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The short answer
A Victorian government Learning Specialist is paid $123,966 to $129,544 (Range 3, from 1 July 2025). Leading Teachers are paid exactly the same. Once the Fair Work Commission approves VGSA 2026, both rise to $140,140 to $146,439 from 1 October 2026, with back pay. Learning Specialists stay mostly in the classroom and coach teaching practice. Leading Teachers lead a school area or priority.
- Both are promotion positions filled by merit selection on School Jobs Vic.
- Tenured for up to 5 years; if not renewed you return to classroom teacher 2-6.
- You start at 3-1 unless the employer decides otherwise.
- From May 2027 (pending), a 1% top-of-range allowance applies after 12 months at 3-2.
Pay: now and under VGSA 2026
*Pending. VGSA 2026 was approved by 93.1% of staff on 17 September 2026 and is awaiting Fair Work Commission approval. It starts 7 days after approval, and the 10 August and 1 October 2026 rates are then back-paid. The rises in between are 1 Nov 2027 and 1 Nov 2028.
The step from the top of the classroom scale is modest: $5,903 to $11,481 a year at current rates, or $6,684 to $12,983 at the October 2026 rates. That's why many teachers weigh the role on the work, not the money. See the full Victorian scale on Victorian teacher pay and the rise timeline on Victorian pay rise.
CT 2-6 to Learning Specialist 3-2, after tax (full-time, 2026-27)
- Current rates: CT 2-6 take-home
- $89,763
- Current rates: LS 3-2 take-home
- $97,570
- Pending Oct 2026 rates: CT 2-6 take-home
- $100,230
- Pending Oct 2026 rates: LS 3-2 take-home
- $108,258
After income tax, LITO and Medicare levy, no HELP debt. Employer super on top at 12%.
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Compare my optionsLearning Specialist vs Leading Teacher: the real difference
Summarised from VGSA 2022 Schedule 2, Roles and responsibilities - teacher class.
Learning Specialist
- A 'highly skilled classroom practitioner' who spends the majority of their time in the classroom
- Teaches demonstration lessons, observes colleagues and gives feedback
- Runs school-based professional learning and observation protocols
- Mentors and coaches teachers; supervises pre-service teachers
- Models use of student data and Professional Learning Communities
Leading Teacher
- Highly skilled practitioner who also takes leadership and management roles
- Leads and manages a significant area or function with a high degree of independence
- Often responsible for one or more School Strategic Plan priorities
- May lead staff performance and development, assessment and reporting, or student welfare and discipline
- Contributes to whole-school leadership and policy
Put simply, the Learning Specialist role is about expert teaching practice: modelling it and improving it in others. The Leading Teacher role is about leading a program or function, which often includes managing people. If your next goal is assistant principal, Leading Teacher usually gives you more of the management evidence panels want. If you want to stay a teacher, the Learning Specialist role was designed for you.
Tenure: what happens after 5 years
Learning Specialist, Leading Teacher and assistant principal positions are tenured for up to 5 years. At the end, the principal decides whether to renew the tenure, abolish the position or advertise it. If yours isn't renewed, you stay ongoing at the school, but your pay returns to classroom teacher subdivision 2-6 unless you win another position first. If the role ends at the end of a term and your new role starts next term, you're paid at Range 3 through the holidays.
How many of these roles exist?
The Department's Recruitment in Schools guide says a school's leadership profile (principal, assistant principals, Leading Teachers and Learning Specialists) should be at least 20% of its teaching staff where practicable. Every school can therefore have some Range 3 positions, but how many and which kind depends on the principal's workforce plan and the Student Resource Package.
How to apply
From vacancy to appointment
- 1
Watch School Jobs Vic
Range 3 roles are advertised as 'Learning Specialist' or 'Leading Teacher' for a minimum of 14 days, with a position description and selection criteria. Template criteria for both roles exist on School Jobs Vic, but schools can tailor them.
- 2
Read the position description
It sets out the tenure, the area of responsibility and the criteria in order of importance. Ask the contact person what the school wants the role to achieve in its first year.
- 3
Write your application
For advertised vacancies, the Department's guide says applicants submit a written response to the selection criteria. Keep it tight. Victoria sets no official word limit, but panels read many applications. Our Victorian key selection criteria guide covers format and examples.
- 4
Interview
The panel has at least 3 members, one trained by the Merit Protection Boards, with gender representation and, where possible, someone from the same employment class. Questions must relate to the selection criteria.
- 5
Referee checks and decision
Referees are asked about all the criteria. The panel ranks suitable applicants on the application, interview and referee reports together, not on the interview alone, then recommends to the principal.
What a strong Learning Specialist application shows
- Data showing your own students' improvement over time
- A colleague whose practice changed because you coached or observed them, and evidence of the change
- Professional learning you designed and ran, and what teachers did differently afterwards
- Use of an observation and feedback protocol, or of Professional Learning Communities
- Supervision of pre-service teachers or mentoring of graduates
- Links to the school's Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plan priorities
Example response extract (fictional, labelled as an example): coaching colleagues
- Situation
- Our Year 7-8 English team's writing results were flat for two years
- Task
- As literacy leader, I was asked to lift the team's feedback practice
- Action
- Ran a 6-week peer observation cycle with 5 teachers using a 3-point feedback protocol; co-taught 2 lessons with each
- Result
- Share of Year 8 students at or above standard in the school's writing assessment rose from 58% to 70%; 4 of 5 teachers kept the protocol the next year
- Standards
- 6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice; 5.2 Provide feedback to students
A made-up example to show the STAR structure. Use your own context and data.
Interview questions to prepare
- Describe how you would build a culture of peer observation in a school where it's new.
- Tell us about a time you improved a colleague's practice. How did you know it worked?
- How do you use student data to decide what professional learning teachers need?
- What does high-quality teaching look like in your area, and how would you model it?
- How would you handle a colleague who doesn't want feedback?
- How will you balance your own classes with the coaching load?
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Open the calculatorCatholic and independent schools
Victorian Catholic schools under the Catholic Education Multi-Enterprise Agreement 2022 have kept pay parity with government schools. Their 2026 agreement is still being bargained, and employers offered in June 2026 to match the government percentage increases. Catholic schools also use position-of-leadership structures, which differ by employer, and independent schools set their own. Check the school's agreement. See Catholic school teacher pay in Victoria.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Learning Specialist earn in Victoria?
Is a Learning Specialist paid more than a Leading Teacher?
How long is a Learning Specialist position?
Do I need HALT certification to be a Learning Specialist?
Do Learning Specialists still teach?
When will Victorian teachers get the VGSA 2026 pay rise?
Can a Learning Specialist apply for assistant principal?
Sources we checked · last verified 2026-10-16
- 1.Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022 (Schedules 1 and 2)
- 2.Proposed Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2026
- 3.Proposed VGSA 2026: Approval process and FAQs
- 4.Victorian DE: Recruitment in Schools guide (tenure, leadership profile)
- 5.Victorian DE PAL: Applicant selection
- 6.Premier of Victoria: staff ballot result (17 Sep 2026)
About this page
Written and fact-checked by the TeacherPay AU editorial team against the enterprise agreements, awards and official pages listed in the sources. It is general information, not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it, usually within a day. See our editorial policy and how we calculate.
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