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VIC vs QLD teacher pay: which state pays more in 2026?

VIC vs QLD teacher salaries compared step by step: graduate $79,589 vs $90,164, top of scale, take-home, super, leave and incentives.

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

VIC graduate

$79,589

QLD graduate

$90,164

VIC top

$118,063

QLD top

$119,357

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

The short answer

A graduate teacher earns $79,589 in VIC and $90,164 in QLD, so QLD pays $10,575 more to start. At the top of the classroom scale it's $118,063 vs $119,357 (QLD ahead by $1,294, about $34 a fortnight after tax). Rates are those in force on 16 October 2026.

VIC vs QLD at a glance

VictoriaQueensland
Graduate salary$79,589$90,164
Top of classroom scale$118,063$119,357
Highest classroom step$129,544$147,050
Years from graduate to topabout 10about 7
Casual / relief day rate$425.80$515.75
Employer super12%12.75%
Employer paid parental leave16 weekssee state page
Long service leave13 weeks after 10 yrs13 weeks after 10 yrs
RegistrationVIT: $131.30 a year if paid by 30 September ($173.10 if paid late), for 1 Sep 2026 to 31 Aug 2027. Initial registration $175.60 (Victorian qualifications) or $203.00 (interstate or overseas), plus $77.40 for the national criminal history check.QCT: About $100.70 a year (unverified; fees were indexed 3.4% from 1 Oct 2025)
Rates in force from1 July 20251 September 2026
Next pay column1 October 2026 (proposed)none scheduled
Highest principal salary$238,676$242,573

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 stageVIC salaryQLD salaryGapGap after tax / fortnight
Graduate (first year) (1-1 vs B0201/B2201)$79,589$90,164−$10,575 QLD$277
About 5 years in (2-1 vs B0302/B2302)$94,415$111,478−$17,063 QLD$446
Top of classroom scale (2-6 vs B0304/B2304)$118,063$119,357−$1,294 QLD$34
Highest classroom step (HALT / senior) (3-2 vs A0601/A2601)$129,544$147,050−$17,506 QLD$425

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

What's different about teaching in Victoria

Victoria is mid-reset: VGSA 2026 was approved by 93.1% of staff in September 2026 and, once the Fair Work Commission signs off, lifts graduate pay from $79,589 to $92,882 and the top classroom step from $118,063 to $133,456 from 1 October 2026, with back pay and a $2,000 lump sum. It gives more long service leave than NSW (3 months after 10 years), caps face-to-face teaching at 21 hours in primary and 18.5 in secondary, and pays up to $50,000 upfront to fill hard-to-staff rural schools.

Classroom teachers have 11 subdivisions: Range 1 (1-1 to 1-5) and Range 2 (2-1 to 2-6). You move up one subdivision per annual cycle (1 May to 30 April) after a successful performance and development assessment. It is not automatic, but there is no quota, and you need at least 6 months' eligible service at a subdivision in the cycle. Moving from Range 1 to Range 2 requires meeting the Range 2 standards. Starting salary is 1-1 plus one subdivision for each year of approved experience (including CRT work in Victorian schools since 2005) up to 2-6. Learning Specialist and Leading Teacher (Range 3) are promotion positions, usually fixed-term. From May 2027 VGSA 2026 adds a 1% top-of-range allowance for teachers at 2-6 or 3-2 for 12 months.

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

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.

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.

VICQLD
Rural / recruitment incentives listed4 (see VIC)8 (see QLD)
Biggest incentiveTargeted Financial Incentives (hard-to-staff rural and regional schools)Turn to Teaching Internship Program
Parental leave16 weeks' paid primary caregiver leave (can be taken at half pay) and 20 days' paid secondary caregiver leave. Proposed VGSA 2026 removes quPaid maternity, paternity, surrogacy and adoption leave are available; the number of paid weeks was not verified. CA2022 extended eligibilit
Workload38-hour week. Face-to-face teaching is capped at 21 hours a week in primary and special schools and 18.5 hours in secondary, under the '30 pCA2022 includes extra admin time for teaching principals, 3 hours of student-free-day time at teachers' discretion, an encouragement-to-disc

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Frequently asked questions

Do teachers get paid more in VIC or QLD?
QLD pays more at the top of the classroom scale: $119,357 against $118,063. For graduates, QLD is ahead by $10,575 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 QLD?
At the top of the classroom scale the gap is $880 a year after tax and Medicare, or about $34 a fortnight, using 2026–27 tax rates and no HECS. For a graduate the after-tax gap is $7,191 a year.
Is super better for teachers in VIC or QLD?
VIC pays 12% employer super and QLD pays 12.75%. At the top step that's $14,168 a year in VIC and $15,218 in QLD. Default funds: Aware Super Future Saver (Department default product) or your choice of fund (VIC) and Australian Retirement Trust (QSuper product) by default; choice of fund available (QLD).
Can I move from VIC to QLD 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 Queensland College of Teachers under mutual recognition, which is normally straightforward if you're registered in VIC. Long service leave recognition between states varies, so check before you resign.
Which state pays casual relief teachers more, VIC or QLD?
The standard casual day rate is $425.80 in VIC and $515.75 in QLD (rates from 1 July 2025 and 1 September 2026). Higher tiers can apply with experience or accreditation; see each state's casual page.
When is the next teacher pay rise in VIC and QLD?
VIC: VGSA 2026 approved by staff (93.1%), awaiting Fair Work approval; back pay to 10 Aug 2026 QLD: In QIRC arbitration: 3% interim rise from 7 Sep 2026 (or the higher 4.75% award rate from 1 Sep 2026); final decision expected late 2026 or 2027

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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