On this page (6 sections)
The short answer
On 11 September 2026, AEU ACT members rejected the ACT Government's offer of 9% over three years, plus extra for top-of-scale teachers and some leaders. ACT public teachers haven't had a pay rise since 4 December 2025: a graduate earns $91,396 and the top classroom step $129,106. Members endorsed escalating industrial action into Term 4.
- The 2023–2026 agreement passed its nominal expiry on 31 March 2026 and still applies.
- Strikes so far: a 2-hour stoppage in May, a full-day strike on 11 June and a 2-hour stop-work on 24 September.
- Rolling Term 4 action and a possible full-day strike have been flagged.
- Canberra Catholic systemic teachers now earn about 3.5% more than public teachers.
What happened
The ACT Government's updated offer for a new teaching staff enterprise agreement was 9% over three years, with an extra rise for teachers at the top of the classroom scale and some school leaders. Education Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said it would make ACT teachers the highest paid outside the Northern Territory from February 2027.
AEU ACT members rejected it on 11 September 2026 and endorsed escalating action into Term 4. On 24 September, public schools closed for two hours as staff stopped work, the second stoppage of Term 3. The union has flagged rolling Term 4 action and a possible full-day strike later in 2026.
Work out your pay rise and back pay
⚙Your details
New pay rates
Default: the new rates' operative date, 4 December 2025.
When the back pay lands. Default: six weeks from today. New rates apply from the following pay.
E.g. a sign-on or cost-of-living payment in the agreement (gross).
Back pay owed (before tax)
$1,963
New salary
$91,396
+2.1% on $89,501
Rise per fortnight
$73
$50 after tax
Tax on back pay
$628
32% of the lump
Back pay in hand
$1,335
What this means
From 4 December 2025 you should have been paid $73 more each fortnight. Because the new rates weren't paid yet, the difference builds up and arrives as one back payment: about $1,963 before tax. After that, your fortnightly take-home goes from $2,705 to $2,755.
Payroll taxes back pay at your marginal rate rather than spreading it, so roughly 32% comes off. That's your actual tax on the money: it doesn't push the rest of your salary into a higher bracket. These are the latest rates already in force: if they are on your payslip, nothing is owed. This shows what you're owed if payroll was late applying them.
Estimate only. Back pay = (new − old) fortnightly pay × fortnights between the two dates, using the pay column in force at the start of each fortnight. Tax uses the ATO marginal-rate method on your annual salary for 2026–27; back pay for an earlier financial year over $1,200 may be taxed differently and is reported as a lump sum E. Old rates: 5 June 2025 column; ACT Public Sector Education Directorate (Teaching Staff) Enterprise Agreement 2023-2026, verified 20 October 2026.
Background: the 2023–2026 agreement and the claim
Sources: AEU ACT bargaining page, Region Canberra (14 Sep 2026), ABC News (24 Sep 2026), ACT Teaching Staff EA 2023–2026.
The union's focus on conditions matters for reading the vote. The rejection wasn't only about the headline percentage: most of the 25 claims are about workload, staffing and safety.
What it means for your pay
Nothing changes on your payslip while bargaining continues. The 4 December 2025 rates keep applying, and the only movement is your annual increment on 27 January, which every ACT classroom teacher shares.
*2026–27 tax after LITO plus Medicare, no HELP debt, from our tax engine. Full scale on the ACT pay page.
What each 1% is worth, before and after tax
- TL1 graduate: 1% of $91,396
- $914 a year gross
- TL1: kept after tax at 32c in the dollar
- About $621 a year
- TL8 top of scale: 1% of $129,106
- $1,291 a year gross
- TL8: kept after tax at 32c in the dollar
- About $878 a year
Both salaries are in the 30% tax bracket, plus 2% Medicare. Add 15c to 17c per dollar if you repay a HELP debt.
The comparison that stings: teachers at Canberra Catholic systemic schools (CECG) got 3.5% from 1 August 2026, so a Catholic graduate earns $94,596, about $3,200 a year more than a TL1 public teacher. After tax that's roughly $2,176 a year. Top-of-scale Catholic Proficient teachers earn $133,625.
One thing in ACT teachers' favour: employer super is 12.5% from 1 January 2026, plus an extra 1% if you contribute 3% or more through payroll, for up to 13.5%.
Free calculator
Teacher back pay calculator
When a new ACT agreement is settled, check what any back-dated rise is worth to you after tax.
Open the calculatorStrikes and your pay
Under the Fair Work Act, employees aren't paid for time spent on protected industrial action, so a stoppage means a deduction for the hours involved. How that's calculated, and how it shows on your payslip, is explained in do teachers get paid when they strike. The strike pay calculator estimates the cost of a 2-hour or full-day stoppage at your level. For a round-up of action across the country, see teacher strikes in 2026.
What happens next and dates to watch
Watch for
- Term 4 action. Rolling stoppages and a possible full-day strike have been flagged.
- A revised offer. Whether a new offer is back-dated is a bargaining point, so don't assume back pay to 31 March or 4 December.
- 27 January 2027: the annual increment date for all ACT classroom teachers.
- February 2027: the date the minister used when describing the rejected offer.
- 2027: a new ACT school funding model is due to start.
We'll update the ACT pay rise page and the national pay rise tracker when a new offer is made or an agreement is reached.
Frequently asked questions
Why did ACT teachers reject the pay offer?
When was the last ACT teacher pay rise?
How much does a graduate teacher earn in the ACT?
Are ACT teachers still covered by an agreement?
Will ACT teachers get back pay?
Sources we checked · last verified 2026-10-20
- 1.Region Canberra: Term 4 strikes possible as teachers reject offer (14 Sep 2026)
- 2.ABC News: Canberra public school staff take more industrial action (24 Sep 2026)
- 3.AEU ACT: 2025/6 Teaching Staff Bargaining
- 4.ACT Public Sector Education Directorate (Teaching Staff) EA 2023–2026
- 5.Your Agreement Explained: NSW and ACT Catholic Systemic Schools EA 2025
Work out your pay rise and back pay
CalculateAbout 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.
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