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Teacher super calculator

Project your super balance at 60 and 67 on a teacher's salary path, with employer contributions, salary sacrifice, fees and returns, in today's dollars.

⚙Your details

years
$

Salary

100%
12% (NSW rate)
$

Pre-tax. Counts toward the concessional cap with employer super.

$

Non-concessional. No contributions tax, cap $130,000.

%
$
%
%
None

Super at 67, in today's dollars

$1.05m

$757.7k at 60 (preservation age) · starting from $45,000 at 30 · Aware Super

Balance at 60

$757.7k

Today's dollars

Balance at 67

$1.05m

Age Pension age

Employer super / yr

$12,499

12% of $104,156

Tax saved by sacrifice

—

Add salary sacrifice to see

Super balance by age (today's dollars)

  • Balance

$1.05m

AgeSalaryConcessional inAfter 15% taxBalance
35$133,422$16,011$13,609$115,620
40$133,422$16,011$13,609$207,218
45$133,422$16,011$13,609$314,355
50$133,422$16,011$13,609$439,666
55$133,422$16,011$13,609$586,235
60$133,422$16,011$13,609$757,667
65$133,422$16,011$13,609$958,181
67$133,422$16,011$13,609$1,047,607

What this means

Your employer pays 12% of salary into super on top of your pay. Your fund takes 15% contributions tax as it arrives, then the balance grows at 7% a year less fees. We show the result in today's dollars (taking off 3% inflation a year), so $1.05m at 67 buys what $1.05m buys now.

Many teachers in older state schemes (e.g. defined benefit) have a different formula; check with your fund if you're in one.

Projection in today's dollars: real return = (1 + 7%) ÷ (1 + 3%) − 1, less 0.7% and $100 a year in fees. Contributions are added at the end of each year. Concessional contributions taxed at 15%; caps are 2026–27 ($32,500 concessional, $130,000 non-concessional) and are indexed over time. Insurance premiums and Division 296 are ignored. Not personal financial advice. Pay data: Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024, verified 16 October 2026.

In short

Australian teachers get 12% employer super in 2026–27 (12.5% in the ACT; Queensland reports 12.75%), paid with every pay from 1 July 2026. On a NSW graduate salary of $92,882 that's about $11,146 a year, or about $9,474 after the fund's 15% contributions tax. Your balance at 60 or 67 depends on your salary path, extra contributions, fees and returns.

How to use the teacher super calculator

  1. 1

    Enter your age, balance and state

    Start with your age, your current super balance (from your fund's app or statement) and the state you teach in.

  2. 2

    Set your salary path

    Choose your current step. The calculator moves you up your state's scale to the top step, in today's dollars.

  3. 3

    Add salary sacrifice or extra contributions

    Enter any pre-tax salary sacrifice or after-tax contributions. The calculator checks them against the 2026–27 caps.

  4. 4

    Adjust fees and returns

    Set your fund's fees and an investment return after inflation. The defaults are cautious; change them to match your fund.

  5. 5

    Read your balance at 60 and 67

    See your projected balance at preservation age (60) and Age Pension age (67), in today's dollars.

How teacher super works in 2026–27

Your employer must pay the Super Guarantee (SG) into your fund: 12% of your earnings in 2026–27. From 1 July 2026, under Payday Super, it's paid with every pay instead of quarterly, and it's calculated on "qualifying earnings". Super is paid on top of your salary, not out of it.

Employer super for government school teachers, 2026–27
StateEmployer contributionDefault fund
NSW12% SGAware Super
VIC12% SGAware Super Future Saver
QLDReported as 12.75% (re-checking)Australian Retirement Trust (QSuper)
WA12% SGGESB
SA12% SGSuper SA
TAS12% SG (default fund not confirmed)Choice of fund
ACT12.5% from 1 Jan 2026, plus 1% if you contribute 3%Choice of fund
NT12% SGChoice of fund

Sources: state agreements and department pages, checked 16 October 2026. Long-serving teachers may be in closed defined-benefit schemes such as NSW SASS, ESSSuper in Victoria or WA's Gold State; this calculator is for accumulation accounts.

