Career & HALT
Teacher career progression: HALT, leadership and promotion
How teachers move up in Australia: accreditation, Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher, head of department, deputy and principal roles, and what each step is worth.
Most teachers spend their career on a classroom scale that tops out within six to ten years. After that, pay grows in three ways: accreditation as a Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher (HALT), a leadership role such as head teacher, head of department, assistant or deputy principal, or principal positions graded by school size.
Each step brings more money but also more hours and responsibility, and the after-tax gain is often smaller than the headline. These guides set out how each route works in practice, what it pays in each state, and how to judge whether it's worth it for you.
Try the promotion pay calculator to see the real gain per fortnight and per extra hour, and the AI HALT evidence planner if you're preparing for certification.
Principal pay by state
Guides
HALT
Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT): what it is, what it pays and whether to go for it
What HALT certification is, how it differs from Proficient, and what it is worth in each state's pay scale.
Read the guide →Career
Teacher career progression in Australia: steps, accreditation and promotion in every state
The three ways teachers move up in Australia (steps, certification, promotion) and the timelines in every state.
Read the guide →Leadership
How to become a school principal in Australia: the pathway, the selection process and the pay
The steps from classroom teacher to principal, how selection panels work, which programs help and what principals earn in each state.
Read the guide →Promotion
Is promotion worth it for teachers? The after-tax maths on head teacher, HALT, deputy and principal
What each promotion step adds to your take-home pay after tax, and the workload and tenure costs that come with it.
Read the guide →VIC leadership
Learning Specialist and Leading Teacher in Victoria: salary, role and how to get the job
Pay, duties, tenure and the application for Victoria's two Range 3 teacher roles, with the pending VGSA 2026 rates.
Read the guide →Career change
Leaving teaching in Australia: jobs for ex-teachers, and what to sort out before you resign
Where Australian teachers go when they leave, how to pitch your experience, and the leave, super and registration details to settle first.
Read the guide →HALT
The HALT certification process, step by step: evidence, annotations, site visit and timelines
The two-stage HALT assessment explained, with NSW and NT evidence rules, fees and a realistic timeline.
Read the guide →