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Download the Catholic Education SA (CESA) pay scale 2026 (PDF)
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The short answer
Catholic Education SA (CESA) teachers earn $82,659 at GT1 to $116,160 at PT5, on rates last raised in May 2024. That is the lowest Catholic teacher scale in Australia and below SA public schools ($84,971 to $123,236 from 8 May 2026). CESA has offered 3% and 3% then matching public rates; the IEU is claiming 6% a year.
- The SA Catholic Schools Enterprise Agreement 2020 expired on 31 July 2024 and still applies.
- IEU members took protected industrial action in September 2026, including a stop-work at Rostrevor College.
- CESA has asked the Fair Work Commission to let it put an agreement to a staff vote.
- HAT and Lead Teacher allowances of $7,000 and $12,000 sit on top of the scale.
The agreement behind CESA pay
CESA teachers are covered by the South Australian Catholic Schools Enterprise Agreement 2020 (FWC matter AG2022/3684, applicant the Catholic Church Endowment Society Inc.). It reached nominal expiry on 31 July 2024. We could not find its agreement number or approval date. The pay structure runs from Graduate Teacher steps GT1 to GT3, then Proficient Teacher steps PT1 to PT5, plus Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher. Four-year-trained graduates start at GT1, five-year-trained graduates at GT2.
The agreement gave 2.35% each May in 2020, 2021 and 2022. For 2023 and 2024 it lifted the top step, PT5, to the SA Department for Education Band 1 Step 9 rate and applied the same percentage to every step (cl 45). The last rise was in May 2024. There has been none since.
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The May 2022 column is from the agreement's Appendix A. GT1 and PT5 current rates are from the IEU SA. The middle steps marked 'about' are our estimate (May 2022 rates x 1.04 x 1.03), which reproduces both IEU endpoints exactly but is not an official CESA schedule. Advanced Skill Teacher closed at the 2025 school service date.
CESA vs SA public school pay
SA public school teachers got 3% from 8 May 2026, their final rise under the 2024 agreement. CESA staff got nothing in 2025 or 2026, so the gap has opened at both ends of the scale. The IEU SA calls SA Catholic teachers the lowest-paid Catholic teachers in the country, and on our figures that is right: CESA's top step is below even the Victorian Catholic top of $118,063, which has also been frozen since July 2025. See the SA public school pay scale.
SA public rates from the SA School and Preschool Education Staff EA 2024, Schedule 1.1. Lutheran rates from the Lutheran Schools SA EA 2024 (AE525038). Gap at the top step: $7,076 behind public schools.
What the gap costs a CESA teacher after tax (2026-27 rates)
- CESA GT1, $82,659
- $65,688 a year, $2,526 a fortnight
- SA public Step 1, $84,971
- $67,260 a year, $2,587 a fortnight
- CESA PT5, $116,160
- $88,469 a year, $3,403 a fortnight
- SA public Step 9, $123,236
- $93,280 a year, $3,588 a fortnight
Full-time, no HELP debt, no packaging. With HELP, CESA GT1 takes home $63,718 and PT5 $81,474. Employer super at 12% is extra.
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Teacher take-home pay calculator
See your CESA take-home pay now, and what it would be on the offered or claimed rates.
Work it outThe EB24 dispute: offer vs claim
CESA's offer and the IEU's claim (as at 23 September 2026)
CESA offer (unchanged since June 2026)
- 3% from May 2025 and 3% from May 2026
- Then match SA public rises, with a 3% minimum
- Top step $123,234 (public: $123,236)
- Conditional one-off $2,200 cost-of-living payment
- 16 weeks' paid parental leave
- Secondary face-to-face teaching cut to 22 hours in 2027 and 21.5 in 2028
IEU SA claim
- 6% from May 2025
- 6% from May 2026
- 6% from May 2027
- Top step about $138,000
If the offer were accepted, a PT5 teacher would go from $116,160 to $123,234. After 2026-27 tax that is $93,279 a year instead of $88,469, or $4,810 more. We have not seen whether the offered rises would be back-paid to May 2025 and May 2026; check the final offer document if it goes to a vote. Our back pay calculator can estimate it once dates are confirmed.
Industrial action and what happens next
We have found no verified news after 23 September 2026, and the outcome of CESA's application is not known. Check the IEU SA website for the latest.
If you are thinking about taking protected action, our guides to teacher strikes in 2026 and strike pay explain how it affects your pay. SA public teachers are also starting their own campaign; see the AEU's EA27 campaign.
Super and salary packaging
CESA pays the 12% Superannuation Guarantee to your chosen or stapled fund, with NGS Super as the default, paid monthly (cl 50). Salary sacrifice is allowed with no employer limit (cl 51), and CESA lists voluntary super and other FBT-free items as benefits. The catch is that you bear any FBT and admin costs, except for super and FBT-exempt items. Catholic employers are usually FBT-rebatable, which reduces that FBT by 47% on up to $30,000 of grossed-up benefits a year. Our salary packaging guide shows what that is worth.
Other non-government options in SA
Lutheran schools pay noticeably more: GT1 $89,558 to PT6 $123,993 from August 2026, with Lutheran EB26 bargaining under way and no salary offer reported yet. Among independent schools, the IEU SA's September 2026 data lists Seaview Christian ($135,590) and St Peter's College ($133,564) as the highest top steps. Compare all sectors on our private vs public pay page.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Catholic teachers earn in South Australia?
Why are SA Catholic teachers paid less than public teachers?
What has CESA offered teachers?
What is the IEU claiming for SA Catholic teachers?
Are SA Catholic teachers on strike?
What is the CESA graduate salary?
Do Lutheran schools in SA pay more than Catholic schools?
Sources we checked · last verified 2026-10-17
- 1.South Australian Catholic Schools Enterprise Agreement 2020 (PDF)
- 2.IEU SA: Same work, different pay
- 3.IEU SA: Catholic EB24 compare the pair (PDF)
- 4.IEU SA: Members show their numbers in Catholic industrial action
- 5.IEU SA: Focusing on the facts
- 6.Fair Work Commission: Lutheran Schools SA EA 2024, AE525038 (PDF)
- 7.CESA: Benefits and support
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.
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