On this page (6 sections)
The short answer
A graduate teacher earns $90,164 in QLD and $85,313 in TAS, so QLD pays $4,851 more to start. At the top of the classroom scale it's $119,357 vs $122,393 (TAS ahead by $3,036, about $79 a fortnight after tax). Rates are those in force on 16 October 2026.
QLD vs TAS at a glance
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).
After-tax figures use 2026–27 resident tax rates, Medicare levy, no HECS-HELP and no salary sacrifice.
What's different about teaching in Queensland
Queensland is in QIRC arbitration, so classroom teachers are paid the higher of the 3% interim agreement rate and the 4.75% award rate from September 2026: $90,164 for a graduate and $119,357 at the top of the scale. Super is reported at 12.75% into Australian Retirement Trust, long service leave is usable after just 7 years, and remote schools rated TR4-7 add RoRRS, locality allowance and travel on top.
A four-year-trained graduate starts at Band 2 Step 1 and moves up one step a year with satisfactory service through Band 2 Steps 1-4 and Band 3 Steps 1-4. Senior Teacher needs one year at Band 3 Step 4 (or two years at Band 3 Step 1 if three-year trained), an Annual Performance Review and a Senior Teacher Undertaking and Action Plan. Experienced Senior Teacher 1 follows two years as a Senior Teacher (opt-in), and EST2 three years after that. Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher are separate classifications for teachers with national HALT certification.
Full details: QLD pay scale, QLD salary after tax and QLD pay rise tracker.
What's different about teaching in Tasmania
Tasmania's headline pay is among the lowest, $85,313 for a Level 5 graduate and $122,393 at the top of Band 1, but its Teachers Agreement 2025 locks in 3% in March 2027 and 2.75% in March 2028. Isolated schools add a Level 8 start ($99,010), a $5,000 settling-in payment and retention payments, and TRB registration costs $121.32 a year.
One Band 1 scale of 13 levels with annual increments. Your starting level depends on your training: 4-year trained teachers start at Level 4 and 5-year trained at Level 5, and DECYP says the usual beginning salary is Level 5 (Level 8 in isolated schools). Moving to Level 13 needs full TRB registration and 12 months at Level 12. In the 3-year trained and transition streams, Levels 9 and 10 each take two years.
Full details: TAS pay scale, TAS salary after tax and TAS 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.
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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.