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Higher duties and relieving pay calculator

Acting as head teacher, AP or deputy? See the extra pay for relieving in a higher role for a few weeks or a term, before and after tax, in your state.

⚙Your details

The salary you're normally paid.

Ranges show the bottom, middle and top; your employer sets the relieving rate.

Measure the period in

10 weeks

Extra pay for 10 weeks of higher duties

$3,867

About $2,469 after tax · $773 a fortnight more before tax while acting · New South Wales

Gross extra

$3,867

50 working days

After tax

$2,469

You keep 64%

Per fortnight acting

$494

After tax

Extra super

$464

12% if counted as ordinary pay

How it's worked out

Higher duties pay is usually the difference between your salary and the salary of the role you're acting in, for the time you act: ($153,531 − $133,422) × 50 ÷ 260 working days = $3,867. It's taxed at your marginal rate of 39%, so you keep about $2,469.

Rules on when it's paid vary by state and role. Many agreements only pay higher duties after a minimum continuous period acting (often around a week, sometimes longer), may pay at the bottom of the higher role's range, or pay part of the difference if you only take on some of the duties. School holidays may or may not be paid at the higher rate. Check NSW's agreement or ask payroll before you start.

Acting service can also count as experience for later applications for the substantive role.

Time actingGross extraAfter taxExtra super
1 week$387$263$46
2 weeks$773$526$93
5 weeks (half a term)$1,934$1,290$232
10 weeks (a term)$3,867$2,469$464
20 weeks (a semester)$7,734$4,828$928
40 weeks (a school year)$15,468$9,546$1,856

Estimates for an Australian resident on 2026–27 tax rates, tax-free threshold claimed, with the extra pay falling in one financial year. Leadership salaries are the published figures for each role and may be dated differently from the classroom scale (column from 9 October 2026). Whether higher duties pay counts for super depends on your fund (it can differ in defined-benefit schemes). Pay data: Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024, verified 16 October 2026.

In short

Higher duties pay is usually the difference between your salary and the higher role's salary, for the days you act. A NSW Step 7 teacher ($133,422) relieving as Head Teacher ($153,531) for a 10-week term earns about $3,867 extra before tax, or about $2,469 after tax, because part of it is taxed at 39%.

How to use the higher duties pay calculator

  1. 1

    Pick your state and substantive step

    Your substantive step is the salary you're normally paid. The calculator starts on the top classroom step, where most relieving leaders sit.

  2. 2

    Choose the role you're acting in

    Pick the leadership role from your state's data, such as Head Teacher, Assistant Principal or Deputy Principal. If your higher duties approval names a different rate, switch on the option to enter the salary yourself.

  3. 3

    Set how long you'll act

    Measure the period in weeks or days. A term is about 10 weeks, or 50 working days.

  4. 4

    Read the extra pay

    See the gross extra, what you keep after tax, the extra per fortnight while acting and the extra employer super. The table shows the same for a week up to a school year.

How higher duties pay is calculated

When you act in a higher position, most agreements pay you the higher role's salary, or the difference between the two, for the time you act. The calculator works it out as (higher salary − your salary) × days acting ÷ 260 working days. In the ACT, for example, the teaching staff agreement sets the higher duties allowance as the difference to the higher classification.

Worked example

NSW Step 7 teacher relieving as Head Teacher for a term

Head Teacher salary (from 9 Oct 2026)
$153,531
Your salary, Step 7
$133,422
Difference: $20,109 × 50 days ÷ 260
$3,867
Take-home for the year without higher duties
$100,207
Take-home with higher duties
$102,676
Extra employer super (12%)
about $464
Extra pay after tax about $2,469 (64% of the gross)

Site's 2026–27 tax engine: resident, tax-free threshold claimed, no HELP, all the extra pay in one financial year.

Why only 64%? Step 7 pays $133,422, just under the $135,000 threshold where the tax rate rises from 30% to 37%. The first $1,578 of extra pay is taxed at 32% including Medicare, and the rest at 39%. Teachers lower on the scale keep about 68 cents in the dollar. That's the same effect you'll see in the promotion pay calculator when you move up permanently.

The rules that change what you're paid

Higher duties rules are set by each state's agreement or award and by departmental policy, and they differ more than the pay itself. Before you start acting, check these with payroll or your union:

Ask before you start relieving

  • Is there a minimum period before higher duties is paid? Many agreements need you to act continuously for a set time, often around a week and sometimes longer.
  • Which point of the higher role's range applies? Some pay the bottom of the range, not the middle or top.
  • Do you take on all the duties or only some? Part of the duties can mean part of the allowance.
  • Are school holidays during the relieving period paid at the higher rate?
  • Is the allowance counted as salary for super? This matters most in defined-benefit schemes.
  • Will the acting time count as experience if you apply for the job permanently?

Is acting in a higher role worth it?

The money is usually modest for short periods: a week acting as Head Teacher in NSW adds about $387 before tax. The bigger payoff is the experience. Acting service gives you concrete examples for selection criteria and interviews when the role is advertised permanently. Our guides to higher duties allowance for teachers, teacher allowances by state and is promotion worth it for teachers cover the long-term view.

Ready to apply for the job itself? The AI selection criteria coach and head of department interview questions help you turn your acting experience into a strong application, and how to become a head teacher sets out the path in each state.

Frequently asked questions

What is higher duties allowance for teachers?
It's extra pay for temporarily acting in a higher position, such as Head Teacher, Assistant Principal or Deputy Principal. It's usually the difference between your salary and the higher role's salary for the time you act.
How much is higher duties pay?
It depends on the gap between the two salaries. In NSW, a Step 7 teacher acting as Head Teacher gets about $773 a fortnight more before tax, or about $3,867 for a 10-week term.
Is higher duties pay taxed differently?
No, it's ordinary salary taxed at your marginal rate. Because it lifts your income, part of it can fall into a higher bracket, so you may keep less of it than you expect.
Do you get higher duties for one day?
Often not. Many agreements only pay higher duties after a minimum continuous period acting, so check your state's rules before you assume a single day counts.
Is super paid on higher duties allowance?
Usually yes, if it's treated as ordinary time earnings. Whether it counts towards a defined-benefit salary depends on your fund's rules, so check if you're in one.
Is higher duties paid during school holidays?
It depends on your agreement and how long you're relieving. Some pay holidays that fall within a relieving period at the higher rate; ask payroll before you start.
Does acting in a higher role help me get the job?
It often does. Acting service gives you direct experience and examples for selection criteria and interviews, though the permanent role is still filled by merit selection.

Guides that go with this tool

Leadership pay

Higher duties allowance for teachers: the rules in every state

When relieving in a higher role starts paying in each state, how the allowance is worked out, and the clause numbers to quote to payroll.

Allowances

Teacher allowances by state: rural, leadership, special education and more

Rural and remote incentives, leadership allowances, special education and first aid payments in every state, with current rates and the catches.