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Casual relief teacher pay calculator

Work out what casual and relief teaching really pays in your state: day rate, weekly and annual income, tax withheld, super and take-home, for any number of days.

⚙Your details

3 days
None
40 of 40 school weeks

Casual relief teaching income this year

$57,652

$480.43 a day × 3 days a week × 40 weeks = 120 days · about $48,818 after tax

Per day

$480

$93 PAYG withheld

Per week

$1,441

$280 PAYG withheld

Per term

$14,413

10 weeks a term

Employer super

$6,918

12% on top, paid to your fund

PeriodGrossPAYG withheldPaid to you
Per day$480.43$93.33$387.10
Per week$1,441$280$1,161
Per term$14,413$2,800$11,613
Per year$57,652$11,200$46,452

Likely tax refund: about $2,367

You'll owe about $8,833 in income tax and Medicare on $57,652 of total income, and about $11,200 is withheld. Payroll withholds each week as if you earned that much all 52 weeks, but you only work school weeks, so you usually get some back.

No holiday pay, no sick pay: what the day rate includes

Casual rates are built from the permanent salary plus a loading in lieu of paid leave. You are not paid in school holidays, on days you're not booked, or when you're sick. You do get 12% super on every day you work, and casual service usually counts towards long service leave.

Compared with a permanent job

A full-time permanent teacher on Step 1 earns $92,882 ($2,794 take-home a fortnight), paid across all 52 weeks with paid holidays, sick leave and parental leave. At $480 a day you'd need about 193 days to match it; a school year has about 200. Working every school day as a casual would pay $96,086 ($3,204 more), and your planned 120 days is 62% of that permanent salary.

Estimates for an Australian resident, 2026–27 tax rates. PAYG uses ATO Scale 2 when the tax-free threshold is claimed; second-job withholding is our approximation of Scale 1 and may differ from your payslip by a few dollars a week. Tax owed includes the low income tax offset and Medicare levy (single, no dependants). Part days are paid pro rata; minimum engagements vary by state. Casual rate: Casual teacher, Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024, verified 16 October 2026.

In short

Casual relief teachers in Australian government schools earn about $407 to $600 a day as at October 2026. SA pays $407.21 at Step 1, Victoria $425.80, the ACT $451 or $558, the NT $460.93 to $504.96, Queensland $515.75 and NSW $480.43 to $599.85. WA and Tasmania pay hourly. Rates include a loading in lieu of leave.

How to use the casual relief teacher pay calculator

  1. 1

    Pick your state and rate

    Choose your state and the casual rate or step you're paid on. In NSW that's CT1, CT2 or CT3; in SA it follows your step; in the NT it depends on your tier.

  2. 2

    Enter the days you expect to work

    Set days per week and the number of school weeks, or enter a total for the year. Use part days if you often work half days or short engagements.

  3. 3

    Say whether this is your main job

    If you claim the tax-free threshold with this employer, tax is withheld at the normal rate. If CRT is a second job, more is withheld.

  4. 4

    Read your income, tax and super

    See gross pay per day, week and year, the tax withheld, the 12% super paid on top and your take-home.

Casual and relief teacher day rates by state

Government school casual and relief teacher rates, October 2026
StateNameRateIn force from
NSWCasual teacherCT1 $480.43 · CT2 $538.73 · CT3 $599.85 a dayOct 2026
VICCRT$425.80 a day ($70.97 an hour)1 Jul 2025
QLDSupply teacher$515.75 a day ($103.15 an hour)1 Sep 2026
WARelief teacher$52.67 (2.1) to $76.30 (2.9) an hourDec 2025
SATRT$407.21 (Step 1) to $590.59 (Step 9) a day8 May 2026
TASRelief teacherHourly at your Band 1 level, e.g. $46.88 (L5) to $67.25 (L13)Mar 2026
ACTCasual teacherRate 1 $451 · Rate 2 $558 a day4 Dec 2025
NTRelief teacherTier 1 $460.93 · Tier 2 $482.95 · Tier 3 $504.96 a day2026

Sources: state awards, agreements and department schedules, checked 16 October 2026. WA and Tasmania publish no official daily rate, so the calculator multiplies the hourly rate by the hours you enter.

The full data, including half-day and hourly rules, is on our casual relief teacher pay in Australia page, with state detail for NSW casual teachers, Victorian CRTs and Queensland supply teachers.

