Will your overseas teaching experience count? How Australian states set your salary step

Who decides your step

The teacher regulator (NESA, VIT, QCT and so on) decides whether you can teach. Your employer decides what you're paid. In government schools that's the state education department, which applies the salary placement rules in its agreement or policy. Catholic and independent employers have their own rules, though many follow the government approach closely. So the right question to ask is not "will Australia recognise my experience?" but "how will this employer place me, and what paperwork does it need?"

State by state: how prior service is credited

NSW in detail: accreditation first, experience second

NSW is where overseas teachers most often feel short-changed. Under the department's salary determination policy, your NESA accreditation level sets your salary floor. Overseas teachers can only get Conditional or Provisional accreditation at first, which maps to Step 1 ($92,882 from 9 October 2026). The policy then softens this: teachers assigned to Step 1 may be eligible for Proficient (Pending) pay, between Step 3 and Step 7 depending on relevant experience, for up to 203 days (one full-time year). If you don't achieve Proficient in that time, your salary reverts to Step 2.

• Overseas service: counted only in complete years of 203 days or one full-time year.
• Interstate service: counted in whole terms of 50 days.
• Casual, temporary and permanent service all count cumulatively.
• Salary matching: where possible NSW matches base salary from a former employer for Proficient-level service in the last 5 years (allowances excluded; casual service not eligible).
• Career changers: recently qualified teachers may get 203 days of credit for every 2 years of prior full-time work, up to 6 years.
• Backdating: apply within 6 months of approval to teach and your salary is adjusted from that date. Apply later and it only changes from the next pay after your application.

What five years' experience is worth

The evidence employers want

Every employer we checked works from statements of service: a letter from each school or employer that proves exactly what you did. NSW is explicit that if anything is missing the statement won't be accepted and your salary will be based only on what can be verified. Get these before you leave your current job; schools are far quicker to help a current teacher than a former one on the other side of the world.

Part-time years, breaks and leadership roles

• Part-time service is usually converted to full-time equivalent. Two years at 0.5 is one year, not two.
• Gaps and parental leave: NSW counts paid leave and approved unpaid parental leave during service; time out of teaching before you joined may count under specific caring rules. Other states vary.
• Leadership roles don't usually translate into an Australian leadership classification. You'll normally be placed on the classroom scale and apply for promotion positions later.
• Non-school teaching (universities, language schools, private tutoring) generally doesn't count as school teaching service.
• Industry experience: Queensland, the ACT and NSW (for career changers) can count some non-teaching work. Ask.

Step by step: getting the right placement