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UK to Australia teacher pay converter

Compare your UK teacher salary with what you'd earn and take home in each Australian state, at your experience level, using a dated exchange rate you control.

⚙Your UK details

GBP

£38,000 is an example only. We don't hold England's 2026/27 pay points, so type the salary on your payslip.

9.6%

About 9.6% at mid-range salaries (approximate: the rate is tiered by salary). Set to 0 if you've opted out.

AUD

1 GBP = 2.00 AUD is a round placeholder, not a real rate. Check today's rate and enter it here.

5 years

Take-home per fortnight in New South Wales

$3,626

Step 6 (Proficient), $124,696 a year · UK equivalent $2,151 · +$1,475 a fortnight

UK salary in AUD

$76,000

£38,000 at 2.00

UK take-home

£2,330

Per month (approx.), $4,660

NSW salary

$124,696

Likely step Step 6

NSW employer super

$14,964

Per year, on top of salary

What this means

With 5 years of experience, you'd likely start around Step 6 in New South Wales, earning $124,696 and taking home about $3,626 a fortnight. Your UK pay of £38,000 works out at roughly $2,151 a fortnight after tax, NI and pension at this exchange rate, so you'd be about $1,475 a fortnight better off in cash terms. The best take-home at your experience is in New South Wales ($3,626).

Australian employers pay super on top of salary (12% in NSW), whereas your UK pension contribution comes out of your pay. The Teachers' Pension is a defined-benefit scheme, so the two aren't directly comparable. Your starting step is set by the employer when they assess your service; we assume each year of experience counts as one step from the graduate step, which won't always be the case.

StateLikely stepSalaryTake-home / fnSuper / yrvs UK / fn
New South WalesStep 6$124,696$3,626$14,964+$1,475
Victoria2-1$94,415$2,834$11,330+$683
QueenslandB0302/B2302$111,478$3,280$14,213+$1,129
Western Australia2.6$114,820$3,368$13,778+$1,217
South AustraliaStep 6$106,890$3,160$12,827+$1,009
TasmaniaB1L10$109,287$3,223$13,114+$1,072
Australian Capital TerritoryTL6$120,102$3,506$15,013+$1,355
Northern TerritoryCT6$122,162$3,560$14,659+$1,409
UK (approximate, 2026/27)Per yearPer fortnight (AUD)
Gross salary£38,000$2,923
Teachers' Pension (9.6%)£3,648$281
Income tax£4,356$335
National Insurance£2,034$156
Take-home£27,961$2,151

Australian figures: resident tax rates for 2026–27 (you're taxed as a resident once you move to live and work), full-time, tax-free threshold claimed, no HELP debt. UK figures are an approximation for 2026/27 using rest-of-UK income tax bands (Scotland differs), employee NI and an approximate Teachers' Pension rate; student loan repayments aren't included. The exchange rate is whatever you enter: the default is a round placeholder. Step mapping is an assumption: employers decide how they recognise overseas service. Pay data from each state's current scale, verified 16 October 2026 for NSW.

In short

An England teacher at the top of the main pay range earns £46,940 from 1 September 2026 (M6, outside London). In Australia the top classroom step is $118,063 to $136,997 depending on the state, and a NSW teacher at Step 7 ($133,422) takes home about $100,207 a year. Convert at today's exchange rate, which you set in the tool.

How to use the uk to australia pay converter

  1. 1

    Enter your UK salary or pay point

    Pick your England pay point (M1 to U3) and pay region, or type your salary if you're in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland or an academy with its own scale.

  2. 2

    Set the exchange rate

    Enter today's pound-to-dollar rate from your bank or a currency site. The tool shows the date you set, so you know how fresh the comparison is.

  3. 3

    Enter your years of experience

    The tool uses this to estimate where you might land on each Australian state's scale.

  4. 4

    Compare all eight states

    See your converted UK salary next to the likely Australian salary and take-home in each state.

UK and Australian teacher pay, side by side

England (from 1 Sep 2026) and selected Australian states (October 2026)
StageEngland, rest of EnglandEngland, Inner LondonNSWNT
Starting (ECT / graduate)£34,069 (M1)£41,729$92,882 (Step 1)$96,180 (CT1)
Top of main range / classroom scale£46,940 (M6)£54,131$133,422 (Step 7)$136,997 (CT9)
Upper pay range / accomplished£52,835 (U3)£64,684$141,997 (HA/Lead)CT9 + HA allowance $13,938

England: STRB 36th Report figures accepted by the Government on 1 July 2026, effective 1 September 2026; a further 3% follows from September 2027. Academies can set their own pay. Wales has its own scale. Australia: state agreements, checked 16 October 2026.

