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WA long service leave

Long service leave for Western Australian teachers

WA public school teachers get 13 weeks' long service leave after 10 years, then 13 weeks every 7 years, with pro rata access from 7 years. Pay options, value.

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

Entitlement

13 wks

After

10 years

Worth at top step

$31,934

Half pay option

26 wks

On this page (6 sections)
  1. What it's worth
  2. How WA long service leave builds up
  3. Full, half or double pay
  4. Remote Teaching Service leave is separate
  5. Planning tips
  6. FAQs

The short answer

Western Australian public school teachers get 13 weeks of long service leave after 10 years' continuous service, then another 13 weeks after each further 7 years. You can take pro rata leave after 7 years, and choose full, half or double pay. Thirteen weeks at Level 2.9 ($127,737) is worth about $31,832 before tax.

WA's long service leave sits in the Teachers Award and was improved by the 2023 General Agreement. The big change was pro rata access after 7 years, a win the SSTUWA reported in 2025. Before that, you had to wait the full 10 years.

The entitlement covers permanent, fixed-term and casual staff, with part-time and casual service counting pro rata.

What WA long service leave is worth

13 weeks after 10 years' continuous service, then 13 weeks after each further 7 years, on full, half or double pay. Pro rata access after 7 years in the first period. Applies to permanent, fixed-term and casual staff (pro rata).

SalaryFull payValueHalf payValue
2.1 ($88,178)13 weeks$22,04526 weeks$22,045
2.9 ($127,737)13 weeks$31,93426 weeks$31,934

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

How WA long service leave builds up

WA teacher long service leave milestones
Continuous serviceLeave available
7 yearsPro rata access (about 9.1 weeks if accrued evenly)
10 years13 weeks
17 yearsA further 13 weeks
24 yearsA further 13 weeks

Source: Teachers (Public Sector Primary and Secondary Education) Award 1993 cl 38 and the 2023 General Agreement. The 9.1-week figure assumes even accrual; check your actual balance with HR.

Full, half or double pay

You can take long service leave on full pay, half pay or double pay. Half pay doubles the time away on the same total money; double pay halves the time and pays it faster. That flexibility lets you match leave to a term, a semester or a year.

Worked example

13 weeks of LSL at Level 2.9 ($127,737)

Fortnightly pay (annual x 12/313)
$4,897
Full pay: 13 weeks off
about $31,832
Half pay: 26 weeks off
about $31,832 spread over twice as long
Double pay: 6.5 weeks off
about $31,832 paid over half the time
Gross value of 13 weeks about $31,832

Taxed as ordinary pay. Paid at your salary when you take the leave, so any rise from the next agreement lifts its value.

Free calculator

Long service leave calculator

Enter your start date, FTE and level to see your WA long service leave and what it's worth.

Open the calculator

Remote Teaching Service leave is separate

Teachers in Remote Teaching Service schools earn a separate block of RTS leave: 10 weeks after 6 semesters (3 years) and 22 weeks in total after 8 semesters (4 years), then a week for each further semester. That is on top of long service leave, so a long remote career can give you much more time away than a metropolitan one. See WA rural and remote teaching.

Planning tips

  • Pair it with school holidays. Taking LSL for a term that runs into a vacation stretches your break without using extra leave.
  • Half pay for a long break. 26 weeks on half pay can cover a semester abroad or caring for family, though your fortnightly income halves.
  • Check before you resign. If you're leaving with 7 or more years' service, ask how unused leave is paid out.
  • Interstate moves. There is no national portability scheme. Whether service elsewhere counts depends on the Department; get it in writing. Our national LSL guide compares the states.

Frequently asked questions

How much long service leave do WA teachers get?
WA public school teachers get 13 weeks of long service leave after 10 years' continuous service, then 13 more weeks after each further 7 years.
Can WA teachers take long service leave after 7 years?
Yes. The 2023 General Agreement introduced pro rata access after 7 years in the first accrual period, so you don't have to wait until 10 years.
Can I take long service leave at half pay in WA?
Yes. WA teachers can take long service leave on full pay, half pay or double pay. Half pay gives you twice as long away for the same total money.
Do casual relief teachers get long service leave in WA?
Yes, pro rata. The Teachers Award extends long service leave to permanent, fixed-term and casual staff, with casual and part-time service counting in proportion.
Is RTS leave the same as long service leave?
No. Remote Teaching Service leave is a separate entitlement for teachers in RTS schools: 10 weeks after 3 years and 22 weeks after 4 years. It is on top of long service leave.

Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026

  1. 1.WAIRC: School Education Act Employees' (Teachers and Administrators) General Agreement 2023 listing
  2. 2.General Agreement 2023 full text (PDF)
  3. 3.Teachers (Public Sector Primary and Secondary Education) Award 1993 (PDF)
  4. 4.WA Department of Education: Teacher salaries
  5. 5.WA Department of Education: Incentives and allowances
  6. 6.WA Department of Education: Attraction and retention incentive
  7. 7.TRBWA: Fees

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.