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Free calculator 2026–27 rates

Teacher parental leave pay calculator

Combine your employer's paid parental leave with the government's 26 weeks of Parental Leave Pay and see your income, week by week, at full or half pay.

⚙Your details

Salary

100%

Take employer leave at

Government PPL timing

weeks
$

Reported rate, not yet verified

52 weeks

Take-home over 52 weeks of leave

$47,263

$55,312 before tax · 57% of what you'd take home working · New South Wales

Employer paid leave

$29,190

14 weeks at full pay = 14 weeks

Government PPL

$26,122

26 weeks × $1,004.70

Vs working

−$35,943

Take-home if working: $83,206

Super paid

$6,637

$6,373 less than working

Weekly income before tax

  • Employer leave
  • Government PPL

$2,085

Income timeline

WhenPaid byGrossTake-home (period)
Weeks 1–14Employer leave, full pay$2,085 / wk$24,942
Weeks 15–40Government PPL$1,005 / wk$22,321
Weeks 41–52Unpaid leave$0 / wk$0

What this means

Over 52 weeks off you'd receive about $47,263 after tax, against $83,206 if you were working: a gap of $35,943. Taking employer leave at half pay would stretch it over twice as many weeks for the same total.

Super: your employer pays 12% on paid leave, and the ATO pays 12% of your government PPL into your fund as a lump sum after the end of the financial year (for babies born from 1 July 2025). Unpaid weeks earn no super, which is why the balance falls $6,373 behind. See the long-term effect on your super.

NSW employer leave: Up to 14 weeks paid parental leave for eligible birth and non-birth parents after 40 weeks' continuous service, plus 2 bonus weeks when leave is shared more equally (automatic for single parents), so up to 16 weeks. Up to 52 weeks unpaid. Commonwealth PPL can be claimed on top.

Government PPL: 26 weeks (130 days) for births or adoptions from 1 July 2026, paid at the national minimum wage. The default $1,004.70 a week ($200.94 a day) is the reported rate and not yet verified with Services Australia; edit it if yours differs. PPL is taxable and can be paid through your employer's payroll. Tax is estimated per 52-week block as a full year, including normal pay for any weeks back at work, on 2026–27 rates. Partner days, the work test and keeping-in-touch days are not modelled. Pay data: Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024, verified 16 October 2026.

In short

Australian government teachers get 14 to 24 weeks of paid parental leave from their employer, depending on the state, plus up to 26 weeks of government Parental Leave Pay for babies born from 1 July 2026. A Victorian teacher at the top step gets 16 weeks at full pay (about $36,327) before government pay starts.

How to use the parental leave pay calculator

  1. 1

    Choose your state and step

    The calculator loads your employer's paid parental leave weeks and your salary from your state's scale.

  2. 2

    Choose full or half pay

    Most states let you take paid leave at half pay over twice as long. Pick the option you're considering.

  3. 3

    Add government Parental Leave Pay

    Choose how many of the 26 weeks you'll claim, and when. The calculator places them after your employer leave, or you can overlap them.

  4. 4

    Read your week-by-week income

    See your pay each week of leave, the total before tax, and how long your income lasts.

Employer paid parental leave by state

Government school teachers, primary carer or birth parent (October 2026)
StatePaid leaveHalf-pay optionNotes
NSW14 weeks, plus 2 bonus weeks when leave is sharedCheck policyNSW public sector policy; check the DoE parental leave page
VIC16 weeksYesSecondary carer: 20 days paid
QLDPaid leave availableNot verifiedWeeks not verified; check your agreement
WA14 weeks (after 12 months' public sector service)YesUp to 52 weeks' total leave; partners 1 week paid
SA16 weeks after 12 months; 20 weeks with 5+ years' serviceNot verifiedPaid and unpaid up to 2 years
TASUp to 18 weeks after 12 monthsNot verifiedSurrogacy leave up to 6 weeks
ACTBirth leave 24 weeks; primary carer 18 weeksNot verifiedPaid on top of government PPL
NT14 weeks after 12 months; 18 weeks after 5 yearsNot verifiedUp to 3 years' total leave

Sources: state agreements and public sector policies, checked 16 October 2026. Catholic and independent schools have their own agreements.

