In short
Australian government-school teachers start on between $79,589 (Victoria, until its new agreement is approved) and $96,180 (NT) a year, and the top classroom step runs from $118,063 (Victoria) to $136,997 (NT), as at October 2026. Every state has its own scale, step rules and pay-rise dates, so the explorer shows each one separately.
How to use the pay scale explorer
- 1
Choose a state
Pick the state or territory whose scale you want to see. The table loads that state's current classroom and leadership steps.
- 2
Scan the steps
Each row shows the step code, annual salary, the gross fortnightly amount and estimated take-home after 2026–27 tax and Medicare.
- 3
Check the next rise
Where a state has a scheduled or proposed rise, the next column shows it with its date and status, so you know whether it's locked in or still pending.
- 4
Switch on HELP if it applies
Turn on HECS-HELP to see take-home with the compulsory repayment taken out at every step.
Graduate and top-step pay in every state (October 2026)
Sources: each state's agreement or department salary schedule, checked 16 October 2026. QLD's top classroom step excludes Senior Teacher ($124,601) and Experienced Senior Teacher ($127,549), which need an application.
The ranking changes often, because each state rises on a different date. NSW moved on 9 October 2026. Victoria's VGSA 2026 was voted in on 17 September 2026 but is waiting for Fair Work Commission approval; once it starts, the Victorian graduate rate rises to $92,882 and the top step to $133,456 from 1 October 2026, with back pay. Queensland's agreement is in QIRC arbitration, so its next rise is unknown. Read the full ranking on which state pays teachers the most.
How a pay scale works
A teacher pay scale is a ladder of fixed salaries. You move up one rung (a step, level or subdivision) after each year of satisfactory service until you reach the top of the classroom scale. Some rungs need more than time: NSW teachers need Proficient accreditation to move from Step 2 to Step 3, Victorian teachers must meet the Range 2 standards to cross from 1-5 to 2-1, and SA teachers apply for Step 9 after 207 duty days at Step 8. Above the classroom scale sit accomplished-teacher steps (often tied to HALT certification) and the leadership bands.
Your starting step depends on your qualification and recognised experience. Tasmanian teachers with four years' training start at L4 and those with five at L5, and isolated schools start teachers at L8. NT teachers with experience are placed by completed years, so one year of service means CT2. Our guide to how teacher pay steps work covers each state's rules.
What the top of the NSW scale looks like after tax
- NSW Step 7 salary (from Oct 2026)
- $133,422
- Gross per fortnight
- about $5,132
- Income tax and Medicare for the year
- $33,215
- Take-home per year
- $100,207
2026–27 rates, no HECS-HELP or salary sacrifice. Employer super of about $16,011 is paid on top.
Scheduled, proposed and unknown rises
The explorer labels the next column by status, because a rise that has been agreed is very different from one that is only proposed.
- Scheduled: NT teachers get 4.3% from the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2027 (CT1 to $100,316, CT9 to $142,888). Tasmania has 3% due in March 2027 and 2.75% in March 2028.
- Proposed, waiting for approval: Victoria's VGSA 2026 columns for 10 August 2026, 1 October 2026 and November 2027 to 2029.
- None scheduled: NSW (award ends 8 October 2027), WA (agreement expires 5 December 2026), SA (expires around late March 2027), ACT (offer rejected in September 2026) and Queensland (arbitration).
What the scale does not show
Base salary is only part of the package. Employer super (12%, or 12.5% in the ACT), leave loading, rural incentives and HALT allowances all sit on top. Catholic and independent schools use their own agreements: NSW Catholic systemic schools match the government scale to the dollar, while other states' Catholic rates are still being bargained. See Catholic and independent school teacher pay and the pay rise tracker for what's coming.
Free calculator
When will you reach the top step?
Enter your current step and start date to see when you move up each step and what you'll earn at each.
Open the step timeline