How Teacher Pay Steps Actually Work
Your annual salary increments, what moves you up the scale (and what slows you down), and the allowances that sit on top of base salary that many teachers never claim.
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Australian teachers are paid on a step-based salary scale — your salary increases each year as you accumulate service, and it also increases when a new enterprise agreement lifts the entire scale. Both can happen in the same year. This guide explains how the two mechanisms work, what varies by state, and what allowances you may be entitled to on top of your base salary.
1. Two types of pay increase, and why they get confused
Teachers typically receive pay increases through two completely separate mechanisms. Both can occur in the same year, which is why you might see two rises in twelve months without any explanation.
Step progression
Personal to you. Your salary moves to the next step because you have completed another year of qualifying service. It happens regardless of what anyone else at your school earns.
Enterprise agreement (EA) increase
Scale-wide. When a new EA is agreed between your employer and the relevant union, the entire pay scale is lifted by a percentage. Every teacher at every step benefits.
A teacher in year three of their career might receive a step increment in May, and an EA increase in October. Two separate movements on two separate tracks. Neither is a mistake, and neither cancels the other out.
EA negotiations happen every three to four years in most states. Between negotiations, your salary only moves through step increments — one step per year of qualifying service. Once you reach the top of the classroom teacher scale, step progression stops. Your salary then only changes when the EA is renewed.
2. Step structure by state
Every Australian state and territory operates a step-based salary scale for government school teachers, but the number of steps, the service requirements, and the time to reach the top differ. Catholic and independent school systems run broadly similar structures under their own enterprise agreements; contact your diocese or system HR team for specifics.
The table below summarises the government school classroom teacher scale in each state. Dollar amounts change with each EA renewal — treat them as a guide, not a payslip.
| State | Steps | Starting salary | Top of classroom scale | Approx. years to top |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 7 | $90,177 (Graduate, Step 1) $101,122 (Proficient, Step 3) |
$129,536 | ~5 yrs from Proficient entry |
| VIC | ~10 | See VGSA 2026 callout below | See callout | ~10 yrs |
| QLD | 10 (3 bands) | ~$86,000 (4-yr B.Ed. graduate) | ~$115,000 | ~10 yrs |
| WA | 14 sub-steps (Levels 2–3) | $88,178 | $132,557 (Senior Teacher 1) | ~10 yrs |
| SA | 8 auto + 1 competency | ~$80,000 | $116,162 (Step 8) / $119,647 (Step 9) | ~8–9 yrs |
| ACT | 8 levels | $91,396 | $129,106 | ~8 yrs |
Sources: Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools) Award 2024; QTU Salary Scales (CA 2022 with increases to Jul 2025); WA School Education Act Employees' General Agreement 2023; SA Dept of Education, 2024; ACT EA 2023–2026. Rates change with each EA renewal. "Top of classroom scale" excludes executive and leadership classifications.
NSW
Progression requires 203 full-time equivalent (FTE) service days and a satisfactory performance assessment. One school year of full-time teaching equals 203 days. NSW has 7 steps. Your entry point depends on your accreditation level: Graduate teachers enter at Step 1 ($90,177); teachers with Proficient accreditation enter at Step 3 ($101,122). This means most employed teachers reach the top of the classroom scale in about five years, not seven. Above the classroom scale, Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers sit on a separate classification at $137,861 — a voluntary level requiring a distinct accreditation process through NESA. [Source: Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024; NSW DoE salary page]
Victoria
Annual progression occurs on 1 May each year. To be eligible, you need six or more months of eligible service (measured in calendar months) at your current subdivision during the preceding 1 May–30 April cycle. Progression is not automatic; it requires a satisfactory performance and development assessment. In practice, the overwhelming majority of teachers progress each year. Non-progression requires written notice to the teacher before 1 March. [Source: VIC Dept of Education PAL — Annual Progression policy; VGSA 2022]
Victoria: significant pay changes incoming (in-principle agreement, May 2026)
The VGSA 2022 expired at end of 2025. Following a statewide teacher strike in March 2026, an in-principle Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2026 was published by the AEU in May 2026. Under the proposed agreement, the first pay increase is backdated to the first pay period on or after 15 May 2026.
