On this page (6 sections)
The short answer
To teach in the NT you need an accredited teaching degree, registration with the Teacher Registration Board of the NT and a Working with Children Clearance (Ochre Card). NT government graduates start at CT1 on $96,180, the highest graduate rate in Australia, rising to $100,316 from January 2027. Rapid progression can move you to CT4 in year 3.
The NT is a small system with an outsized deal. Government school teachers are paid under the NT Public Sector Educators' 2024-2027 Enterprise Agreement, which gives the highest classroom pay in the country and is locked in until 31 December 2027. Even the ACT Education Minister has conceded that NT teachers are the highest paid.
Step by step: becoming an NT teacher
- 1
Complete an accredited teaching qualification
Locally, Charles Darwin University (CDU) and the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE) train teachers. Interstate and online accredited degrees also qualify. See teaching degrees in Australia.
- 2
Pass LANTITE
Required for graduates of accredited programs. See LANTITE explained.
- 3
Get your Ochre Card
The NT Working with Children Clearance, issued by SAFE NT.
- 4
Register with the TRB NT
CDU and BIITE graduates pay $111 with no application fee. See NT teacher registration.
- 5
Apply to the Department of Education
Apply through Teach in the Territory for urban, regional or remote roles, and join the relief list.
What you'll earn as an NT graduate
CT1 graduate, Darwin, 2026-27
- Salary (CT1, from January 2026)
- $96,180
- Income tax after LITO
- $19,374
- Medicare levy
- $1,924
- Take-home (no HELP)
- $74,882 a year
- With a HELP debt
- $70,885 a year
- Employer super at 12%
- $11,542 on top
From the site's 2026-27 tax engine. CT1 rises to $100,316 from the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2027.
In a Category 3 remote school a single graduate adds $10,319 a year in Remote Incentive Allowance and pays no rent. In Katherine or Alice Springs urban schools the extra is $4,500. See remote teaching in the NT and the NT graduate teacher salary page.
Moving up fast: Rapid Incremental Progression
NT teachers move up one CT level for each 12 months of service, so CT1 to CT9 takes about 8 years. Under Rapid Incremental Progression (cl. 39.3), an early-career teacher who completes 2 years in NT government schools within 4 years and passes 2 semester units of postgraduate study jumps to CT4 ($109,962) at the start of year 3, skipping CT3.
Help with study and HELP debt
- Commonwealth Prac Payment: $338.60 a week (2026) during eligible mandatory placements, means-tested. See the Commonwealth Prac Payment.
- Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships: $10,000 a year (up to $40,000 undergraduate or $20,000 postgraduate), plus a separate $2,000 for a final-year placement in a remote or very remote school, which suits NT placements.
- NT HELP reimbursement: up to $3,000 for new recruits, at the CEO's discretion.
- Federal Very Remote HELP reduction: possible after 4 years full-time in a Very Remote area. See HECS debt relief for remote teachers.
Not fully registered yet: Authorised Person
People who aren't yet fully qualified or registered can sometimes be employed as an Authorised Person, paid $91,587 a year in 2026. It is a bridge into teaching, not a long-term classification. Separately, Aboriginal Assistant Teachers and Aboriginal Team Teachers have their own classifications and pathways under the same agreement; ask the department about support to move from those roles into a teaching degree.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a graduate teacher earn in the NT?
Where can I study teaching in the NT?
What is Rapid Incremental Progression in the NT?
Do I need an Ochre Card to teach in the NT?
Are NT teachers the highest paid in Australia?
Can I start as a relief teacher in the NT?
Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026
About this page
Written and fact-checked by the TeacherPay AU editorial team against the enterprise agreements, awards and official pages listed in the sources. It is general information, not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it, usually within a day. See our editorial policy and how we calculate.