CRT Pay Rates Australia 2026: Daily Rates by State

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Casual relief teaching (CRT) pay rates differ significantly across states, sectors, and employment arrangements. This guide sets out government school daily rates for all eight states and territories, Catholic systemic highlights, the gap between agency and direct employment, how to calculate annual income, and what to know about super and tax as a casual employee.

1. Government school CRT rates at a glance

The table below shows the current government school CRT daily rates for a standard full school day. Half-day rates, where a state defines them, are typically 55% of the full-day rate (not 50%). Rates are set by each state's enterprise agreement and are reviewed periodically. Check the relevant DoE or union website before acting on these figures.

*VIC: VGSA 2022 expired end-2025. A new agreement (VGSA 2026) was reached in-principle in May 2026 but has not been formally certified. Rates above reflect VGSA 2022; updated rates are expected mid-to-late 2026.

The sections below break down each state.

NSW

NSW uses three CRT classifications tied to your NESA accreditation level. The rates below took effect in October 2025 under the Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024, which provides 3% annual increases in October each year.

The rate includes a 5% casual loading. A standard school day is 6.5 hours including breaks. Half-day engagements are paid at approximately 55% of the full-day rate. To register directly with NSW public schools, apply through the NSW DoE Casual Workforce pool at education.nsw.gov.au. Browse NSW teaching jobs on Teacher Passport.

VIC

VIC public schools pay CRTs by the hour, with a daily maximum at 6 hours. Under VGSA 2022, the proficient CRT rate was $70.97/hour ($425.80/day maximum). Graduate (non-proficient VIT) teachers received approximately $65–68/hour ($393–$408/day).

QLD

Queensland public school supply teachers are paid a flat daily rate derived from the hourly rate in the Department of Education State School Teachers' Certified Agreement 2022 (reprinted September 2024). The current daily rate is approximately $492.38. New enterprise bargaining was underway in 2026. Check teach.qld.gov.au for updated rates if a new agreement has been certified. Browse QLD teaching jobs on Teacher Passport.

WA

Western Australia public schools pay CRTs by the hour under the School Education Act Employees' General Agreement 2023, which included a 3% increase from December 2025. A 20% casual loading applies in lieu of leave entitlements. Approximate daily rates (based on a 6–6.5 hour day) vary by classification level:

Figures are approximate. Actual daily earnings depend on confirmed hours worked. Browse WA teaching jobs on Teacher Passport.

SA

South Australia uses the term Temporary Relief Teacher (TRT) rather than CRT. Rates are set in the South Australian School and Preschool Education Staff Enterprise Agreement 2024 (approved March 2024, with 4% backdated to May 2023 then 3% per year). There are 9 tiers; selected rates effective 8 May 2026:

TRTs employed Under Special Authority receive an additional 25% loading (Tier 1 becomes approximately $494/day). Browse SA teaching jobs on Teacher Passport.

TAS

Tasmania's DECYP Teachers Agreement 2026 (AEU TAS, effective 23 March 2026) provides a full 13-level daily rate schedule. Daily rate = annual salary divided by 200 working days. Selected levels:

Minimum engagement is 2 hours per booking (two-fifths of the daily rate). Future increases: 3% in 2027, 2.75% in 2028. Browse TAS teaching jobs on Teacher Passport.

ACT

ACT has the clearest and most accessible CRT rate schedule. Under the Education Directorate (Teaching Staff) Enterprise Agreement 2023–2026 (rates effective 4 December 2025):

Partial-day payment is calculated at one-sixth of the daily rate per hour. ACT government schools contribute 12.5% superannuation (above the national 12% SG rate). Browse ACT teaching jobs on Teacher Passport.

NT

NT CRT daily rates are not confirmed from a primary source. Estimates of $460–$505/day are derived from annual salary scales under the NTPS Educators' Enterprise Agreement 2024–2027 (effective 1 January 2026), divided by 200 working days without confirmed casual loading. Treat as indicative only. For confirmed rates, contact NT Department of Education HR directly or visit teachintheterritory.nt.gov.au/pay-and-benefits. Browse NT teaching jobs on Teacher Passport.

2. Catholic systemic and Fair Work Award rates

Catholic systemic schools in most states pay under their own enterprise agreements, which generally sit above the Fair Work Award floor. Rates are not always publicly available — contact the employing authority or IEU branch for the current figures.

Victoria Catholic (VCEMEA)

Victorian Catholic Education Multi-Enterprise Agreement (VCEMEA) CRTs are paid at the Fair Work Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020 (MA000077) Level 5 + $1.00, giving a current rate of $481.60/day (effective 1 July 2025). This is above the VIC government proficient rate and is updated each July when the Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review takes effect.

WA Catholic (CEWA)

Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) pays a flat $602.71/day full (half-day: $301.36), effective January 2026. This is the highest publicly cited flat CRT daily rate nationally.

NSW Catholic systemic

Rates under the NSW and ACT Catholic Systemic Schools Enterprise Agreement 2023 are set in IEU NSW/ACT salary tables, which are not publicly accessible. NSW Catholic CRT rates broadly track NSW government rates (typically within 3–8%). Contact your employing diocese's CEO or HR for the current daily rate.