- Experienced classroom teacher: current $118,063 rising to approximately $151,419 by 2029, including a boost of around $15,393 in 2026 alone
- Early career teacher: approximately +$12,343 by October 2026, bringing starting rates into line with NSW
- Education support staff: minimum +29.8% (Range 2) and +29.29% (Range 3) over four years
This agreement has not yet been formally certified by the Fair Work Commission. Check the AEU Victoria website for current status before acting on these figures. [Source: AEU Vic in-principle VGSA 2026 document, May 2026]
Queensland
The DoE State School Teachers' Certified Agreement 2022 governs progression. QLD has 10 steps across three bands. A four-year B.Ed. or M.Teach graduate enters at Band 2 Step 1 (approximately $86,000 in 2025); Band 1 is for teachers without a four-year degree. The top of the classroom teacher scale (Band 3 Step 4) is approximately $115,000 as at July 2025, after increases of 4% (July 2022), 4% (July 2023), 3% (July 2024), and 3% (July 2025). [Source: QTU Salary Scales — DoE CA 2022]
Western Australia
The School Education Act Employees' General Agreement 2023 provides 14 sub-steps across Levels 2 and 3. Qualified teachers with a four-year B.Ed. or M.Teach generally start at Level 2.1 ($88,178). Additional postgraduate qualifications can support placement at a higher starting level. Pay increases of 5% (December 2023), 4% (December 2024), and 3% (December 2025) were scheduled under the 2023 agreement. [Source: WA Dept of Education, 2024]
South Australia
SA uses a service-day model: every 207 duty days (equivalent to one school year of full-time teaching) earns you the next step, automatically, up to Step 8 (~$116,162). Step 9 ($119,647) is not automatic; it requires a competency-based assessment and a separate application. The 2024 enterprise agreement backdated a 4% increase to May 2023 with 3% annual rises to follow. [Source: SA Dept of Education salary levels page, 2024]
ACT
The ACT Public Sector Education Directorate (Teaching Staff) EA 2023–2026 provides an average 5.5% increase across all teacher levels. Starting salary was $91,396 (December 2025 scheduled rate); Level 8 experienced teachers reach $129,106. New teachers receive up to 8% per year during the agreement term; mid-career teachers up to 8.7% annually. [Source: AEU ACT salary explainer, December 2024]
3. Prior experience recognition: money you may be leaving behind
When you start at a new employer, most systems will place you at Step 1 unless you apply for recognition of your prior teaching service. This recognition process is not automatic in most states, and missing the application window can cost you thousands of dollars per year, with no back-pay available in many cases.
Queensland has the hardest deadline: applications must be submitted within one month of commencing employment. Applications received after that date are reclassified only from the date of receipt. There is no retrospective adjustment. [Source: QLD DoE Recognition of Prior Service Procedure, confirmed 2024]
The QLD system recognises three categories of prior service:
| Category | What it covers | Credit rate |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | Qualified teaching service in an affiliated school or institution | 100% |
| Category 2 | Teaching at a non-affiliated school, or unqualified teaching at a certified institution | 50% |
| Category 3 | Industry experience directly relevant to your specialisation (must have ceased within 5 years of appointment) | 33% |
Career changers can receive up to 1,218 days (six years) of equivalent teaching service credit. The calculation is 203 days per two-year full-time equivalent period of prior employment. Proficient accreditation may be granted pending for eligible career changers. [Source: NSW DoE Salary Determination Policy PD-2024-0483-07]
Prior teaching experience from other Australian states, territories, or approved international schools is recognised on employment. [Source: VIC Dept of Education PAL — Salary on Employment]
Apply after employment for placement at a higher salary step based on prior teaching experience or five-year trained teacher qualifications. [Source: WA Dept of Education]
Apply for salary reclassification at any point. Requires a signed statement of service from each prior employer. Processing takes approximately two weeks. [Source: SA Dept of Education salary reclassification page, 2024]
The practical rule: if you are changing systems, returning from a career break, or moving from Catholic or independent to government teaching, contact your new employer's HR team in your first week and ask about the prior service recognition process. Do not assume it will happen automatically.
4. Part-time and step progression
The assumption that part-time teachers progress through steps at half the speed of full-time teachers is partially true, and partially a myth, depending on your state.
Progression is based on accumulated FTE service days. NSW requires 203 FTE days per step; SA requires 207 duty days. A teacher working 0.5 FTE accumulates qualifying days at half the rate, so it takes approximately two school years to earn one step increment. Part-time genuinely does slow step progression in these states. [Source: Crown Employees Award 2024; SA Dept of Education, 2024]
The threshold is calendar months, not FTE days. Six or more months of eligible service within the 1 May–30 April cycle is all that is required. A teacher working part-time consistently across the full school year satisfies this threshold and progresses on 1 May at the same rate as a full-time teacher. [Source: VIC Dept of Education Remuneration — Teaching Service]
Part-time progression rules are governed by each state's enterprise agreement. Check your EA or contact your union branch (QTU, SSTUWA, AEU ACT) for specifics.
Regardless of how slowly steps progress, your salary at any given step is always paid at the full-time rate pro-rated to your fraction. A 0.5 FTE teacher at Step 4 earns exactly 50% of a full-time Step 4 salary and is not underpaid relative to their hours.
5. Allowances and loadings on top of base salary
Your base salary is not the complete picture. A range of allowances and loadings sit on top of it, and many teachers in their first few years never claim them.