Why the day rate is higher than a permanent teacher's daily pay

Casual rates include a loading in lieu of leave, because you don't get paid sick leave, annual leave or paid school holidays. The size of the loading varies: NSW's government award adds 5% (in lieu of sick leave, other leave and leave loading), WA adds 20%, Victoria 22%, and Queensland, SA and the NT 25%. Queensland's supply rate, for example, is Band 3 Step 1 plus 25%.

The catch is that you're only paid for days you work. A permanent teacher is paid through all school holidays; you aren't. That's why a year of CRT work at a high day rate can still earn less than the bottom of the permanent scale. The calculator lets you set the number of weeks so the annual figure reflects the school year, not 52 weeks.

Worked example

NSW casual teacher, CT1, 100 days in 2026–27

Day rate (CT1, from Oct 2026)
$480.43
Days worked
100
Gross income
$48,043
Income tax and Medicare (tax-free threshold claimed)
$5,614
Employer super (12%, paid on top)
about $5,765
Take-home for the year $42,429 (about $424 a day)

Calculated with the site's 2026–27 tax engine, assuming this is your only income and no HECS-HELP debt.

Part days, minimum engagements and progression

  • NSW: no half-day rate in the government award. There's a 2-hour minimum engagement, and if you're called in and then not needed you get half a day's pay.
  • Victoria: minimum 3 hours. The hourly rate is one sixth of the daily rate, and more than 6 hours pays the full day. Agencies may pay less than the department rate.
  • WA: paid hourly with a 3-hour minimum. You move up a step every 200 days worked.
  • ACT: part days are paid at one sixth of the daily rate per hour, with a 3-hour minimum. Rate 2 applies once you'd qualify for the top of the scale or have 7 years' service.
  • NT: official half-day rates exist, and 180 relief days count as one year of service for your step.
  • SA: the hourly formula is annual salary × 6 ÷ 313 ÷ 37.5, and bookings run through ClassCover.

Tax, super and HELP for relief teachers

Relief pay is taxed like any other wage. Your employer withholds tax each pay using the ATO's formulas, but because your income jumps around, the amount withheld in a busy fortnight can look high. It evens out in your tax return. Super is paid at 12% on your earnings with every pay, and if your income passes $69,528 a compulsory HELP repayment applies. Read casual relief teacher tax for the full rules, including the deductions relief teachers can claim, such as travel between schools on the same day.

Looking for more days? Our guide to how to get casual teaching work covers registering with each department, agencies and booking apps.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a casual relief teacher earn per day in Australia?
Between about $407 and $600 a day in government schools as at October 2026. SA's Step 1 TRT rate is $407.21, Victoria pays $425.80, Queensland $515.75 and NSW's top casual rate (CT3) is $599.85.
How much does a CRT earn a year?
It depends entirely on how many days you work. At NSW's CT1 rate of $480.43, 100 days earns $48,043 before tax and 150 days earns about $72,065. A permanent graduate in NSW earns $92,882 plus paid holidays.
Do relief teachers get paid in school holidays?
No, casual relief teachers are only paid for days worked. The loading built into the daily rate, from 5% in NSW to 25% in Queensland, SA and the NT, is meant to make up for having no paid leave.
Do casual teachers get super?
Yes, casual teachers get 12% Super Guarantee on their earnings in 2026–27. Since 1 July 2026 it's paid to your fund with each pay under Payday Super.
What is the CRT rate in Victoria?
$425.80 a day, or $70.97 an hour, from 1 July 2025. Government-school CRTs work for school councils and aren't covered by the new VGSA 2026, so their rate only changes when the Ministerial Order is amended.
Why does WA pay relief teachers by the hour?
WA's agreement sets relief pay as an hourly rate that includes a 20% loading, from $52.67 at Level 2.1 to $76.30 at 2.9 (from December 2025). There's no official daily rate, so a day's pay depends on the hours you work.
Should I claim the tax-free threshold as a relief teacher?
Claim it with one employer only, usually the one that pays you most. If you claim it with two employers, too little tax is withheld and you'll likely owe money at tax time.

Guides that go with this tool

CRT tax

Relief teacher tax: how CRTs avoid a tax bill and claim what they can

How casual relief teachers are taxed, the multiple-employer trap, and what CRTs can claim.

Casual relief

How to get casual relief teaching work: registration, booking systems and getting called back

The checklist to start relief teaching, how schools book CRTs in each state, the 2026 day rates and how to turn casual days into regular work.