WA Teacher Super 2026: GESB, Gold State and Salary Sacrifice

On this page (7 sections)

Employer super by step
How much the Department pays into your super
GESB, Gold State and West State Super
Caps and thresholds for 2026-27
Salary sacrifice: what it costs and what you gain
Super on parental leave
FAQs

The short answer

Western Australian public school teachers are paid super into GESB, the WA public sector fund, by default, though you can choose your own fund. The Department pays the 12% Superannuation Guarantee: about $10,581 a year for a graduate on Level 2.1 ($88,178) and $15,328 at Level 2.9 ($127,737). Gold State and West State Super are closed to new members.

Super for WA teachers is simpler than in some states. New teachers go into GESB Super, the Government Employees Superannuation Board's accumulation product, unless they nominate another fund. Older members may still hold one of GESB's closed legacy schemes, Gold State Super (defined benefit) or West State Super.

The employer rate is the national 12% Superannuation Guarantee. We didn't find a GESB or Department page that states a higher teacher-specific rate, so check your payslip. One WA quirk worth knowing: under the Teachers Award, employer super is calculated on your gross salary before salary packaging, so packaging doesn't shrink your contributions.

Employer super at every WA pay step

Employer super at 12% on each WA pay step (rates from 6 December 2025)

Step	Salary	Employer super / year	Per fortnight	After 15% contributions tax
2.1 Graduate (qualified teacher start)	$88,178	$10,581	$407	$8,994
2.2 Teacher Level 2.2	$95,627	$11,475	$441	$9,754
2.3 Teacher Level 2.3	$103,568	$12,428	$478	$10,564
2.4 Teacher Level 2.4	$107,175	$12,861	$495	$10,932
2.5 Teacher Level 2.5	$110,925	$13,311	$512	$11,314
2.6 Teacher Level 2.6	$114,820	$13,778	$530	$11,712
2.7 Teacher Level 2.7	$118,868	$14,264	$549	$12,125
2.8 Teacher Level 2.8	$123,141	$14,777	$568	$12,560
2.9 Top of automatic increments	$127,737	$15,328	$590	$13,029
ST1 Senior Teacher 1	$132,557	$15,907	$612	$13,521
ST2 Senior Teacher 2	$134,165	$16,100	$619	$13,685
3.1 Level 3 Classroom Teacher 3.1	$137,567	$16,508	$635	$14,032
3.2 Level 3 Classroom Teacher 3.2	$141,551	$16,986	$653	$14,438
3.3 Level 3 Classroom Teacher 3.3 (trial only)	$147,077	$17,649	$679	$15,002

Employer contributions at the 12% Superannuation Guarantee rate. Contributions are calculated on gross salary before salary packaging (Award cl 25(7)). Super is paid on unpaid parental leave for up to 24 weeks (2023 GA cl 28). West State Super has been closed to new members since 16 Apr 2007; Gold State Super is a closed defined benefit scheme.

How much the Department pays into your super

Employer super at 12% (salaries from 6 Dec 2025)

Level	Salary	Employer super a year
2.1 (qualified-teacher start)	$88,178	$10,581
2.9 (top of automatic increments)	$127,737	$15,328
Senior Teacher 2	$134,165	$16,100
Level 3 Classroom Teacher 3.2	$141,551	$16,986

Salaries from the 2023 General Agreement, Schedule A. Allowances such as the Country Teaching Program may or may not attract super; check your payslip.

No pay rise is scheduled after 6 December 2025, and the General Agreement expires on 5 December 2026. If a new agreement lifts salaries, your super rises with them. Follow the bargaining on our WA pay rise tracker.

GESB, Gold State and West State Super

GESB Super: the default accumulation account for WA public sector employees, including teachers. Your balance depends on contributions and investment returns.
Gold State Super: a legacy defined benefit scheme, closed to new members. Benefits are based on salary and service. If you're a member, get advice before you change contributions or leave the public sector.
West State Super: closed to new members since 16 April 2007.
Choice of fund: WA public sector employees can choose another fund. Compare fees and insurance first; cover through GESB won't follow you.
Catholic and independent schools: CEWA and independent schools set their own default fund. See Catholic school teacher pay in WA.

Caps and thresholds for 2026-27

Concessional cap

$32,500

Employer super plus salary sacrifice

Non-concessional cap

$130,000

After-tax contributions

Division 293 threshold

$250,000

Extra 15% tax above this

At Level 2.9, employer super of about $15,328 leaves roughly $17,172 of concessional cap for salary sacrifice in 2026-27. If your total super balance was under $500,000 on 30 June 2026, you may also be able to use unused cap from earlier years. Gold State members should check how their scheme counts toward the cap before sacrificing.

Salary sacrifice: what it costs and what you gain

Worked example

Sacrificing $10,000 a year at Level 2.9 ($127,737)

Take-home with no sacrifice: $96,341 a year
Take-home after sacrificing $10,000: $89,541 a year
Drop in take-home pay: $6,800 ($262 a fortnight)
Added to super after 15% contributions tax: $8,500

Gain from sacrificing rather than saving after tax about $1,700 a year

2026-27 tax rules incl. Medicare, no HELP debt. Employer super stays at $15,328 because it's calculated on pre-sacrifice salary.

Free calculator

Teacher super calculator

Project your GESB balance using WA's salary levels and your planned extra contributions.

Open the calculator

Super on parental leave

The 2023 General Agreement says super is paid on unpaid parental leave for up to 24 weeks, which closes a gap many teachers in other states face. On top of that, the ATO pays 12% super on government Parental Leave Pay for babies born from 1 July 2025. See WA teacher parental leave.

Frequently asked questions

What super fund do WA teachers use?

GESB is the default super fund for Western Australian public school teachers. You can choose another fund. Gold State Super and West State Super are older GESB schemes that are closed to new members.

How much super does the WA Department of Education pay?

The Department pays the 12% Superannuation Guarantee, calculated on your gross salary before salary packaging. That's about $10,581 a year at Level 2.1 and $15,328 at Level 2.9. We found no teacher-specific higher rate.

Is Gold State Super still open?

No. Gold State Super is a closed defined benefit scheme. Existing members keep their benefit, which depends on salary and service, but new teachers can't join.

Does salary packaging reduce my super in WA?

No. Under the Teachers Award, employer contributions are calculated on gross salary before packaging, so packaging a car or laptop doesn't reduce the Department's contribution.

Is super paid on unpaid parental leave for WA teachers?

Yes, for up to 24 weeks of unpaid parental leave under the 2023 General Agreement. The ATO also pays 12% super on government Parental Leave Pay.

How much can a WA teacher salary sacrifice into super?

Up to the $32,500 concessional cap for 2026-27, minus employer super. At Level 2.9 that leaves about $17,172, more if you have unused cap from earlier years and a balance under $500,000.

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.