How long does it take to reach the top of the teacher pay scale in each state?

Years to the top, state by state

What each state needs to move you up

The NSW Proficient gate is the one that catches people. If your accreditation is late, you sit on Step 2 ($99,889) instead of moving to Step 3 ($104,156). The pay step waits for your accreditation, so apply as soon as you're ready. See Proficient teacher accreditation.

How to get there faster

• Get prior experience counted. Victoria starts you at 1-1 plus one subdivision for each year of approved experience, including relief teaching in Victorian schools since 2005, up to 2-6. The NT places teachers with more than 12 months' post-qualification experience by completed years. NSW lets experienced teachers apply for salary determination.
• NT Rapid Incremental Progression. An early-career NT teacher can jump to CT4 at the start of year 3 after two years in NT government schools (within four years) plus two semester units of postgraduate study.
• WA Advanced Graduate Program. High achievers who take a regional contract start at Level 2.2 (bachelor's) or 2.3 (master's), skipping one or two years. See the WA graduate pool guide.
• Tasmania's isolated schools. Graduates appointed to isolated schools start at Level 8 ($99,010) instead of Level 5.
• Count your relief days. NT counts 180 days of relief teaching as a year of service; WA relief teachers move up a step every 200 days worked.
• Start on the right step. Tasmanian 4-year-trained teachers can start at Level 4 and 5-year-trained at Level 5. Check the step on your first payslip.

What slows you down

• Part-time work. Where progression is measured in days or full-time service, part-time service usually takes longer to accrue a step. NSW counts 203 days of full-time service per step. Check how your agreement treats part-time service before you drop days.
• Leave without pay. It often doesn't count as service for increments. In the ACT it can move your increment date. See leave without pay and career breaks.
• Unsatisfactory performance processes. Every state can withhold an increment if your performance review isn't satisfactory.
• Missed gates. Late Proficient accreditation in NSW, or not meeting Range 2 standards in Victoria.
• Not applying. SA Step 9 and WA Senior Teacher need an application. Nobody moves you automatically.

What the climb is worth

Reaching the top earlier is worth real money. A NSW teacher who reaches Step 7 in six years earns $40,540 a year more than at Step 1. Delaying Proficient by one year in NSW costs the $4,267 difference between Step 2 and Step 3 for that year, plus a year's delay on every later step.

What's above the top

If HALT is your next step, use the HALT eligibility checker and see HALT evidence examples. The rules for each state's increments, including increment dates and what each step is worth, are in teacher pay progression by state.