NSW Teacher Super 2026: Aware Super, SASS and Sacrifice

On this page (6 sections)

Employer super by step
What the 12% is worth at each stage
SSS and SASS: the old defined benefit schemes
Salary sacrifice into super
Checks worth doing this year
FAQs

The short answer

NSW public school teachers get the 12% Superannuation Guarantee, paid to Aware Super unless you choose another fund. A graduate on $92,882 gets about $11,146 a year in employer super. Long-serving members of the closed SSS and SASS defined benefit schemes keep those arrangements. The award lets you salary sacrifice up to 100% of salary into super.

The NSW Department of Education pays super at the federal Superannuation Guarantee rate of 12%, which has applied since 1 July 2025. Its default fund for new teachers is Aware Super (the fund formerly known as First State Super). You can nominate another fund when you start.

From 1 July 2026, Payday Super means the 12% has to reach your fund with each fortnightly pay, not quarterly. If your Aware Super account shows contributions landing every fortnight, that is why.

Employer super at every NSW pay step

Employer super at 12% on each NSW pay step (rates from 9 October 2026)

Step	Salary	Employer super / year	Per fortnight	After 15% contributions tax
Step 1 Graduate (entry)	$92,882	$11,146	$429	$9,474
Step 2 Graduate	$99,889	$11,987	$461	$10,189
Step 3 Proficient (entry)	$104,156	$12,499	$481	$10,624
Step 4 Proficient	$108,421	$13,011	$500	$11,059
Step 5 Proficient	$115,972	$13,917	$535	$11,829
Step 6 Proficient	$124,696	$14,964	$576	$12,719
Step 7 Proficient (top of incremental scale)	$133,422	$16,011	$616	$13,609
HA/Lead Highly Accomplished / Lead Teacher	$141,997	$17,040	$655	$14,484

12% Superannuation Guarantee (federal rate from 1 July 2025) paid to Aware Super by default. Long-serving members of the closed State Superannuation Scheme (SSS) and State Authorities Superannuation Scheme (SASS) keep those defined benefit arrangements. Salary sacrifice to super is allowed up to 100% of salary (award cl 8).

What the 12% is worth at each stage

Employer super on NSW rates from 9 Oct 2026 (12% Superannuation Guarantee)

Pay point	Salary	Employer super a year	Room left under the $32,500 cap
Step 1 (graduate)	$92,882	$11,146	$21,354
Step 7 (top of classroom scale)	$133,422	$16,011	$16,489
HA/Lead	$141,997	$17,040	$15,460

The 2026-27 concessional cap is $32,500. Employer super and salary sacrifice both count towards it. If your total super balance was under $500,000 at 30 June 2026, unused cap from earlier years may be carried forward; check your ATO online account before relying on it.

SSS and SASS: the old defined benefit schemes

Teachers who joined the NSW public sector decades ago may still be members of the State Superannuation Scheme (SSS) or the State Authorities Superannuation Scheme (SASS). Both are closed to new members. Their benefits are worked out from a formula linked to salary and service, not just an account balance, so the rules that matter are scheme rules, not the 12% headline.

Salary sacrifice into super

Clause 8 of the 2024 award lets NSW teachers salary sacrifice up to 100% of salary into super. In practice most teachers sacrifice a fixed amount each fortnight. The money goes in before income tax and is taxed at 15% inside the fund instead of your 32% marginal rate (30% plus 2% Medicare) on most teacher salaries.

Worked example

Sacrificing $10,000 a year at Step 7

Salary: $133,422
Take-home with no sacrifice: $100,207 a year ($3,854 a fortnight)
Take-home with $10,000 sacrificed: $93,407 a year ($3,593 a fortnight)
Drop in take-home: $6,800
Extra in super after 15% contributions tax: $8,500

Net gain in your total wealth about $1,700 a year

2026-27 rates, no HECS-HELP, no other deductions. Employer super stays at $16,011 because it is worked out on salary before the sacrifice. Money in super is locked away until you meet a condition of release, usually retiring after age 60.

Free calculator

Project your super balance

See what your Aware Super balance could reach by retirement on the NSW scale, with and without salary sacrifice.

Open the calculator

Checks worth doing this year

Log in to Aware Super and confirm fortnightly contributions are arriving since Payday Super started on 1 July 2026.
Check you don't have a second, forgotten account from casual or prac work paying fees twice.
Review the insurance inside your fund. Default cover may not suit a teacher with a mortgage or children.
If you are in SSS or SASS, read your annual statement for your benefit multiple rather than the account balance.
If you are on a higher salary and near the $250,000 Division 293 threshold (principals with large DB benefits), ask your fund how notional contributions are counted.

For the bigger picture, read teacher super explained and our guide to salary sacrificing super. If you take parental leave, government Parental Leave Pay now carries 12% super paid by the ATO; see NSW teacher parental leave. This is general information; your fund or a licensed adviser can tell you what suits your situation.

Frequently asked questions

What super fund do NSW teachers use?

Aware Super is the NSW Department of Education's default fund. You can nominate a different fund when you start or later. Long-serving teachers may instead be in the closed SSS or SASS defined benefit schemes.

How much super do NSW teachers get?

NSW teachers get 12% of salary, the federal Superannuation Guarantee rate. That is $11,146 a year for a graduate on $92,882 and $16,011 at Step 7 on $133,422, from 9 Oct 2026.

Can NSW teachers salary sacrifice into super?

Yes. The 2024 award allows salary sacrifice of up to 100% of salary into super. Keep the total of employer super and sacrifice under the $32,500 concessional cap for 2026-27 to avoid extra tax.

Is SASS still open to new teachers?

No. SASS and SSS are closed to new members. Only teachers who joined them years ago remain in them, and their benefits follow the scheme rules.

Do NSW teachers get super on government Parental Leave Pay?

Yes, for children born or adopted from 1 July 2025. The ATO pays 12% of your Parental Leave Pay into your fund as a lump sum after the end of the financial year. You don't need to claim it.

Did NSW teachers get extra super in the 2024 deal?

Not beyond the legal minimum, as far as we can verify. The union described an extra 0.5% in 2024 and 2025, which matches the national Superannuation Guarantee rising from 11% to 11.5% to 12%.

Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 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.