Government Parental Leave Pay in 2026–27

On top of employer leave, you can usually claim Parental Leave Pay from Services Australia. For babies born or adopted from 1 July 2026 it's 26 weeks (130 days), up from 24 weeks for births in 2025–26. It's paid at the national minimum wage rate, which Services Australia's factsheet lists as about $200.94 a day ($1,004.70 for a five-day week). We're re-checking that figure, so confirm the rate with Services Australia.

  • Income test: individual adjusted taxable income of $186,487 or less, or family income of $386,525 or less, tested on 2025–26 income for 2026–27 claims.
  • It's taxable. Parental Leave Pay is income and is taxed at your normal rates. Your employer may pay it through payroll.
  • Super is now paid on it. For babies born from 1 July 2025, the ATO pays 12% super on Parental Leave Pay to your fund as a yearly lump sum.
  • Shared weeks. Some days are reported as reserved for each parent in a couple. Check how the 26 weeks can be split before you plan.
Worked example

Victorian teacher at CT 2-6, baby born after 1 July 2026

Salary (in force now)
$118,063
Employer leave: 16 weeks at full pay
about $36,327
Or: 32 weeks at half pay
about $1,135 a week
Then: 26 weeks of Parental Leave Pay at about $1,004.70 a week
about $26,122
Income across 42 weeks (full-pay option) about $62,449 before tax

Arithmetic on the VGSA 2022 rate still in force. Under the VGSA 2026 the step rises to $133,456 once approved. The PPL rate is from a Services Australia factsheet and is being re-checked.

Half pay, part-time return and super

Taking employer leave at half pay stretches your income over twice as many weeks. It doesn't change the total before tax, but it can keep money coming in until government pay starts, or until you return. Many teachers return part-time: SA lets staff return part-time until the child turns two.

Super is the hidden cost of parental leave. Employer super on paid leave depends on your agreement, and unpaid leave earns none. Government Parental Leave Pay now carries 12% super, which helps. Model the long-term effect with the teacher super calculator and your return with the part-time pay calculator.

Read teacher parental leave in Australia, returning to teaching after parental leave and state pages such as NSW parental leave, Victorian parental leave and ACT parental leave.

Frequently asked questions

How much paid maternity leave do teachers get in Australia?
Between 14 and 24 weeks of employer-paid leave in government schools, depending on the state. NSW and WA give 14 weeks, Victoria and SA 16, Tasmania up to 18, the NT 14 rising to 18 after 5 years, and ACT birth leave is 24 weeks.
Can teachers get government Parental Leave Pay as well?
Yes, in addition to employer paid leave, if you meet the income and work tests. For babies born from 1 July 2026 it's 26 weeks, paid at the national minimum wage rate.
What is the Parental Leave Pay income limit for 2026–27?
$186,487 individual adjusted taxable income, or $386,525 family income, tested on the 2025–26 financial year. Most classroom teachers fall under the individual limit.
Can I take teacher parental leave at half pay?
Yes, in several states. Victoria lets primary carers take 16 weeks at half pay over 32 weeks, and WA allows paid leave at half pay. Check your state's agreement for the exact rules.
Is super paid on parental leave?
On government Parental Leave Pay, yes: the ATO pays 12% super to your fund for babies born from 1 July 2025. Super on employer-paid leave depends on your agreement, and unpaid leave usually earns none.
Is Parental Leave Pay taxed?
Yes. Government Parental Leave Pay is taxable income. Your employer may pay it through payroll and withhold tax, or Services Australia pays it directly.
Do I need to have worked 12 months to get paid parental leave?
For most state employer schemes, yes. WA, SA, Tasmania and the NT require 12 months' service for paid leave. Government Parental Leave Pay has its own work test, which you should check with Services Australia.

Guides that go with this tool

Parental leave

Teacher maternity and parental leave in Australia: what each state pays in 2026

Employer-paid parental leave for teachers in every state, how it stacks with 26 weeks of government PPL, and what it adds up to.

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.