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ACT · Catholic systemic school teacher (Canberra-Goulburn)

Catholic school teacher pay in Canberra and the ACT

Canberra-Goulburn Catholic teachers earn $94,596 to $133,625 from Aug 2026, about 3.5% above ACT public rates. HALT, the agreement and how it compares.

✓ Fact-checked against official sources Updated 16 October 2026 3 min read

From

$94,596

Up to

$133,625

Take-home / fortnight

$2,839

Effective

August 2026

On this page (7 sections)
  1. Catholic systemic school teacher (Canberra-Goulburn) pay in ACT
  2. Catholic vs public in the ACT
  3. The full CECG classroom scale
  4. Take-home for Catholic teachers
  5. Salary packaging in Catholic schools
  6. Independent schools
  7. FAQs

The short answer

Teachers in Catholic systemic schools in the ACT, employed by Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Education (CECG), earn $94,596 as a graduate (Step 1) to $133,625 at Step 7 from the first full pay period on or after 1 August 2026. That is about 3.5% more than ACT public school teachers.

Canberra's Catholic systemic schools are covered by the NSW and ACT Catholic Systemic Schools Enterprise Agreement 2025, approved by the Fair Work Commission on 17 December 2025 with a nominal expiry of 9 October 2027. The union for these teachers is the IEU NSW/ACT Branch, not the AEU.

CECG's August 2025 scale ($91,397 to $129,106) almost exactly matched the ACT public rates that applied from December 2025. The August 2026 rise of 3.5% has opened a gap because public pay has been frozen since December 2025.

Catholic systemic school teacher (Canberra-Goulburn) pay in Australian Capital Territory

ClassificationAnnual salaryTake-home / fortnight
Step 1 (Graduate)$94,596$2,839
Step 2$103,506$3,072
Step 3$107,965$3,188
Step 4$112,421$3,305
Step 5$116,876$3,421
Step 6$124,306$3,616
Step 7 (Proficient, top)$133,625$3,859
HALT$141,638$4,051

Teachers employed by Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Education (CECG) got 3.5% from the first full pay period on or after 1 Aug 2026: $94,596 for a graduate to $133,625 at the top, now above ACT public rates. Effective 1 August 2026.

Catholic vs public in the ACT

CECG Catholic (from Aug 2026)ACT public (from 4 Dec 2025)Difference
Graduate$94,596$91,396+$3,200
Top of classroom scale$133,625$129,106+$4,519
HALT$141,638$136,601 (TL8 + payment)+$5,037
Steps to top7 steps8 levels (TL1-TL8)
Employer superCheck your agreement12.5% (+1% if you contribute 3%)

The full CECG classroom scale

  • Step 1 (Graduate): $94,596
  • Step 2: $103,506
  • Step 3: $107,965
  • Step 4: $112,421
  • Step 5: $116,876
  • Step 6: $124,306
  • Step 7 (Proficient, top): $133,625
  • HALT: $141,638
  • Conditionally accredited: $85,694 (L1) and $90,135 (L2)

Take-home for Catholic teachers

Worked example

CECG Step 1 graduate: $94,596

Income tax (after LITO)
$18,899
Medicare
$1,892
Take-home $73,805 a year (about $2,176 more than ACT TL1)
Worked example

CECG Step 7: $133,625

Income tax (after LITO)
$30,608
Medicare
$2,673
Take-home $100,345 a year (about $3,073 more than ACT TL8)

Salary packaging in Catholic schools

Most Catholic schools are rebatable employers for fringe benefits tax, not fully exempt ones, which limits how much you can package compared with public hospitals. Ask CECG payroll what packaging they offer. See the salary packaging calculator.

Independent schools

Independent schools such as Canberra Grammar, Radford and Canberra Girls Grammar have their own agreements and usually track or exceed the public scale. Pay varies school to school, so ask for the agreement before you accept an offer.

Frequently asked questions

Do Catholic teachers in Canberra earn more than public teachers?
Yes, since August 2026. CECG teachers earn $94,596 to $133,625, about 3.5% more than the ACT public scale of $91,396 to $129,106, which hasn't risen since December 2025.
What agreement covers ACT Catholic school teachers?
The NSW and ACT Catholic Systemic Schools Enterprise Agreement 2025, approved by the Fair Work Commission on 17 December 2025, with a nominal expiry of 9 October 2027.
What does a HALT teacher earn in an ACT Catholic school?
$141,638 from August 2026, compared with $136,601 for an ACT public TL8 teacher with the HALT payment.
Which union covers Catholic teachers in the ACT?
The Independent Education Union (IEU) NSW/ACT Branch. Public school teachers are covered by the AEU ACT Branch.
Is the ACT public school strike affecting Catholic schools?
No. The 2026 strikes are by public school teachers under the Education Directorate agreement. Catholic schools have a separate, current agreement.

Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026

  1. 1.ACT Public Sector Education Directorate (Teaching Staff) EA 2023-2026, [2023] FWCA 2456 (AEU ACT copy)
  2. 2.AEU ACT: 2025/6 Teaching Staff Bargaining
  3. 3.Region Canberra: Term 4 strikes possible as teachers reject offer (14 Sep 2026)
  4. 4.ABC News: Canberra public school staff take more industrial action (24 Sep 2026)
  5. 5.ACT Teacher Quality Institute (Fees) Determination 2026 (No 1), DI2026-1
  6. 6.Your Agreement Explained: NSW and ACT Catholic Systemic Schools EA 2025
  7. 7.IEU: Catholic systemic EAs 2025

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.