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HALT eligibility checker

Check whether you're ready to apply for Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher certification in your state, what it would pay you, and what to do first.

⚙Your details

2 years

Nearly ready · Highly Accomplished in NSW

+$205

a fortnight after tax · $133,422 → $141,997 (Highly Accomplished / Lead Teacher) · $8,575 a year before tax

Readiness

3 of 4

Nearly ready

Gross uplift / year

$8,575

After tax / year

$5,341

You keep 62%

Suggested stage

HA

Start with Highly Accomplished

Your eligibility checklist

  • Full (Proficient) registration: yesRequired everywhere before you can apply.
  • Experience at or near the top of the scale: yes2 years at the top: typical of successful applicants.
  • Evidence of leading colleagues: not yetHighly Accomplished needs you to support colleagues; Lead needs evidence of leading them (e.g. a project, mentoring, PL you ran) across a school.
  • Ready for a two-stage assessment: yesStage 1 is a portfolio of annotated evidence; stage 2 is usually a site visit with observation and referee discussions.

HA/Lead: Requires HA or Lead accreditation plus 1 year at Step 7.

Steps to apply

  1. Check who certifies HALT in NSW and any extra local rules (AITSL lists each certifying authority).
  2. Self-assess against the Standards at the Highly Accomplished career stage and talk to your principal about referees.
  3. Collect evidence over 6 to 12 months: student-impact data, observations, annotated artefacts and colleague feedback.
  4. Stage 1: submit your evidence portfolio with annotations against each descriptor.
  5. Stage 2: site visit, lesson observation and referee discussions with an assessor.
  6. Once certified, apply to payroll or your school for the HALT pay step, and ask when the new pay starts.

Plan your evidence with the AI HALT Evidence Planner

HALT and senior classroom pay in every state

StateHALT pay step?Top classroomHALT / equivalentUplift / fn after tax
NSWYes$133,422$141,997$205
VICNo (Learning Specialist / Leading Teacher (Range 3 entry))$133,456$140,140$161
QLDYes$119,357$134,694$401
WANo (Level 3 Classroom Teacher)$127,737$132,557$126
SAYes$123,236$133,736$275
TASNo (Advanced Skills Teacher)$122,393$129,640$190
ACTYes$129,106$136,601$192
NTYes$136,997$150,935$327

General guidance, not a certification decision: requirements are set by each certifying authority and can change. Pay compares your step with the HALT (or equivalent) salary in NSW's current data, for an Australian resident on 2026–27 tax rates. Pay data: Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024, verified 16 October 2026.

In short

You're ready to apply for HALT when you hold full (Proficient) registration, usually sit at or near the top of the pay scale, can show evidence of supporting or leading colleagues, and can commit to a two-stage assessment. In NSW, Highly Accomplished or Lead pays $141,997, about $205 a fortnight more after tax than Step 7.

How to use the halt eligibility checker

  1. 1

    Pick your state and current step

    Choose where you teach and the step you're on. The checker compares that salary with HALT pay, or with the nearest senior classroom role if your state doesn't pay for HALT.

  2. 2

    Set your years at the top

    Enter how long you've been at the top step or at Proficient. Some states need a year at the top step before HALT pay applies.

  3. 3

    Answer the three readiness questions

    Say whether you have full registration, can show evidence of leading colleagues, and are willing to do a two-stage assessment. Leadership evidence points you to Lead; without it, the checker suggests Highly Accomplished first.

  4. 4

    Read your verdict and the pay

    You'll get a readiness score out of 4, a verdict, the uplift before and after tax, and a step-by-step plan, plus a table of HALT pay in every state.

How the checker decides you're ready

HALT (Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher) certification is voluntary and nationally portable. It's run by state and territory certifying authorities, using nationally trained assessors, against the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. The checker tests the four things that stop most applications: full Proficient registration, enough experience at the top of the scale, evidence of working with colleagues, and the time to do a long assessment.

  • Ready to start: all four in place. Start collecting evidence this term.
  • Nearly ready: three of four. Usually that's leadership evidence or time at the top; fix the gap while you gather evidence.
  • Build up first: two or fewer. Spend a year building the experience before you commit.
  • Not yet: you don't have full registration. That's the gate for every certification.

