies to the overwhelming majority of graduates in that jurisdiction.
| State or territory | Graduate starting salary | Income tax | Medicare levy | Take-home pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Territory Classroom Teacher Level 1, from January 2026 | $96,180 | $19,374 | $1,924 | $74,882 |
| South Australia Typical Tier 3 entry (base rate $84,971), from May 2026 | $94,500 | $18,870 | $1,890 | $73,740 |
| Australian Capital Territory New Educator, from December 2025 | $91,396 | $17,939 | $1,828 | $71,629 |
| Queensland Entry step, from January 2026 | $90,833 | $17,770 | $1,817 | $71,246 |
| New South Wales From October 2025, rising to $92,882 in October 2026 | $90,177 | $17,573 | $1,804 | $70,800 |
| Western Australia Government school entry rate | $88,178 | $16,973 | $1,764 | $69,441 |
| Tasmania Estimate only, official 2026 figure not published | $84,000 | $15,720 | $1,680 | $66,600 |
| Victoria From July 2025, lowest starting salary in the country | $79,589 | $14,397 | $1,592 | $63,601 |
Australian resident, super paid on top of salary, no HECS-HELP debt, private hospital cover assumed so no Medicare levy surcharge. Tasmania's figure is an estimate: the official 2026 graduate rate was not published at research date, and this uses the midpoint of the agreement's indicative $82,000 to $86,000 range. South Australia's figure is the typical Tier 3 entry point, since almost no graduate is placed on the $84,971 base rate. Sources: state and territory education department enterprise agreements, via TeacherPassport.com.au and department websites, accessed 28 July 2026.
Why the State Agreement Matters More Than the Award
The Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020 (MA000077) sets a national floor for teachers, a Level 1 graduate rate of $75,684 a year. Every state's actual graduate starting salary sits well above it, by anywhere from about $3,905 in Victoria to $20,496 in the Northern Territory.
That is because almost no public school teacher is actually paid the award. Each state and territory negotiates its own enterprise agreement with the relevant teacher union, and these agreements set the real pay scale, from graduate entry through automatic or performance-based increments to the top of the classroom scale.
A teacher on that median has a marginal tax rate of 30%, but an average tax rate of only 24.1%, because the first $18,200 is tax-free and the next band is taxed at just 15%. Moving up an increment rarely costs as much as the bracket suggests.
The award still functions as the legal safety net, and it matters for independent schools without their own agreement. But if you are evaluating a teaching job offer, compare it against your state's EBA scale above, not the award. Run any salary through the salary calculator, or read marginal vs average tax rate to see why moving up an increment costs less tax than it looks.
Take-Home on $120,744
Top of the Classroom Scale, by State
What an experienced classroom teacher earns at the top of the standard scale, before any leadership or executive classification. States with a confirmed current figure only.
| State or territory | Top of scale | Income tax | Medicare levy | Take-home pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Territory Level 9, after 8+ years | $136,997 | $31,759 | $2,740 | $102,498 |
| Western Australia Highest classroom teacher rate | $134,165 | $30,770 | $2,683 | $100,712 |
| New South Wales Top of 7-step scale, about 6 years | $129,536 | $29,381 | $2,591 | $97,564 |
| Australian Capital Territory Experienced Educator, top step | $129,106 | $29,252 | $2,582 | $97,272 |
| South Australia Step 8, after about 7 years | $123,236 | $27,491 | $2,465 | $93,280 |
Queensland and Tasmania are left out of this table. Queensland's top-of-scale figure is not officially confirmed; indicative reporting puts it somewhere between $125,000 and $132,000, but this research could not verify an exact number. Tasmania has not published a top-of-scale figure at all. Victoria's current top of scale is $118,063, expected to rise to roughly $132,230 once the May 2026 in-principle agreement is implemented from October 2026, but that increase is not yet finalised.
Does HALT Certification Pay More?
Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) is a national certification run by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). Whether it pays more depends entirely on where you teach.
NSW has the clearest structure. A certified HALT teacher moves to a dedicated salary step of $137,861 a year, rising to about $141,997 from October 2026, and take-home on the current step is $103,025. This is a structured salary step, not a discretionary bonus.
The ACT pays a $7,495 annual supplement to a certified HALT teacher at the top of the classroom scale, or an extra increment if the teacher has not yet reached the top. Added to the ACT's top step of $129,106, that is $136,601 a year, for a take-home of $102,257.
South Australia requires certified teachers to apply for a separate, designated Highly Accomplished Teacher (HAT) position. Certification alone does not automatically raise your salary there. For Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, this research did not find a clearly published HALT salary mechanism in current 2026 data. That does not necessarily mean certified teachers in those states receive nothing for it, only that no fixed, publicly documented pay step could be confirmed. If you hold or are pursuing HALT certification outside NSW or the ACT, ask your school or department directly rather than assuming a figure.
Catholic and Independent School Pay
Most Catholic systemic schools track government pay closely. Independent schools do not, and vary far more.
Catholic systemic schools operate under their own multi-enterprise agreements, negotiated separately in each state, but they generally benchmark against the government scale. NSW Catholic schools typically start teachers on about $88,000 to $92,000 and top out around $126,000 to $130,000, roughly 2% to 5% below the equivalent government step. In South Australia, the IEUSA salary trends survey (May 2026) puts Catholic starting pay at a mean of $87,808 and a median of $88,638, against an effective government starting salary of about $94,500, a gap of roughly 5% to 7%. Other states are expected to follow a similar 2% to 5% pattern, though this research did not confirm exact figures for them.
