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NSW vs SA teacher pay: which state pays more in 2026?

NSW vs SA teacher salaries compared step by step: graduate $92,882 vs $84,971, top of scale, take-home, super, leave and incentives.

✓ Fact-checked against official sources Updated 16 October 2026 6 min read

NSW graduate

$92,882

SA graduate

$84,971

NSW top

$133,422

SA top

$123,236

On this page (6 sections)
  1. Side by side
  2. At every career stage
  3. What's different about NSW
  4. What's different about SA
  5. Incentives and leave
  6. FAQs

The short answer

A graduate teacher earns $92,882 in NSW and $84,971 in SA, so NSW pays $7,911 more to start. At the top of the classroom scale it's $133,422 vs $123,236 (NSW ahead by $10,186, about $266 a fortnight after tax). Rates are those in force on 16 October 2026.

NSW vs SA at a glance

New South WalesSouth Australia
Graduate salary$92,882$84,971
Top of classroom scale$133,422$123,236
Highest classroom step$141,997$141,365
Years from graduate to topabout 6about 8
Casual / relief day rate$480.43$407.21
Employer super12%12%
Employer paid parental leave14 weeks16 weeks
Long service leave8.8 weeks after 10 yrssee state page
RegistrationNESA: $100 per calendar yearTRB SA: From 1 Feb 2026 to 31 Jan 2027: application $218; annual fee $137 (or $685 for 5 years); renewal $124; late annual fee penalty $75. The national criminal history check is extra. Fees are indexed each 1 February.
Rates in force from9 October 20268 May 2026
Next pay columnnone schedulednone scheduled
Highest principal salary$253,369$222,484

Government school classroom teachers. Leadership, Catholic and independent school pay differ; see each state's role pages.

Pay and take-home at every career stage

Steps don't line up exactly between states, so we compare like-for-like career stages: the usual graduate entry step, about five years in, the top of the incremental classroom scale, and the highest classroom step (reached through HALT, Senior Teacher or a similar classification).

Career stageNSW salarySA salaryGapGap after tax / fortnight
Graduate (first year) (Step 1 vs Step 1)$92,882$84,971+$7,911 NSW$207
About 5 years in (Step 6 vs Step 6)$124,696$106,890+$17,806 NSW$466
Top of classroom scale (Step 7 vs Step 9)$133,422$123,236+$10,186 NSW$266
Highest classroom step (HALT / senior) (HA/Lead vs LT)$141,997$141,365+$632 NSW$15

After-tax figures use 2026–27 resident tax rates, Medicare levy, no HECS-HELP and no salary sacrifice.

What's different about teaching in New South Wales

NSW pays one of the highest graduate salaries in Australia ($92,882 from 9 Oct 2026) and reaches the top of the classroom scale ($133,422) in about 6 years, with HA/Lead teachers on $141,997. Pay is tied to NESA accreditation, and the country package is the deepest in the nation: a $20,000-$30,000 a year Rural Teacher Incentive, up to 90% rent subsidy and fee-paying teach.Rural scholarships. The catch is that no rise is scheduled after October 2026, with the award expiring in October 2027.

8 pay points: Steps 1-2 (Graduate), Steps 3-7 (Proficient), then Highly Accomplished/Lead. You move up one step after each year of service (203 days full-time) with a satisfactory Performance and Development process. Step 2 to Step 3 also needs confirmed Proficient accreditation from NESA. Step 7 to HA/Lead needs HA or Lead accreditation plus at least a year at Step 7. Pay depends on keeping your accreditation. A full-time graduate who reaches Proficient on time gets to Step 7 in about 6 years.

Full details: NSW pay scale, NSW salary after tax and NSW pay rise tracker.

What's different about teaching in South Australia

South Australia pays a Step 1 teacher $84,971 and Step 9 $123,236 from May 2026, but that May 2026 rise was the last under EA 2024 and nothing is scheduled until the EA27 agreement is bargained. Its strengths are 16 to 20 weeks' paid parental leave, country zone allowances of up to $11,391 a year and a phased cut to face-to-face teaching time.

Teachers move up Steps 1 to 8 by annual increment. Step 9 is not automatic: under EA 2024 Schedule 3 Attachment 1 a teacher on Step 8 can apply from one month before completing 207 duty days at Step 8 by submitting a Professional Development Plan, and moves to Step 9 when the plan is accepted or on completing the 207 days. There is no quota and relief teachers (TRTs) are eligible. Above Step 9, Highly Accomplished Teacher and Lead Teacher require national certification (cl. 6.8); AST2 is a legacy rate now used as the Key Teacher Fallback salary. Unregistered staff teaching on Special Authority are paid $74,083. Placement of graduates by qualification sits in the Teachers Award and was not verified; DfE presents Step 1 as the registered-teacher entry rate.

Full details: SA pay scale, SA salary after tax and SA pay rise tracker.

Country incentives, leave and the things salary tables miss

Headline salary is only part of the deal. Country and remote postings can add thousands a year, and leave rules change what a career is worth.

NSWSA
Rural / recruitment incentives listed12 (see NSW)7 (see SA)
Biggest incentiveRecruitment bonusCountry Incentives Zone Allowance – Zone 5
Parental leaveUp to 14 weeks paid parental leave for eligible birth and non-birth parents after 40 weeks' continuous service, plus 2 bonus weeks when leav16 weeks' paid primary carer leave after 12 months' continuous service, or 20 weeks with 5+ years in the SA public sector (EA cl. 4.5.4), on
WorkloadPrimary teachers teach up to 21h45m face-to-face a week (excluding RFF). High school teachers teach up to 28 x 40-minute periods a week plusMaximum face-to-face teaching a week (EA cl. 5.2.12): secondary 21h (minimum 5h40m non-instruction time), primary and school-based preschool

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Frequently asked questions

Do teachers get paid more in NSW or SA?
NSW pays more at the top of the classroom scale: $133,422 against $123,236. For graduates, NSW is ahead by $7,911 a year. Pay changes when either state's agreement moves, so check the dates on each state page.
How much more would I take home in NSW?
At the top of the classroom scale the gap is $6,926 a year after tax and Medicare, or about $266 a fortnight, using 2026–27 tax rates and no HECS. For a graduate the after-tax gap is $5,379 a year.
Is super better for teachers in NSW or SA?
NSW pays 12% employer super and SA pays 12%. At the top step that's $16,011 a year in NSW and $14,788 in SA. Default funds: Aware Super (NSW) and Super SA (default fund for SA public sector employees); choice of fund available since 30 Nov 2022 (SA).
Can I move from NSW to SA and keep my experience?
Usually your teaching experience counts toward the step you're placed on, but the new employer assesses it, so ask for your service to be recognised when you're offered a job. You'll also need registration with Teachers Registration Board of South Australia under mutual recognition, which is normally straightforward if you're registered in NSW. Long service leave recognition between states varies, so check before you resign.
Which state pays casual relief teachers more, NSW or SA?
The standard casual day rate is $480.43 in NSW and $407.21 in SA (rates from 9 October 2026 and 8 May 2026). Higher tiers can apply with experience or accreditation; see each state's casual page.
When is the next teacher pay rise in NSW and SA?
NSW: Final 3% rise paid from Oct 2026; award expires 8 Oct 2027 with no further rise scheduled. SA: EA 2024 nominally expires about March 2027; final 3% paid May 2026; AEU EA27 campaign under way, no offer yet

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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