Contributions, caps and tax

  • Contributions tax: your fund pays 15% on employer and salary-sacrificed contributions. So $1,000 of SG becomes $850 in your account.
  • Concessional cap: $32,500 in 2026–27, up from $30,000. It covers employer SG plus salary sacrifice plus any personal contributions you claim a deduction for.
  • Carry-forward: if your total super balance was under $500,000 at 30 June 2026, you can generally use unused cap amounts from up to the previous five years. Check your available amount in myGov.
  • Non-concessional cap: $130,000 a year for after-tax contributions.
  • Division 293: an extra 15% applies if your income plus concessional contributions exceeds $250,000. Very few classroom teachers are affected; some principals on defined-benefit schemes may be.
Worked example

Salary sacrificing $5,000 a year at NSW Step 7

Salary
$133,422
Employer SG (12%)
about $16,011
Take-home with no sacrifice
$100,207
Take-home with $5,000 salary sacrifice
$96,807
Cost to your take-home pay
$3,400
Added to super after 15% contributions tax
$4,250
Concessional contributions used
about $21,011 of the $32,500 cap
Extra in super for each $1 less in your pocket about $1.25

Site tax engine, 2026–27 rates, no HELP debt. If you have a HELP debt, salary sacrifice is added back to your repayment income, so it doesn't reduce your HELP repayment.

Assumptions behind the projection

The projection uses your state's real pay scale in today's dollars and grows your balance by the return you set, after fees, taxes and inflation. That keeps the answer in today's buying power. It can't predict markets, future rule changes or your fund's actual returns, so treat it as a planning range, not a promise.

You can generally access super once you reach preservation age (60) and meet a condition of release, such as retiring. The Age Pension age is 67. The calculator shows both, so you can see how much difference seven more years of contributions and growth make.

Parental leave and part-time years

Time out of the workforce is the biggest drag on most teachers' super. Since 1 July 2025, the government pays 12% super on Parental Leave Pay, sent by the ATO to your fund once a year, which helps. Some employers also pay super on paid parental leave. Part-time years reduce SG in proportion to your FTE. Model these in the career earnings calculator.

Read teacher super explained, salary sacrifice super for teachers and Payday Super for teachers, or see your state's rules, such as NSW teacher super and ACT teacher super.

Frequently asked questions

How much super do teachers get in Australia?
12% of their salary in 2026–27 in most states, paid on top of salary. ACT government teachers get 12.5%, or 13.5% if they contribute 3% themselves. Queensland has been reported at 12.75%.
Do teachers get paid super every pay?
Yes, from 1 July 2026. Payday Super requires employers to pay the Super Guarantee with each pay, calculated on qualifying earnings, instead of quarterly.
What is the concessional contributions cap for 2026–27?
$32,500, up from $30,000 in 2025–26. It includes employer SG, salary sacrifice and personal contributions you claim as a tax deduction.
Should teachers salary sacrifice into super?
It often makes sense for teachers on the 30% tax bracket, because sacrificed contributions are taxed at 15% instead of 32% including Medicare. At NSW Step 7, $5,000 of sacrifice costs about $3,400 in take-home and adds $4,250 to super. The money is locked away until at least 60, so it's a personal decision.
When can teachers access their super?
Generally from age 60, once you meet a condition of release such as retiring or ending a job after 60, or at 65 regardless. Defined-benefit schemes have their own rules.
Do I get super while on parental leave?
On government Parental Leave Pay, yes: 12% super is paid by the ATO to your fund once a year, for children born or adopted from 1 July 2025. Super on employer-paid parental leave depends on your agreement.
Are teachers on defined-benefit super?
Only some long-serving teachers. Schemes such as NSW SASS, Victoria's ESSSuper, WA's Gold State and QSuper's defined benefit fund are closed to new members. Newer teachers are in accumulation funds.

Guides that go with this tool

Super

Teacher superannuation explained: rates, funds and rules for 2026–27

How much super teachers get in each state, which fund it goes to, and the rules that matter in 2026–27.

Super

Salary sacrificing super as a teacher: what it costs and what you gain

Worked 2026–27 examples of salary sacrificing into super at real teacher pay steps.

Super

Payday Super from 1 July 2026: what it means for teachers

What Payday Super changed for teachers from 1 July 2026, and how to check your contributions.