Victorian Teacher Super 2026: Aware Super and ESSSuper

On this page (5 sections)

Employer super by step
What the 12% is worth
ESSSuper defined benefit schemes
Salary sacrifice
FAQs

The short answer

Victorian government school teachers get the 12% Superannuation Guarantee. Staff who started from 1 January 1994 choose their fund, and the Department's default is Aware Super Future Saver (formerly VicSuper FutureSaver). Many pre-1994 staff are in ESSSuper defined benefit schemes. On today's top classroom rate of $118,063, employer super is about $14,168 a year.

Super for Victorian teachers is paid by the Department of Education at the federal Superannuation Guarantee rate of 12%. If you don't choose a fund, contributions go to the Department's default product, Aware Super Future Saver, which used to be called VicSuper FutureSaver before VicSuper merged into Aware Super.

Your super will rise with your salary when the new Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2026 starts. It is staff-approved but still waiting on Fair Work Commission approval, so super today is still worked out on VGSA 2022 rates. Back pay, when it comes, should carry super with it; check your payslip and fund once it lands.

Employer super at every VIC pay step

Employer super at 12% on each VIC pay step (rates from 1 July 2025)

Step	Salary	Employer super / year	Per fortnight	After 15% contributions tax
1-1 Graduate (4-year trained)	$79,589	$9,551	$367	$8,118
1-2 Range 1, step 2	$81,676	$9,801	$377	$8,331
1-3 Range 1, step 3	$84,690	$10,163	$391	$8,638
1-4 Range 1, step 4	$87,814	$10,538	$405	$8,957
1-5 Top of Range 1	$91,056	$10,927	$420	$9,288
2-1 Range 2 entry	$94,415	$11,330	$436	$9,630
2-2 Range 2, step 2	$97,899	$11,748	$452	$9,986
2-3 Range 2, step 3	$101,512	$12,181	$469	$10,354
2-4 Range 2, step 4	$105,258	$12,631	$486	$10,736
2-5 Range 2, step 5	$109,142	$13,097	$504	$11,132
2-6 Top of classroom scale	$118,063	$14,168	$545	$12,042
3-1 Learning Specialist / Leading Teacher (Range 3 entry)	$123,966	$14,876	$572	$12,645
3-2 Learning Specialist / Leading Teacher (top of Range 3)	$129,544	$15,545	$598	$13,213

Staff who started on or after 1 Jan 1994 choose their fund; the Department's default product is Aware Super Future Saver (formerly VicSuper FutureSaver). Many pre-1994 staff are in ESSSuper defined-benefit schemes (Revised, New, SERB). The 12% Super Guarantee is the general legal rate; we have not seen it on a Department page. Payday Super applies from 1 Jul 2026.

What the 12% is worth

Employer super at 12% on Victorian classroom rates

Pay point	Salary paid now (VGSA 2022)	Super now	Proposed from 1 Oct 2026	Super then
CT 1-1 (graduate)	$79,589	$9,551	$92,882	$11,146
CT 2-6 (top of classroom scale)	$118,063	$14,168	$133,456	$16,015

Proposed VGSA 2026 rates apply once the Fair Work Commission approves the agreement, with back pay. The 2026-27 concessional cap is $32,500; employer super and salary sacrifice both count towards it.

ESSSuper defined benefit schemes

Teachers who started before 1994 may be in one of the closed ESSSuper defined benefit schemes: the Revised Scheme, the New Scheme or the State Employees Retirement Benefits (SERB) scheme. Their benefit depends on a formula built around salary and service, so the rules that matter are in the scheme, not the 12% figure. ESSSuper can give you a benefit estimate.

Salary sacrifice

Salary sacrificing into super is the main way to cut tax as a Victorian teacher. Money goes in before income tax and is taxed at 15% in the fund instead of 32% (30% plus Medicare) on most teacher salaries. Check the Department's superannuation policy on the PAL site and arrange it through payroll.

Worked example

Sacrificing $10,000 a year at CT 2-6

Salary paid now (VGSA 2022): $118,063
Take-home with no sacrifice: $89,763 a year ($3,452 a fortnight)
Take-home with $10,000 sacrificed: $82,963 a year ($3,191 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 tax rates, no HECS-HELP. On the proposed $133,456 rate the drop in take-home is the same $6,800 for the same $8,500 into super. Super stays locked away until you meet a condition of release, usually retiring after 60.

Free calculator

Project your super

Model your balance on the Victorian scale, including the VGSA 2026 rises and any salary sacrifice.

Open the calculator

Super checks for Victorian teachers

Confirm which fund you are in. Department messages in 2026 have not been consistent on automatic default enrolment, so don't assume.
Check contributions now arrive each fortnight: Payday Super started on 1 July 2026.
When VGSA 2026 back pay arrives, check 12% super was paid on it.
Review default insurance cover in your fund.
If you are in ESSSuper, read your benefit statement rather than comparing balances with accumulation funds.

Read teacher super explained and salary sacrificing super for the national rules. This is general information; your fund or a licensed adviser can help with your own choices.

Frequently asked questions

What super fund do Victorian teachers use?

Teachers who started from 1 January 1994 choose their fund. The Department's default product is Aware Super Future Saver, formerly VicSuper FutureSaver.

How much super do Victorian teachers get?

12% of salary. That is $9,551 a year for a graduate on $79,589 and $14,168 at the top classroom step of $118,063 under the rates being paid now.

What is ESSSuper?

ESSSuper runs the closed Victorian public sector defined benefit schemes, including the Revised Scheme, New Scheme and SERB. Many teachers who started before 1994 are members.

Will VGSA 2026 back pay include super?

It should. Super is paid on ordinary salary, so back-paid salary under VGSA 2026 should carry the 12% employer contribution. Check your fund after the back pay arrives.

Can Victorian teachers salary sacrifice into super?

Yes. You can arrange salary sacrifice through Department payroll. Keep employer super plus sacrifice under the $32,500 concessional cap for 2026-27.

Is super paid on government Parental Leave Pay?

Yes, for births from 1 July 2025. The ATO pays 12% of your Parental Leave Pay into your fund after the financial year ends.

Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026

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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.