UK vs Australia teacher pay in 2026: scale by scale, step by step

The two scales side by side

Why converting pounds to dollars misleads

It's tempting to multiply your UK salary by today's exchange rate and compare. Don't stop there. Exchange rates move every day, so a comparison that looks generous one month can look poor the next. More importantly, you'll be earning and spending dollars. What matters is what your Australian salary buys in Australia: rent or a mortgage where you'll live, groceries, transport and childcare, compared with what your UK salary buys in your UK town.

A fairer method is to compare ratios. How many times your salary is the typical rent where you'd live? How far up the scale will your experience place you? How fast will you reach the top? Our UK to Australia pay converter lets you plug in a current exchange rate you choose, and then shows the Australian figures on their own terms.

Progression: how fast you reach the top

Both countries use steps, but the gates differ. In England, the main pay range has six points and the upper pay range three more. In NSW, a teacher moves up a step after each year of full-time service (203 days), but Step 2 to Step 3 needs Proficient accreditation from NESA, and the top Highly Accomplished/Lead rate needs HALT accreditation. A Proficient teacher on time reaches Step 7 in about six years. The NT is more automatic: one step per 12 months' service, withheld only for discipline or inability, so CT1 to CT9 takes about eight years.

For an experienced UK teacher, the key question is where you'll start. Your Australian employer sets that, based on statements of service from your UK schools. Victoria credits equivalent international experience one step per year. The NT places you by completed years of service. In NSW, your starting step is tied to your accreditation level, so check the Department's approach before you accept. See UK teachers moving to Australia for the documents you'll need.

Take-home pay in Australia

Australia has no National Insurance, but residents pay a 2% Medicare levy. The marginal rate on most teachers' salaries is 32% (30% plus Medicare) up to $135,000. If you have an Australian HELP debt, repayments are extra, but a UK student loan follows UK rules, so check with the Student Loans Company. Try different steps in the teacher take-home pay calculator.

Pension vs super

Leadership pay compared

In NSW, middle and senior leaders are paid on fixed rates rather than a separate scale with allowances. From October 2026 a Head Teacher or Assistant Principal earns $153,531, a Deputy Principal $179,255 and principals $184,175 to $236,318. The NT pays Highly Accomplished teachers an extra $13,938 a year and Lead Teachers $29,184. In England, leadership pay and TLRs sit on separate ranges. For UK leadership figures, see TeacherPay UK. For Australian roles, see NSW head teacher pay and NSW principal pay.

Supply teaching vs relief teaching

Casual relief teaching (CRT) in Australia is paid at set daily rates in government schools, with a loading in place of leave. NSW pays $480.43, $538.73 or $599.85 a day depending on experience from October 2026. Queensland pays supply teachers $515.75 a day from 1 September 2026, and Victoria's CRT rate is $425.80. Agencies can pay less. Many UK teachers on a working holiday visa do relief work first. See casual relief teacher pay across Australia.

What isn't on the payslip

• Holidays: Australian teachers get the school holidays (four terms a year). Annual leave rules differ by state.
• Long service leave: a uniquely Australian benefit. NSW gives 44 working days after 10 years and Victoria 3 months after 10 years. Recognition of earlier service is employer-specific, so don't assume UK years count.
• Leave loading: many states pay an extra 17.5% on four weeks' pay each year.
• Rural incentives: country and remote schools can add $10,000 to $50,000 a year. See rural teaching incentives.