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ACT teacher super

Super for ACT teachers: 12.5%, plus 1% more if you chip in 3%

ACT public teachers get 12.5% employer super from 1 Jan 2026, and up to 13.5% if they contribute 3% through payroll. What it's worth, CSS/PSS and sacrifice.

✓ Fact-checked against official sources Updated 16 October 2026 4 min read

Employer super

12.5%

Default fund

Choice of fund

Graduate / year

$11,425

Top step / year

$16,138

On this page (6 sections)
  1. Employer super by step
  2. What 12.5% and 13.5% are worth at each level
  3. Worked example: TL8 teacher contributing 3% as salary sacrifice
  4. Choosing a fund, and the old CSS and PSS schemes
  5. Super while pay is frozen
  6. FAQs

The short answer

ACT public school teachers get 12.5% employer super from 1 January 2026, half a point above the 12% legal minimum. If you contribute at least 3% of your salary through ACT payroll, the Education Directorate adds another 1%, taking the employer share to 13.5%. At TL8 ($129,106) that is about $17,429 a year from your employer.

Super is one of the few parts of the ACT teacher deal that beats almost every state. The ACT Public Sector Education Directorate (Teaching Staff) Enterprise Agreement 2023-2026 (clause D7.5) sets the employer rate at 12.5% of ordinary time earnings from 1 January 2026. Before that it was 12%, the same as the Superannuation Guarantee.

On top of that sits a matched extra: 1% more from the employer when you put in 3% or more of your ordinary time earnings through ACT payroll. Most states and the NT pay the 12% minimum and nothing more, so over a career this adds up to real money.

Employer super at every ACT pay step

Employer super at 12.5% on each ACT pay step (rates from 4 December 2025)
StepSalaryEmployer super / yearPer fortnightAfter 15% contributions tax
PTT Permit to Teach$82,796$10,350$398$8,797
TL1 Graduate (New Educator)$91,396$11,425$439$9,711
TL2 New Educator$100,006$12,501$481$10,626
TL3 New Educator$104,314$13,039$502$11,083
TL4 Experienced Teacher$108,619$13,577$522$11,541
TL5 Experienced Teacher$112,924$14,116$543$11,998
TL6 Experienced Teacher$120,102$15,013$577$12,761
TL7 Experienced Teacher$127,276$15,910$612$13,523
TL8 Top of classroom scale$129,106$16,138$621$13,718

Employer contribution is 12.5% of ordinary time earnings from 1 Jan 2026 (12% from 1 Jul to 31 Dec 2025), plus an extra 1% if you contribute 3% or more of OTE through ACT payroll, for up to 13.5% (EA D7.5).

What 12.5% and 13.5% are worth at each level

These figures use the current ACT rates from 4 December 2025 (see the ACT teacher pay scale). Contributions tax of 15% comes off inside the fund, so the amount that lands is a little lower.

Employer super on ACT classroom salaries, per year
LevelSalaryAt 12% (legal minimum)At 12.5% (ACT standard)At 13.5% (with your 3%)
TL1 (graduate)$91,396$10,968$11,425$12,338
TL5$112,924$13,551$14,116$15,245
TL8 (top)$129,106$15,493$16,138$17,429

Our arithmetic from the EA rates. Super is calculated on ordinary time earnings, so overtime-style payments and some allowances may be excluded.

Worked example: TL8 teacher contributing 3% as salary sacrifice

Worked example

TL8, $129,106, sacrificing 3% ($3,873) into super, 2026-27

Take-home with no sacrifice
$97,272 a year ($3,741 a fortnight)
Take-home sacrificing $3,873
$94,638 a year ($3,640 a fortnight)
Cost to your take-home
$2,634 a year
Your $3,873 in the fund after 15% contributions tax
about $3,292
Extra employer 1% unlocked (before 15% tax)
about $1,291
Roughly added to super for $2,634 of take-home about $4,390 after tax

Tax figures from the site's 2026-27 engine (income tax after LITO plus 2% Medicare, no HELP). Total concessional contributions here are about $21,300, well under the $32,500 cap.

Free calculator

Project your super balance

Enter your ACT level, 12.5% or 13.5% and any sacrifice to see what you could retire with.

Open the calculator

Choosing a fund, and the old CSS and PSS schemes

ACT teachers have choice of fund: any complying fund that accepts electronic contributions. New teachers who don't choose usually have their existing 'stapled' fund used. If you are in a legacy Commonwealth scheme, CSS or PSSdb, contributions are paid under that scheme's rules instead of the 12.5% clause. PSSap isn't covered by the clause unless you choose it as your fund.

  • Payday Super: since 1 July 2026 employers must pay super with each pay, so check your fund shows a deposit every fortnight.
  • Concessional cap: $32,500 in 2026-27. That includes employer super, so a TL8 teacher at 13.5% has about $15,000 of room for sacrifice.
  • Carry-forward: if your total balance was under $500,000 on 30 June 2026, unused cap from up to five earlier years may be available. Check your myGov cap figure before using it.
  • Division 293: only matters if your income plus concessional contributions passes $250,000, which mostly means senior principals.

Super while pay is frozen

ACT salaries have not risen since 4 December 2025, but the move from 12% to 12.5% on 1 January 2026 was an effective small pay rise in your super. Any new agreement may also change the super clause, so watch the ACT pay rise tracker. For the full picture of salary sacrifice and the caps, read salary sacrifice super for teachers and teacher super explained.

Frequently asked questions

What super do ACT teachers get?
ACT public teachers get 12.5% employer super from 1 January 2026, rising to 13.5% if they contribute at least 3% through payroll. Before 2026 the rate was 12%, the same as the legal minimum.
How do I get the extra 1% employer super in the ACT?
Contribute 3% or more of your ordinary time earnings through ACT payroll. Payments you make directly to your fund don't count. Confirm with payroll whether salary sacrifice qualifies.
Can ACT teachers choose their own super fund?
Yes. You can nominate any complying fund that accepts electronic contributions. Members of the legacy CSS or PSSdb schemes are paid under those schemes' rules.
Is super paid on top of my ACT salary?
Yes. The salaries in the pay table don't include super. A TL1 teacher on $91,396 gets about $11,425 in employer super on top at 12.5%.
Do ACT Catholic school teachers get 12.5% super?
Not necessarily. Catholic teachers in Canberra are covered by the NSW and ACT Catholic Systemic Schools Enterprise Agreement 2025, which has its own super terms. Check that agreement or ask the IEU.
Does salary sacrifice reduce my HECS repayment?
No. Salary-sacrificed super is added back to work out your HELP repayment income, so sacrificing doesn't lower your HELP repayment. It does lower your income tax.

Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026

  1. 1.ACT Public Sector Education Directorate (Teaching Staff) EA 2023-2026, [2023] FWCA 2456 (AEU ACT copy)
  2. 2.AEU ACT: 2025/6 Teaching Staff Bargaining
  3. 3.Region Canberra: Term 4 strikes possible as teachers reject offer (14 Sep 2026)
  4. 4.ABC News: Canberra public school staff take more industrial action (24 Sep 2026)
  5. 5.ACT Teacher Quality Institute (Fees) Determination 2026 (No 1), DI2026-1
  6. 6.Your Agreement Explained: NSW and ACT Catholic Systemic Schools EA 2025
  7. 7.IEU: Catholic systemic EAs 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.