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NSW long service leave

Long service leave for NSW teachers: how extended leave works

NSW teachers get 44 working days of extended leave after 10 years, then 11 days a year, with pro rata access from 7 years and a double-pay option. Rules here.

✓ Fact-checked against official sources Updated 16 October 2026 3 min read

Entitlement

8.8 wks

After

10 years

Worth at top step

$22,579

Half pay option

17.6 wks

On this page (5 sections)
  1. What it's worth
  2. How much extended leave you build up
  3. Taking it at full pay, half pay or double pay
  4. Moving schools, sectors or states
  5. FAQs

The short answer

NSW public school teachers get extended leave (long service leave) of 44 working days, about two months, after 10 years of service. After that you earn 11 working days for each further year. You can take pro rata leave after 7 years, and you can take it at double pay for half the time.

In NSW, long service leave for permanent and temporary teachers is called extended leave. It comes from the Teaching Service Act 1980 and Determination 6 of 2006, not from the salary award. Casual teachers are covered separately by the Long Service Leave Act 1955.

Because school-based teachers take annual leave during school holidays, extended leave is the main way to get a long paid break in term time. It is worth planning for well before you hit 10 years.

What NSW long service leave is worth

Called extended leave: 44 working days (about 2 months) after 10 years, then 11 working days for each further year. Pro rata access after 7 years. Can be taken at double pay for half the time.

SalaryFull payValueHalf payValue
Step 1 ($92,882)8.8 weeks$15,71817.6 weeks$15,718
Step 7 ($133,422)8.8 weeks$22,57917.6 weeks$22,579

Gross value at current rates, before tax. Leave taken at half pay lasts twice as long for the same total value.

How much extended leave you build up

NSW teacher extended leave (full-time service)
Years of serviceExtended leaveRoughly
7 (pro rata access)30.8 working days6 weeks
1044 working days8.8 weeks, about 2 months
1599 working daysabout 20 weeks
20154 working daysabout 31 weeks

44 working days for the first 10 years, then 11 working days for each further year. Pro rata figure is 44 x 7/10. Part-time service accrues proportionally. Days you have already taken are deducted.

Taking it at full pay, half pay or double pay

You can take extended leave at normal pay, or at double pay for half the time: a 44-day entitlement can be used as 22 working days paid twice over. That suits teachers who want a cash boost without leaving school for a full term. Half-pay leave stretches the same entitlement over twice the time.

Worked example

What 44 days of extended leave is worth at Step 7

Salary from 9 Oct 2026
$133,422
44 working days (8.8 weeks) at full pay
about $22,580 gross
Same entitlement at double pay
about $22,580 paid over 22 working days
Value of a 10-year entitlement about $22,600 before tax

Gross figures, our calculation from salary x 8.8/52. Double pay does not create extra leave value; it compresses the same money into fewer days, so more tax may be withheld from those pays. SSS and SASS members should note the extra half of double pay is not superable.

Moving schools, sectors or states

Moving between NSW public schools keeps your service intact. Moving interstate or to a Catholic or independent school is less certain. There is no national portability scheme for school teachers, so whether earlier service counts depends on the new employer's rules. NSW and ACT Catholic systemic schools use an interstate portability form (IPLSL/1). Get the answer in writing before you resign.

Free calculator

Work out your extended leave

Enter your start date, fraction and salary to estimate your NSW entitlement and what it's worth.

Open the calculator

For how other states compare, see teacher long service leave across Australia, or the Victorian rules, which give 3 months after 10 years. Your NSW pay rates are on the NSW teacher salary page.

Frequently asked questions

How much long service leave do NSW teachers get?
NSW teachers get 44 working days (about two months) of extended leave after 10 years, then 11 working days for each further year of service.
Can NSW teachers take long service leave after 7 years?
Yes. Pro rata extended leave can be taken after 7 years of service, which works out at about 30.8 working days for full-time service.
Can I take extended leave at double pay in NSW?
Yes. NSW teachers can take extended leave at double pay for half the time, for example 22 working days paid at double rate instead of 44 at normal pay.
Do casual teachers in NSW get long service leave?
Yes. Casual teachers get long service leave under the Long Service Leave Act 1955 rather than the Teaching Service Act extended leave scheme.
Does my service count if I move interstate?
Not automatically. There is no national LSL portability scheme for teachers, so recognition depends on the new employer. Confirm it in writing before you leave.
Is extended leave the same as long service leave?
Yes. Extended leave is the NSW Department of Education's name for long service leave for permanent and temporary teachers.

Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026

  1. 1.Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024 (IRC Gazette C9868)
  2. 2.IRC NSW award 264 version history
  3. 3.Teach.NSW: Salary of a teacher (updated 12 Oct 2026)
  4. 4.NSW DoE: Teacher subsidies, allowances and bonuses (updated 28 Sep 2026)
  5. 5.NSW DoE: Awards and determinations
  6. 6.NSW DoE: Superannuation
  7. 7.NESA: Teacher accreditation annual fee
  8. 8.NSW and ACT Catholic Systemic Schools Enterprise Agreement 2025

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.