In short
Part-time teachers are paid their step's full-time salary multiplied by their FTE. A NSW teacher at Step 7 ($133,422) on 0.6 FTE (three days) earns $80,053 and takes home about $2,458 a fortnight. On 0.8 FTE they earn $106,738, about $3,156 a fortnight. Dropping from four days to three costs about $698 a fortnight after tax.
How to use the part-time teacher pay calculator
- 1
Pick your state and step
Choose your state and current step. The calculator uses the full-time salary for that step from the current scale.
- 2
Enter your FTE or days
Type an FTE such as 0.6, or pick a number of days per week. One day is usually 0.2 FTE in a five-day week.
- 3
Add HELP and salary sacrifice
Switch on HECS-HELP and add any salary sacrifice so the take-home is accurate.
- 4
Compare fractions
See your salary, fortnightly take-home and employer super, and how much each extra or fewer day changes your pay after tax.
How part-time teacher pay is calculated
Australian teacher agreements pay part-time teachers pro rata: the full-time salary for your step × your full-time equivalent (FTE). A teacher on 0.6 FTE is paid 60% of the step's salary, gets 60% of the employer super and accrues most leave pro rata. Your step doesn't change because you go part-time, but your progression can slow in states that count full-time days of service.
Site tax engine, 2026–27 rates, no HECS-HELP or salary sacrifice. Employer super is 12% of the part-time salary, paid on top.
Why dropping a day costs less than you think
Going from five days to four cuts your gross salary by 20%, but your take-home falls by less because you were paying 32 cents in tax and Medicare on each of those dollars. In the example above, dropping from 1.0 to 0.8 FTE cuts gross pay by $26,684 but take-home by $18,145, about $698 a fortnight.
Going from four days to three at NSW Step 7
- 0.8 FTE salary
- $106,738
- 0.8 FTE take-home
- $82,062
- 0.6 FTE salary
- $80,053
- 0.6 FTE take-home
- $63,916
- Gross pay given up
- $26,685
If you have a HELP debt, the gap is smaller again, because your compulsory repayment falls from about $5,582 at 0.8 FTE to about $1,579 at 0.6 FTE.
Part-time, job share and returning from leave
Most state departments allow part-time work by agreement with your principal, and many teachers use it when they return from parental leave. In SA, for example, staff can return part-time until their child turns two. Victorian teachers can take their 16 weeks of paid primary-caregiver leave at half pay. Our guides to part-time teaching and job share and returning to teaching after parental leave explain how to ask and what's usually agreed.
What the calculator assumes
- Your FTE is applied to the full-time salary of your step. Allowances paid as flat amounts may not scale the same way.
- Tax is worked out on your annual part-time salary using 2026–27 rates. If you also do relief work or a second job, add that income in the take-home calculator.
- HECS-HELP is worked out on the marginal 2026–27 system, so a lower salary can reduce your repayment sharply or remove it below $69,528.
- Employer super is 12% (ACT 12.5%) of your part-time salary.
Free calculator
Planning leave first?
Combine your employer's paid parental leave with 26 weeks of government Parental Leave Pay, week by week.
Open the parental leave calculatorFrequently asked questions
How is part-time teacher pay calculated?
What is 0.8 FTE in days for a teacher?
How much less do I take home if I drop a day?
Do part-time teachers still move up pay steps?
Do part-time teachers get paid in the school holidays?
Does going part-time reduce my HECS repayment?
Guides that go with this tool
Part-time work
Part-time teaching and job share: pay, leave and your rights in 2026
What part-time and job-share teaching pays after tax, how leave and super scale down, and your right to return part-time.
Parental leave
Returning to teaching after parental leave: part-time rights, pay and paperwork
Notice, part-time rights, pay at different FTEs, registration and accreditation when you return from parental leave.