On this page (5 sections)
The short answer
TL8 (Top of classroom scale) pays $129,106 a year in Australian Capital Territory government schools from 4 December 2025. After 2026–27 income tax and Medicare that's about $3,728 a fortnight ($97,272 a year), plus $16,138 employer super.
- Gross pay: about $4,949 a fortnight (annual ÷ 26.089).
- With a HELP debt: about $3,386 a fortnight take-home.
- This is the top of the scale we track for ACT.
- Agreement: ACT Public Sector Education Directorate (Teaching Staff) Enterprise Agreement 2023-2026.
Annual salary
$129,106
from 4 December 2025
Take-home a fortnight
$3,728
2026–27 tax, no HELP
Employer super
$16,138
12.5% a year
Your pay on TL8: change FTE, HELP or step
⚙Your details
Salary
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Take-home pay fortnightly
$3,741
Gross pay
$4,966
Income tax
$1,125
After the low income tax offset
Medicare levy
$99
Employer super
$621
12.5% paid on top
Where each dollar goes
- Take-home$97,272 (75%)
- Income tax$29,252 (23%)
- Medicare levy$2,582 (2%)
- HECS-HELP$0 (0%)
- Salary sacrifice & packaging$0 (0%)
What your payslip should show
PAYG withheld each fortnight should be about $1,226 (ATO Scale 2, tax-free threshold claimed). Small differences come from rounding and 27-pay years. Your marginal rate is 32% including Medicare, so each extra $1,000 of salary adds about $680 to take-home.
Estimates for an Australian resident for 2026–27 who claims the tax-free threshold, with no other income, no dependants and private hospital cover not required. Medicare levy uses the 2025–26 low-income thresholds (2026–27 not yet published). Pay data: ACT Public Sector Education Directorate (Teaching Staff) Enterprise Agreement 2023-2026, verified 20 October 2026.
TL8 pay after tax
Resident, tax-free threshold claimed, full-time. Marginal rate 32% including Medicare. Your payslip's tax withheld may differ slightly from the year-end figure.
Pro-rata salary, 2026–27 tax, no HELP debt.
TL8 pay over time
Bargaining status: Agreement expired 31 Mar 2026; 9% over 3 years offer rejected 11 Sep 2026; rolling 1-hour stoppages 19–23 Oct 2026, with longer action flagged; revised offer expected within weeks
Moving up from TL8
All classroom teachers share one increment date, 27 January, and move up one Teacher Level a year from TL1 to TL8, subject to the Teacher Performance and Development Guidelines. Your starting level recognises qualifications and prior teaching and other work experience in full years. Leave without pay can push your increment date back. TL1-TL3 are New Educator levels with a reduced face-to-face load; TL4-TL8 are Experienced Teacher levels. HALT certification earns an extra increment, or a $7,495 a year HALT payment if you are already at TL8 or SLC2. On normal progression, TL8 is about 7 years after the TL1 graduate step; the top classroom step (TL8, $129,106) usually takes about 7 years.
The same experience in other states
Matched by years of normal progression from each state's graduate step; capped at each state's top classroom step. Current payable rates only.
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Should you be on a higher step?
If you have overseas, Catholic, independent, casual or industry experience, check whether it should put you above TL8, and get a letter to HR drafted.
Check my pay stepFrequently asked questions
How much does a TL8 teacher earn in ACT?
What is TL8 after tax?
When does TL8 get a pay rise?
How much super does a TL8 teacher get?
Am I on the right step?
Sources we checked · last verified 2026-10-20
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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.