What HALT pays in each state

HALT or nearest equivalent against the top classroom step, government schools, October 2026
StateHALT pay step?Top classroomHALT / equivalentExtra after tax / fortnight
NSWYes$133,422$141,997$205
VICNo (Learning Specialist)$133,456$140,140$161
QLDYes$119,357$134,694$401
WANo (Level 3 Classroom Teacher)$127,737$132,557 (Senior Teacher 1)$126
SAYes$123,236$133,736$275
TASNo (Advanced Skills Teacher)$122,393$129,640$190
ACTYes$129,106$136,601$192
NTYes$136,997$150,935$327

Highly Accomplished level shown. Lead pays more in Queensland ($147,050), SA ($141,365) and the NT ($166,181). Take-home from the site's 2026–27 tax engine: resident, tax-free threshold claimed, no HELP. Queensland's rates are interim, and its Senior and Experienced Senior Teacher steps sit between the top step and HAT, so the real gain is smaller for teachers already on them. Victoria's rates are the VGSA 2026 rates from 1 October 2026.

Worked example

NSW Step 7 teacher certified as Highly Accomplished

Step 7 salary (from 9 Oct 2026)
$133,422
Highly Accomplished / Lead salary
$141,997
Gross uplift
$8,575 a year
Take-home on Step 7 (2026–27)
$100,207
Take-home at HA / Lead
$105,548
Extra after tax $5,341 a year (about $205 a fortnight)

You keep about 62% of the rise because part of it falls above $135,000, where the rate rises to 37% plus Medicare. NSW also needs at least 1 year at Step 7 before the HA/Lead rate applies.

The NT pays the most generous HALT allowances in Australia: $13,938 a year for Highly Accomplished and $29,184 for Lead in 2026, rising to $14,537 and $30,439 in 2027. The ACT pays an extra increment, or $7,495 a year if you're already at the top of the scale. See HALT salary in NSW and the other state role pages for details.

Highly Accomplished or Lead?

Highly Accomplished is for an expert classroom teacher who supports colleagues to improve. Lead is for a teacher who leads improvement across a school or beyond: running a project, a professional learning program or a mentoring program, with evidence of its effect. If you can't yet point to impact beyond your own classes and a few colleagues, start with Highly Accomplished. In states that pay more for Lead, it's worth planning for once you have that evidence.

How long it takes and what to do first

Plan for most of a school year. Stage 1 is a portfolio of annotated evidence against the Standards: student-impact data, observations, artefacts and colleague feedback, usually gathered over 6 to 12 months. Stage 2 is normally a site visit with a lesson observation and discussions with your referees. Once you're certified, apply to payroll for the HALT step and ask when it starts. The HALT application process walks through each stage, and HALT evidence examples shows what strong evidence looks like.

Frequently asked questions

Who is eligible for HALT certification?
Teachers with full (Proficient) registration who can show highly accomplished practice against the Standards. Most successful applicants are at or near the top of the pay scale, and some states require time at the top step before HALT pay applies.
How much more do HALT teachers earn?
It depends on the state. In NSW, Highly Accomplished or Lead pays $141,997, $8,575 more than Step 7; in the NT, HA adds $13,938 a year and Lead $29,184 in 2026.
How long does HALT certification take?
Usually most of a school year. You gather evidence over 6 to 12 months for stage 1, then have a site visit with observation and referee discussions for stage 2.
Should I apply for Highly Accomplished or Lead?
Start with Highly Accomplished unless you can show evidence of leading improvement across your school or beyond, such as a project or professional learning you ran and its effect.
Does HALT increase pay in Victoria?
Not in government schools as at October 2026. Victoria has no government-sector certifying authority and pays for promotion roles such as Learning Specialist and Leading Teacher instead.
Is HALT certification recognised in other states?
Yes, certification is nationally portable. Whether it changes your pay depends on your new employer, so check before you move.
Do I need to be at the top of the pay scale to apply?
Not always to apply, but often to be paid. NSW requires a year at Step 7 before the HA/Lead rate applies, so you can start collecting evidence earlier and time your application.

Guides that go with this tool

HALT

Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT): what it is, what it pays and whether to go for it

What HALT certification is, how it differs from Proficient, and what it is worth in each state's pay scale.

HALT

The HALT certification process, step by step: evidence, annotations, site visit and timelines

The two-stage HALT assessment explained, with NSW and NT evidence rules, fees and a realistic timeline.

HALT

HALT evidence examples: artefacts and annotations for every Standard

What good HALT evidence looks like, Standard by Standard, with labelled fictional annotations at HA and Lead level and the fixes assessors look for.