QLD Catholic

CRT daily rates for QLD Catholic systemic schools are not publicly available. Contact the relevant employing authority (BCE or CSQ) or IEU Queensland for current figures.

Fair Work Award minimum floor

The Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020 (MA000077) applies to non-systemic Catholic schools, small independent schools, and early childhood settings without their own enterprise agreement. This is the minimum floor; government and systemic Catholic schools pay above it.

Rates include 25% casual loading, effective 1 July 2025. Minimum engagement is a full-day or half-day unit.

3. Agency vs. school-direct employment

Most CRTs encounter the job market through placement agencies: Casual School Staff, Tradewind, ClassCover, and others. Understanding how agency employment works financially helps you make better decisions about where you register.

When you work through an agency, the school is invoiced a service fee that includes your daily rate plus the agency's margin. Community estimates place this gap at $80–$150 per day above what the teacher receives. The CRT typically receives rates set at Award-adjacent levels (Fair Work Award Level 3–5) rather than the full government EA daily rate. Agencies do not publicly disclose their margin.

When you work directly with a school (whether government or Catholic systemic), you are employed directly and receive the full daily rate for that state or sector EA. In NSW, for example, a Proficient CRT booked direct receives $523.04/day; through some agencies, the same teacher might receive $413.30–$446.95/day (Fair Work Award Level 3–4).

Tradewind Australia (VIC) advertised CRT rates of $415.04–$462.88/day in 2026, below both the VIC government proficient rate ($425.80) and the VIC Catholic rate ($481.60).

Practical steps to maximise your daily rate:

1. Register directly with your state DoE CRT pool (NSW DoE Casual Workforce, VIC DoE CRT Register, QLD Register of Casual Teachers).
2. Register directly with individual school offices, particularly at schools you have worked at before.
3. Use agencies as a supplement for gaps, not as your primary booking channel.
4. Ask any agency what EA or Award rate you will be paid on before accepting their first booking.

4. Annual income worked examples

How much can a CRT earn in a year? The answer depends on your state, accreditation level, and how many days you work. The examples below use NSW CT2 (Proficient, $523.04/day) as the reference because it represents the median accreditation level for working CRTs and is a high-confidence rate.

A typical school year has approximately 200 days. Active CRTs working consistently generally achieve 130–175 days; a full-time equivalent school year is 200 days.

Reference rate: NSW CT2, $523.04/day. Super at 12% SG rate from 1 July 2025.

For comparison, other states at 160 working days:

After-tax example: An NSW CT2 CRT working 160 days earns $83,686 gross. At 2025–26 ATO rates (standard resident, 2% Medicare levy), income tax is approximately $19,600–$20,400, leaving approximately $63,000–$64,000 in hand (net), plus $10,042 super.

5. Superannuation as a CRT

Every CRT booking in Australia is a casual employment engagement, and casual employees are entitled to superannuation contributions on every engagement regardless of hours worked or weekly earnings. The minimum hours threshold was removed on 1 July 2022.

The Superannuation Guarantee (SG) rate increased to 12% on 1 July 2025, up from 11.5% in the 2024–25 financial year. At a $490/day rate, this is an additional $58.80 per day of super compared with $56.35 under the previous rate — approximately $3–$5 extra per day, which compounds meaningfully across a school year. ACT government schools contribute 12.5% employer super, above the national SG rate, under the ACT EA.

Checking that your super is being paid:

• Log in to myGov and link your ATO account.
• Go to ATO Online Services → Super → Fund details.
• Review contributions by employer; check that each school or agency you have worked for appears and that contributions match the expected amount.
• Alternatively, log in to your nominated super fund and review employer contribution history.

CRTs who work for many different schools in a year are at higher risk of a super contribution slipping through. Check at least once per term: end of Term 1, Term 2, and Term 3 are practical checkpoints. Employers must pay super at least quarterly, but many pay per pay cycle.

6. Tax position for CRTs

Working as a CRT across multiple schools creates a specific tax risk that does not affect teachers on a single salary. Understanding it takes about five minutes and could save you a substantial tax debt.

The tax-free threshold trap. Every Australian resident can earn $18,200 per year before paying income tax. When you lodge your Tax File Number (TFN) Declaration with each employer, you are asked whether you want to claim the tax-free threshold. Claim it from only one employer: the one paying you the most. If you claim it from every school you work for, each employer withholds less tax than they should, and you will owe the difference at lodgement. A CRT working at 10 different schools in a year, all claiming the threshold, can face a tax bill of $2,000–$4,000.

How to handle TFN declarations:

• Complete a fresh TFN Declaration with every new school or agency.
• Claim the threshold from your primary employer only; tick "no" for all others.
• If your primary booking source changes mid-year, update your declarations.

Daily workers tax withholding. The ATO's NAT 1008 daily and casual workers tax table withholds at a slightly higher rate than the standard weekly table, because of income annualisation. This is a feature, not an error; it protects variable-income workers from a shortfall at lodgement, provided the threshold duplication problem above is avoided.

Tax return obligation. You must lodge a tax return regardless of your total earnings as a casual employee. At year end, all employers submit Single Touch Payroll (STP) data to the ATO, which pre-fills into myTax. Confirm all employers appear before lodging; missing employer data means understated income and potential penalties.

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