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SA teacher super

Super for South Australian teachers: Super SA, the 12% and your options

SA public school teachers get 12% super, paid to Super SA unless they pick another fund. What Step 1 and Step 9 teachers get and how salary sacrifice works.

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

Employer super

12%

Default fund

Super SA

Graduate / year

$10,197

Top step / year

$14,788

On this page (6 sections)
  1. Employer super by step
  2. What your employer pays at each step
  3. Super SA or your own fund?
  4. Salary sacrifice: a worked example
  5. Super on parental leave and part-time work
  6. FAQs

The short answer

South Australian government teachers get 12% employer super, paid to Super SA by default. You have been able to choose another fund since 30 November 2022. At Step 1 ($84,971) that is $10,197 a year; at Step 9 ($123,236) it is $14,788. You can salary sacrifice up to the $32,500 concessional cap.

Super SA is the South Australian public sector's own super scheme, and it is where the Department for Education pays your super unless you tell payroll otherwise. Since 30 November 2022 SA public servants, teachers included, can choose a different fund.

The employer rate is the federal Superannuation Guarantee of 12%. The SA enterprise agreement does not add an extra employer percentage on top, so the real levers are which fund you use, what it costs, and whether you add your own money.

Employer super at every SA pay step

Employer super at 12% on each SA pay step (rates from 8 May 2026)
StepSalaryEmployer super / yearPer fortnightAfter 15% contributions tax
Step 1 Graduate / entry for registered teachers$84,971$10,197$392$8,667
Step 2 Teacher Step 2$89,350$10,722$412$9,114
Step 3 Teacher Step 3$93,735$11,248$433$9,561
Step 4 Teacher Step 4$98,113$11,774$453$10,008
Step 5 Teacher Step 5$102,509$12,301$473$10,456
Step 6 Teacher Step 6$106,890$12,827$493$10,903
Step 7 Teacher Step 7$111,269$13,352$514$11,349
Step 8 Teacher Step 8 (top of automatic increments)$117,198$14,064$541$11,954
Step 9 Top of scale (by application after 207 duty days at Step 8)$123,236$14,788$569$12,570
AST2 Advanced Skills Teacher 2 / Key Teacher Fallback$127,798$15,336$590$13,035
HAT Highly Accomplished Teacher$133,736$16,048$617$13,641
LT Lead Teacher$141,365$16,964$652$14,419

Employer contributions at the 12% Superannuation Guarantee rate. Legacy Super SA defined-benefit schemes are closed to new members (not verified in detail).

What your employer pays at each step

Super is 12% of your ordinary salary. From 1 July 2026, under Payday Super, employers must pay it at the same time as your wages, so it should land in your fund every fortnight rather than once a quarter.

Employer super on the SA teacher scale from 8 May 2026
StepSalary12% employer super a year
Step 1 (entry)$84,971$10,197
Step 5$102,509$12,301
Step 9$123,236$14,788
Lead Teacher$141,365$16,964

Salaries from DfE School Teacher Web Rates effective 08/05/2026. Super worked out at 12% of base salary.

Country zone allowances are paid as part of your pay. Whether a particular allowance counts as ordinary time earnings for super depends on how it is classified, so check your payslip and ask Super SA if a big allowance is involved.

Super SA or your own fund?

Compare fees, investment options and insurance before you switch. This is general information, not advice.

Staying with Super SA

  • Default for SA public sector staff, so no paperwork when you start
  • Run for public sector members, including teachers moving between agencies
  • Check what default insurance cover comes with your membership

Choosing another fund

  • Allowed since 30 November 2022
  • Useful if you already have a fund from interstate or another job
  • Check you don't lose insurance or end up paying two sets of fees

Salary sacrifice: a worked example

Salary sacrifice sends part of your pre-tax pay to super, where it is taxed at 15% instead of your marginal rate. Most SA teachers are on a 32% marginal rate (30% tax plus 2% Medicare), so every $1 sacrificed costs about 68 cents in take-home pay.

Worked example

Step 6 teacher ($106,890) sacrificing $5,000 a year

Take-home pay, no sacrifice
$82,165 a year
Take-home pay with $5,000 sacrificed
$78,765 a year
Drop in take-home pay
$3,400 (about $131 a fortnight)
Added to super after 15% contributions tax
$4,250
Extra in super for each $1 of take-home given up About $1.25

2026–27 tax rates, no HELP debt. Employer super of $12,827 counts toward the $32,500 concessional cap, leaving $19,673 of room.

Free calculator

Teacher super calculator

See what 12% plus extra contributions could grow to by retirement at your SA step.

Run the numbers

Super on parental leave and part-time work

If you have a baby on or after 1 July 2025 and get government Parental Leave Pay, the ATO pays 12% super on it straight to your fund after the end of the financial year. Part-time teachers get 12% on what they actually earn, which is one reason a few years of part-time work after children can leave a big gap. See parental leave for SA teachers and salary sacrifice for teachers.

Frequently asked questions

What super fund do SA teachers use?
Super SA is the default fund for South Australian public school teachers. Since 30 November 2022 you can ask payroll to pay your super to another complying fund instead.
How much super do SA teachers get?
SA government teachers get the 12% Superannuation Guarantee. On the Step 1 salary of $84,971 that is $10,197 a year, and on Step 9 ($123,236) it is $14,788.
Do SA teachers get more than 12% super?
Not under the current enterprise agreement, which does not add an extra employer contribution. Some long-serving staff in Super SA's closed defined benefit schemes have formula-based benefits instead.
Can I salary sacrifice into Super SA?
Yes, you can arrange salary sacrifice through payroll. Your employer's 12% and anything you sacrifice share the $32,500 concessional cap for 2026–27.
Is super paid every fortnight now?
Yes, from 1 July 2026 Payday Super requires employers to pay super with each pay. SA teachers are paid fortnightly, so contributions should arrive fortnightly.
Does the ATO pay super on Parental Leave Pay?
Yes, for babies born or adopted on or after 1 July 2025 the ATO pays 12% of your government Parental Leave Pay into your fund as a yearly lump sum. You don't need to claim it.

Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026

  1. 1.SAET: South Australian School and Preschool Education Staff Enterprise Agreement 2024 (ET-24-00640)
  2. 2.SA DfE: School teachers pay rates, effective 08/05/2026 (PDF)
  3. 3.SA DfE: Pay rates, forms for new employees and enterprise agreements
  4. 4.TRB SA: Payment of registration fees
  5. 5.AEU SA: EA27 campaign next phase (Oct 2026)
  6. 6.IEU SA: Same Work, Different Pay (Mar 2026)
  7. 7.IEU SA: Catholic EB24 – more than just numbers (Aug 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.