On this page (6 sections)
The short answer
On 17 September 2026, 93.1% of voting Victorian government school staff approved the VGSA 2026. The Fair Work Commission then approved it on 16 October 2026, and it came into operation on 23 October 2026. A graduate's salary goes from $79,589 to $92,882 and the top classroom step from $118,063 to $133,456, back-paid to 10 August and 1 October 2026, plus a $2,000 lump sum.
- 80,742 employees voted, 77.1% of those eligible.
- Update: the Fair Work Commission approved it on 16 October 2026; it started on 23 October 2026.
- Payslips may show VGSA 2022 rates until payroll loads the new rates and back pay.
- Further rises are due in November 2027, 2028 and 2029.
What happened
The staff ballot on the proposed Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2026 ran in workplaces from 3 to 14 September 2026. The result was announced on 17 September: 80,742 employees voted (77.1% of those eligible) and 93.1% voted yes. That covers teachers, principals and education support staff in Victorian government schools.
A yes vote doesn't change your pay straight away. Under the Fair Work Act the Department lodges the agreement with the Fair Work Commission (FWC), which checks it before approving it. The agreement starts on the seventh day after approval. The FWC approved it on 16 October 2026 and it came into operation on 23 October 2026: see VGSA 2026 approved.
Work out your VGSA 2026 pay rise and back pay
⚙Your details
Check the 'classification' line on your payslip, e.g. CT 2-3 or LT 3-1.
VGSA 2026 started on 23 Oct 2026. The Department hasn't published the payroll date, so enter the pay day your back pay arrives. Default: six weeks from today.
Your VGSA 2026 back pay (before tax)
$5,719
New salary from 1 Oct 2026
$133,456
+13.0% on $118,063
Rise per fortnight
$592
before tax
Back pay after tax
$3,•••
in your report
Worth to you by 2030
$9•,•••
in your report
Estimate only. VGSA 2026 was approved by the Fair Work Commission on 16 Oct 2026 and came into operation on 23 Oct 2026. Back pay = (new − old) fortnightly pay ÷ 14 × days, from the first pay period on or after 10 Aug 2026 and 1 Oct 2026; pay-period timing can move this by a few days. Old rates: VGSA 2022 from 1 Jul 2025. Tax uses 2026–27 rates and the ATO marginal-rate method. "Worth to you" compares VGSA 2026 rates with staying on today's VGSA 2022 rates until the nominal expiry (10 Aug 2030). Checked 28 October 2026.
How the deal got here
Sources: Premier of Victoria (17 Sep 2026), ABC News (10 and 17 Aug 2026), VASSP newsletter (Term 4, issue 7).
One date to ignore: the rejected May version back-dated the first rise to 15 May 2026. Some websites still quote it. The agreement staff voted on uses 10 August 2026 for the first step.
What changes for your pay
There are two back-paid steps. From the first pay period on or after 10 August 2026, rises range from 3% at experienced steps to 6.33% at the graduate step. From the first pay period on or after 1 October 2026, every step rises a further 9.75%. By then a graduate is up 16.7% on VGSA 2022 rates and the top classroom step is up 13.04%.
From the proposed VGSA 2026 Schedule 1. The 10 Aug and 1 Oct 2026 columns are back-paid once the agreement starts. Full scale on the Victorian pay rise page.
Take-home pay before and after, 2026–27 rates (no HELP debt)
- Graduate, $79,589 now: take-home a year
- $63,601 ($2,446 a fortnight)
- Graduate, $92,882 from 1 Oct 2026: take-home a year
- $72,640 ($2,794 a fortnight)
- Top of classroom scale, $118,063 now
- $89,763 ($3,452 a fortnight)
- Top of classroom scale, $133,456 from 1 Oct 2026
- $100,230 ($3,855 a fortnight)
2026–27 income tax after the low income tax offset, plus 2% Medicare levy, from our tax engine. Both salaries sit in the 30% bracket, so each extra dollar is taxed at 32c including Medicare.
Rough back pay, if the new rates reached your pay on 1 December 2026
The approval date isn't known, so this is an illustration, not a forecast. A graduate's back pay for 10 August to 30 September would be about $718 gross, and for 1 October to 30 November about $2,222. Add the $2,000 lump sum and the total is about $4,940, or about $3,359 after tax at 32c in the dollar. At step 2-6 the same sums are about $504, $2,573 and $5,076 in total, or about $3,452 after tax. Each extra fortnight of waiting adds about $511 (graduate) or $592 (step 2-6) of gross back pay.
Free calculator
VGSA 2026 back pay calculator
Pick Victoria, your step and the date the new rates reach your pay. See your back pay before and after tax, including HELP.
Estimate my VGSA back payBack pay is taxed as ordinary income in the year you get it. Because all of this back pay falls in 2026–27, the lump sum in arrears offset doesn't apply. The payslip may look over-taxed; the real figure is settled at tax time. See tax on teacher back pay.
Other changes in the agreement
- $2,000 lump sum, pro rata for part-timers, paid once the agreement starts.
- Directed meetings capped at 40 hours a year from 2027, down from up to 80 hours of meetings.
- Professional Practice Days: 1 in 2026 and 4 a year from 2027.
- Overnight camp allowance of 0.555% of salary per night, scheduled for 2027.
- 1% top-of-range allowance from May 2027 for teachers who have spent 12 months at step 2-6 or 3-2.
- Nominal expiry of 10 August 2030.
Casual relief teachers employed by school councils aren't covered by the VGSA. Their rate ($425.80 a day from 1 July 2025) is set by Ministerial Order and only changes if that order is amended. No new CRT rate had been published when we checked.
What happens next and dates to watch
Watch for
- FWC approval. The agreement starts on the seventh day after it. We'll update this page and the pay rise tracker the same day.
- First pay at the new rates. Expect the 1 October 2026 rates, then the back pay and the $2,000 lump sum. Payroll timing wasn't published when we checked.
- Victorian state election, due November 2026. Teacher pay has been a campaign issue, but the agreement itself has been voted on.
- 1 November 2027: the next rise, 4% for teachers.
Catholic school staff covered by the Catholic Education Multi-Enterprise Agreement 2022 are bargaining separately. In June 2026 Catholic employers offered to match the government percentage increases, but we haven't confirmed that any 2026 rise has been paid. See Catholic school teacher pay in Victoria.
Frequently asked questions
When will Victorian teachers get the pay rise?
Is the VGSA 2026 back pay to 15 May 2026?
How much will a graduate teacher earn in Victoria?
Do part-time teachers get the $2,000 lump sum?
Do CRTs get the VGSA 2026 pay rise?
How long does Fair Work approval take?
Sources we checked · last verified 2026-10-28
- 1.Premier of Victoria: Labor Seals The Deal For Education Staff Pay Rise (17 Sep 2026)
- 2.Proposed Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2026 (PDF)
- 3.Proposed VGSA 2026: Approval Process and FAQs (PDF)
- 4.Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022 (PDF)
- 5.VASSP newsletter, Term 4 issue 7 (Oct 2026)
- 6.ABC News: Victorian teachers accept pay deal (17 Aug 2026)
- 7.Casual Relief Teacher Employment Handbook
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.