For your UK take-home and the full England and Wales scales, see our sister site TeacherPay UK. For every Australian state, use the teacher pay scale explorer.

Why we don't fix the exchange rate

Exchange rates move every day, and a comparison at last year's rate can be thousands of dollars out. The tool asks you for the rate and dates the result, so the comparison is honest on the day you use it. A straight currency conversion also isn't the whole story, which is why the tool also shows Australian take-home pay after tax.

Worked example

What a NSW teacher keeps after tax, 2026–27

NSW graduate, Step 1
$92,882 → $72,640 take-home
NSW Step 7, top of classroom scale
$133,422 → $100,207 take-home
Employer super on Step 7 (12%, paid on top)
about $16,011
Step 7 take-home per fortnight about $3,854

Site tax engine, 2026–27 resident rates, no HECS-HELP. Your first Australian tax year may be part-year, which can change your tax.

Where your UK experience might land

Australian employers decide your starting step under their own rules, after you're registered. Some examples:

  • Victoria: you start at 1-1 plus one subdivision for each year of approved experience, up to 2-6.
  • NT: experienced teachers are placed by completed years of service; one year means CT2.
  • ACT: prior teaching and other work experience are recognised in full years.
  • NSW: your starting step depends on your accreditation. Proficient teachers start at Step 3 ($104,156).

The tool uses your years of experience as a guide, but the employer's decision is what counts. Ask for a salary assessment in writing before you accept an offer.

Before you can teach in Australia

  • Registration: every state has its own teacher regulator (for example NESA in NSW and VIT in Victoria). UK teachers register as overseas-qualified teachers.
  • Skills assessment (for a visa): AITSL charges $1,198 from 7 September 2026 and most assessment-ready applications are decided within 4 to 6 weeks.
  • English: AITSL accepts IELTS Academic only, with minimum scores of 7 in reading and writing and 8 in speaking and listening, unless you qualify for an exemption through your study.
  • Visa: options include skilled independent, state-nominated, regional and employer-sponsored visas. Check with the Department of Home Affairs or a registered migration agent.

Read UK teacher moving to Australia, UK vs Australia teacher pay and the AITSL skills assessment guide.

Frequently asked questions

Do teachers get paid more in Australia than the UK?
In Australian dollars, Australian salaries are much higher on paper: $92,882 to start in NSW against £34,069 at M1 in England. Whether you're better off depends on the exchange rate, tax, super and cost of living, which is why the tool compares take-home in both currencies.
What will a UK teacher earn in Australia?
Between about $79,589 and $136,997 a year in government schools, depending on the state and the step your experience earns. Experienced teachers often start mid-scale or higher, but each employer decides your step.
What is the England teacher pay scale for 2026–27?
From 1 September 2026, M1 is £34,069 and M6 is £46,940 outside London, with the upper pay range running to £52,835 (U3). These follow a 3.5% rise accepted on 1 July 2026; a further 3% is due from September 2027.
Does my UK teaching experience count in Australia?
Usually, yes, once you're registered. Victoria adds one subdivision per year of approved experience, the NT places you by completed years and the ACT recognises full years. Get your salary assessment in writing.
Do UK teachers need IELTS to teach in Australia?
Often, unless you qualify for an exemption through your previous study. For the AITSL skills assessment, the requirement is IELTS Academic with 7 in reading and writing and 8 in speaking and listening.
Why doesn't the converter use a fixed exchange rate?
Because rates change daily and a stale rate can distort the comparison by thousands of dollars. You enter today's rate, and the result is dated so you know when it was calculated.

Guides that go with this tool

UK teachers

Moving to Australia as a UK teacher: qualifications, visas, registration and pay

How a PGCE, BEd or PGDE is assessed, which visa UK teachers use, how your years of service set your salary step, and what you'll earn.

Pay comparison

UK vs Australia teacher pay in 2026: scale by scale, step by step

England's STRB 2026 scale set beside Australian state scales, with take-home pay, super and the traps in currency conversion.