• 01 How ACT teacher pay works — the Teacher Level scale and annual increments 3
• 02 Full government pay scale — TL1 to TL8 (December 2025) 4
• 03 Progression and the Experienced Teacher pathway — increments and HALT 5
• 04 Catholic school pay — Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn 6
• 05 Independent school pay in the ACT — MEAs and what to ask 6
• 06 ACT vs NSW — a note for Canberra-area teachers 7
• 07 Take-home pay — a worked example 8
• 08 How the ACT compares nationally — interstate benchmarks 8
• FAQ Frequently asked questions — six common questions answered 9

ACT government school teachers are employed under the ACT Public Sector Education Directorate (Teaching Staff) Enterprise Agreement 2023–2026, negotiated between the ACT Education Directorate and the Australian Education Union (AEU) ACT Branch.

On 27 January 2024 the Directorate restructured its classifications, replacing the old Classroom Teacher bands with a numbered Teacher Level scale. There are two stages: New Educators occupy Teacher Levels 1 to 3 (TL1–TL3) — teachers working toward and consolidating the Proficient career stage — and Experienced Teachers occupy Teacher Levels 4 to 8 (TL4–TL8).

Teachers receive an annual increment on a common date of 27 January each year, subject to satisfactory performance. There is no separate competitive application to move up the Teacher Level scale; if your performance is satisfactory, you progress one level each year until you reach the top.

The following rates took effect on 4 December 2025, the final increase under the 2023–2026 agreement. The agreement delivered the largest pay rise for ACT public school teachers in more than two decades, averaging around 5.5% per year.

A graduate crossing from TL1 to TL8 takes approximately 7 to 8 years at one increment per year. A notable feature: a New Educator reaches $100,006 at TL2 after a single year of satisfactory service, so most ACT teachers cross six figures in their second year — rare nationally.

Progression through the Teacher Level scale is incremental, not competitive. Each 27 January, a teacher with satisfactory performance moves up one level. This differs from Victoria's performance-gated progression and from pathways in WA and SA where the top of scale requires a separate application.

New Educators (TL1–TL3) receive structured support built into the agreement: a five-day induction program, reduced face-to-face teaching hours in the first three years, and an additional six support days per year for coaching and mentoring. The reduced teaching load eases the transition into full-time classroom work — it is not a pay reduction. New Educators are paid the full TL1–TL3 rates.

The ACT has no separate Lead Teacher salary band. Instead, teachers who achieve Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher (HALT) certification through TQI receive a financial reward on top of the Teacher Level scale. If you are below the top of scale, this is an additional increment. If you are already at the top (TL8), it is a HALT payment of $7,495 per year (from December 2025), paid fortnightly for one calendar year and renewable while certification is current.

Catholic systemic schools in the ACT are run by Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, under the NSW and ACT Catholic Systemic Schools Enterprise Agreement 2025. The relevant 2025 commitments lifted the graduate teacher salary from $84,978 to $91,397 and the top-of-band teacher salary from $119,288 to $129,106.

The endpoints mirror the ACT government scale almost exactly: graduate entry of $91,397 against the government's $91,396, and a top of $129,106 matching the government TL8. A teacher choosing between an ACT government school and an ACT Catholic systemic school is, on base pay alone, comparing near-identical numbers. HALT certification is recognised in the Catholic system as well. The practical decision usually comes down to school culture, location, and non-salary conditions rather than headline pay.

ACT independent schools do not share a single salary scale. Most are covered by three-year Multi-Enterprise Agreements (MEAs) negotiated by the Independent Education Union, running from 2025 to January 2028 and covering schools across both NSW and the ACT. Under the ACT arrangements, pay increases of 3% (2025), 4.5% (2026), and 4% (2027) apply. Established independent schools generally pay at or above government rates for equivalent experience; smaller schools may sit closer to the MEA or award floor.

This is the comparison that matters most for teachers living near the border. Many Canberra teachers live in NSW (Queanbeyan, Yass, Murrumbateman, the Goulburn corridor), and many NSW-resident teachers can reach an ACT school as easily as a NSW one. So which system pays more?

At graduate level, ACT ($91,396) sits just above NSW ($90,177). At the top of the classroom scale the two are line-ball: NSW's $129,536 edges the ACT's $129,106 by a few hundred dollars. The clearer difference is superannuation: ACT pays 12.5% from January 2026 against NSW's 12%, which on a $110,000 salary is an extra $550 per year into your fund, compounding over a career.

For most border teachers the decision is close enough that commute, school, and conditions decide it. The ACT is rarely the lower-paying choice.

Estimated figures using 2025–26 ATO income tax brackets and the 2% Medicare levy. Employer superannuation (12.5% from January 2026) is paid separately and does not reduce take-home pay. Figures are estimates and exclude HECS-HELP repayments.

The 12.5% super rate adds up: a teacher on the same $112,924 in a state paying 12% would receive $13,551 in super; the ACT rate adds roughly $565 per year. HECS-HELP caveat: if you carry a university debt, compulsory repayments begin above approximately $54,435 (2025–26 threshold). At $112,924, the repayment is a few thousand dollars per year and is not included above.

• Graduate pay: at $91,396, the second-highest graduate starting salary in Australia, behind only the Northern Territory ($96,180).
• Top classroom scale: at $129,106, alongside NSW ($129,536) and above WA's Level 2.9 ($127,737), SA ($119,647), Tasmania ($118,328), and Victoria's current top ($118,063).
• Superannuation: the 12.5% ACT rate is among the highest government employer contributions in the country.

The ACT's standout feature is not a single record figure but consistency: high at entry, high at the top, fast progression to six figures, and strong super. For a small jurisdiction, it is one of the most competitive teacher pay systems in Australia.