Independent schools are a different story entirely. Pay is set by each school individually, based on its own finances and bargaining position, not by a shared agreement. In NSW, indicative Model A independent school scales for 2026 run from about $92,000 to $130,000 or more for experienced teachers. In South Australia, the IEUSA survey found a $54,000 gap between the lowest and highest-paying schools at beginning teacher level, from $61,418 to $115,475, with schools that have an IEU-negotiated agreement consistently paying more than those without one. If you are weighing an independent school offer, treat the government EBA figures above as a reference point, not a guarantee.
Superannuation and Casual Teacher Pay
Two things that do not show up in a headline salary figure.
Superannuation sits on top of every salary in this article. Most jurisdictions pay the national 12% Super Guarantee rate, current from 1 July 2025. The ACT is the exception, paying 12.5% from January 2026, half a percentage point above every other state and territory.
Casual and relief teachers are paid differently again. Instead of the paid leave entitlements a permanent teacher accrues, such as 4 weeks of annual leave and 10 days of sick leave, a casual teacher receives a 25% loading on their daily or hourly rate. That loading compensates for the leave they do not get, not extra pay on top of an equivalent permanent salary. Read casual loading explained for how that trade-off works, or use the casual loading calculator to see it on your own rate.
Common Mistakes With Teacher Pay
Where people misjudge what a teaching salary is actually worth.
Quoting the award as the salary
The Teachers Award floor is $75,684 a year. Every state's actual graduate rate is well above that. Compare an offer to the state table above, not the award.
Reading the NT figure as the whole package
The Northern Territory's $96,180 is the base salary. Remote allowances and housing subsidies can add $20,000 or more depending on the posting, but they vary by location.
Assuming HALT pays everywhere
NSW and the ACT have documented HALT pay steps. Most other states do not have a clearly published mechanism. Ask directly rather than assuming an NSW-style step applies.
Treating South Australia's base rate as real
The $84,971 base rate is not what graduates actually start on. Almost all enter at Tier 3, around $94,000 to $95,000, once their four-year degree is accounted for.
Assuming Victoria stays the lowest payer
An in-principle enterprise agreement from May 2026 is expected to lift Victoria's graduate rate by about 12% from October 2026. That change was not yet finalised at research date.
Treating independent school pay as fixed
Independent schools set their own pay school by school. In South Australia the gap between the lowest and highest-paying independent schools is $54,000 at entry level.
Teacher Pay FAQ
Common questions about teacher salaries and take-home pay in Australia.
Sources
The documents behind every figure on this page.
- NSW Department of Education, Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Award 2024, current rates via TeacherPassport.com.au: graduate starting salary $90,177 (from October 2025), rising to $92,882 (October 2026); top of 7-step scale $129,536; HALT step $137,861, rising to about $141,997 from October 2026. Agreement term December 2023 to November 2026.
- Victoria, Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022, and in-principle EBA reached May 2026, via TeacherPassport.com.au: graduate starting salary $79,589 (July 2025 base), estimated to rise to about $89,140 from October 2026; top of scale $118,063, estimated to rise to about $132,230.
- Queensland Department of Education, Education Enterprise Bargaining Agreement, effective January 2026: graduate starting salary $90,833. Top-of-scale figure not officially confirmed; indicative reporting suggests $125,000 to $132,000.
- South Australia Department for Education, salary scales effective 8 May 2026, via TeacherPassport.com.au: Classroom Teacher Level 1 base rate $84,971; typical Tier 3 graduate entry $94,000 to $95,000; top of scale (Step 8) $123,236.
- Western Australia Department of Education and Training, via TeacherPassport.com.au and Jobs and Skills Australia: graduate entry $88,178; top of scale $134,165.
- Tasmanian Teachers Agreement 2026, Department for Education, Children and Young People, via TeacherPassport.com.au and premier.tas.gov.au: graduate starting salary not officially published, indicative range $82,000 to $86,000; pay rises of 3%, 3% and 2.75% across March 2026, March 2027 and March 2028.
- Northern Territory Public Sector Educators' 2024-2027 Enterprise Agreement, via TeacherPassport.com.au: Classroom Teacher Level 1 $96,180 (January 2026); Level 9 top of scale $136,997; remote incentives and allowances up to $20,000 or more.
- ACT Public Sector Education Directorate (Teaching Staff) Enterprise Agreement 2023-2026, ACT Government: New Educator $91,396 (from December 2025); Experienced Educator top step $129,106; HALT supplement $7,495 a year; employer superannuation 12.5% from January 2026.
- ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025 (catalogue 6306.0), via Jobs and Skills Australia, Secondary School Teachers occupation profile: representative full-time median $2,322 a week, about $120,744 a year.
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020 (MA000077) pay guide, operative 1 July 2026, cited in research/salaries-professions.md: Level 1 graduate rate $75,684 a year ($1,455.40 a week); top of award scale (Level 5) $104,951 a year.
- Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), Framework for the Certification of Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers.
- Independent Education Union of SA (IEUSA), Salary Trends Across SA Non-Government Schools, May 2026.
- Australian Taxation Office, Superannuation Guarantee, 12% from 1 July 2025, and individual income tax rates and the 2% Medicare levy for 2026-27.
Take-home figures are calculated live on published ATO rates for 2026-27. State salary figures are gross and exclude the 12% (12.5% in the ACT) super paid on top. Awards set a floor; almost all public school teachers are paid under a state enterprise agreement above it. Last verified 28 July 2026.