Annual leave loading
All permanent and temporary government school teachers receive an annual leave loading payment. In Victoria this is 17.5% of four weeks' salary, capped at $1,488 (2025 rate), paid in December. NSW has an equivalent provision under the Crown Employees Award. This is an award entitlement, not a discretionary bonus. If you are on a temporary contract that covers 30 November, confirm you are receiving it. [Source: VIC Dept of Education Allowances — Teaching Service, 2025]
First aid officer allowance
Schools designate specific staff as first aid officers. If you hold a current first aid certificate (St John Ambulance or equivalent) and your principal designates you as a first aid officer, you may be entitled to an allowance. In NSW this is payable to approved teaching staff under the Crown Employees Award and rises in line with EA increases. In Victoria, the first aid allowance ($741–$749 per year at 2025 rates) is formally available to education support class employees; classroom teachers should check their specific school designation with their principal. [Sources: NSW Crown Employees Award 2024; VIC Dept of Education, 2025]
Coordinator and leading teacher roles
Teachers who take on curriculum coordinator or head of department responsibilities may receive additional payments above their classroom teacher salary. In NSW, substantive Head Teacher positions are a distinct pay band. In Victoria, Leading Teacher is a separate classification. Taking on informal coordination duties is not the same as a substantive appointment; check whether your additional responsibilities attract any formal loading.
Remote and regional allowances
All states provide additional payments for teaching in remote or regional locations, on top of base salary.
Remote and regional allowances by state
Special education and disability support allowances
Teachers working in special schools or with students with complex support needs often receive an additional allowance. In Victoria, a special schools allowance of $727 per year applies to all staff at special schools. In SA, a special class allowance and a behaviour support unit allowance exist for specific roles. In NSW, a health support allowance applies to learning support roles. [Sources: VIC Dept of Education, 2025; SA Dept of Education]
Practicum supervision
Some states provide payment for supervising student teachers on professional experience placements. In SA this is a formal claims process. If you regularly supervise student teachers, ask your school's admin whether supervision payments apply.
6. What can stall your step progression
Most teachers progress one step per year without incident. These scenarios are less common but worth understanding.
Unsatisfactory performance
In Victoria, non-progression requires written notice before 1 March in the relevant cycle — it cannot be the outcome of a single conversation. In NSW, satisfactory performance is a prerequisite for each annual increment. Being placed on a formal Performance Improvement Plan may pause progression. [Sources: VIC PAL — Annual Progression; NSW Crown Employees Award 2024]
Extended unpaid leave or breaks in service
In NSW (203 FTE days) and SA (207 duty days), extended unpaid leave, gap years, or unpaid parental leave beyond entitlements delay the accumulation of qualifying days. In Tasmania, breaks of more than three months explicitly exclude that period from service counting. [Source: TAS DECYP, 2024; SA Dept of Education, 2024]
Changing systems without claiming recognition
Moving from a Catholic diocese to a government school (or interstate) without applying for prior service recognition means restarting at Step 1. The money is available — you have to ask for it.
Missing a VIC progression cycle
In Victoria, teachers who start after 1 November are not eligible for progression in the first cycle, simply because they haven't yet accrued six months of eligible service. This is a timing quirk, not a penalty — it means a November starter effectively waits 18 months for their first step increment. [Source: VIC Dept of Education PAL — Annual Progression policy]
? Frequently asked questions
Why did my pay go up twice this year?
You likely received both a step increment (your personal annual progression) and a general wage increase from a new or updated enterprise agreement, which lifted the whole scale. These are separate mechanisms. Both are correct.
How long until I reach the top of the classroom teacher pay scale?
In NSW, about five years from Proficient accreditation entry (Step 3) or seven years from Graduate entry (Step 1). In ACT and SA, around eight years. In VIC, WA, and QLD, around ten years. These figures apply to the classroom teacher scale only — leadership and executive roles sit on separate, higher pay bands.
I work part-time. Will my step progression be slower?
In NSW and SA, yes — progression is based on FTE service days, so part-time teachers accumulate those days more slowly. In Victoria, the threshold is calendar months, and part-time teachers who work consistently through the school year typically still progress on 1 May each year. Check your state's enterprise agreement or union for specifics.
I'm starting at a new school after teaching in a different system. Do I start at Step 1?
Not necessarily, but you need to apply for prior service recognition. This process is not automatic, and most states have a deadline. In Queensland, the deadline is one month from your start date, after which no retrospective adjustment is available. Contact your new employer's HR team in your first week.
What allowances should I ask my principal about?
The most commonly unclaimed are: annual leave loading (check you're receiving it on temporary contracts), first aid officer allowance if you hold a certificate and perform first aid duties, and any coordinator or leading teacher payment if you are taking on responsibility beyond your classroom teacher role. In regional or remote schools, check whether a district or remote allowance applies to your location.
Can I move up the scale faster than one step per year?
For the classroom teacher scale itself, generally no. The main lever is prior experience recognition at the point of appointment, which can place you on a higher starting step. In SA, formal reclassification can also be applied for at any time if your qualifications or prior service were not fully recognised at appointment.
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