On this page (8 sections)
The short answer
Working directly for a Victorian government school pays $425.80 a day ($70.97 an hour) from 1 July 2025, including a 22% loading. Agencies set their own rates; adverts we've seen offer $430 to $480 a day plus super, sometimes with bonuses. Agency pay can be higher, but check whether super is included, what cancellation pays and whether your days are recorded.
- In NSW, Queensland, the ACT and the NT, government casuals are mostly employed by the department, not agencies.
- Victorian schools that use agencies must use the Department's CRT panel.
- One agency means one employer for tax; several schools can mean several employers.
- Every employer, agency or school, must pay 12% super on top.
Where agencies fit in each state
Whether an agency is even an option depends on your state and sector. In most states the education department employs government-school casuals itself, so agencies mainly work with Catholic, independent and early learning employers. Victoria is the big exception: each government school council employs its own CRTs, and schools can also book through panel agencies.
From each state's agreement or official rate sheet. Full detail in casual relief teacher pay across Australia.
Work out your relief teaching pay
⚙Your details
Casual relief teaching income this year
$57,652
Per day
$480
$93 PAYG withheld
Per week
$1,441
$280 PAYG withheld
Per term
$14,413
10 weeks a term
Employer super
$6,918
12% on top, paid to your fund
Likely tax refund: about $2,367
You'll owe about $8,833 in income tax and Medicare on $57,652 of total income, and about $11,200 is withheld. Payroll withholds each week as if you earned that much all 52 weeks, but you only work school weeks, so you usually get some back.
No holiday pay, no sick pay: what the day rate includes
Casual rates are built from the permanent salary plus a loading in lieu of paid leave. You are not paid in school holidays, on days you're not booked, or when you're sick. You do get 12% super on every day you work, and casual service usually counts towards long service leave.
Compared with a permanent job
A full-time permanent teacher on Step 1 earns $92,882 ($2,794 take-home a fortnight), paid across all 52 weeks with paid holidays, sick leave and parental leave. At $480 a day you'd need about 193 days to match it; a school year has about 200. Working every school day as a casual would pay $96,086 ($3,204 more), and your planned 120 days is 62% of that permanent salary.
Estimates for an Australian resident, 2026–27 tax rates. PAYG uses ATO Scale 2 when the tax-free threshold is claimed; second-job withholding is our approximation of Scale 1 and may differ from your payslip by a few dollars a week. Tax owed includes the low income tax offset and Medicare levy (single, no dependants). Part days are paid pro rata; minimum engagements vary by state. Casual rate: Casual teacher, Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024, verified 16 October 2026.
Victoria: direct rate vs agency rate
Victoria's direct rate is set by Ministerial Order 1389 and linked to classroom teacher subdivision 1-5. It's $425.80 a day or $70.97 an hour from 1 July 2025 (up from $421.58 in January 2025). It includes a 22% loading in place of annual leave, personal leave and public holidays. CRTs aren't covered by the VGSA, so the VGSA 2026 (approved 16 October 2026) doesn't change this rate directly; a new Ministerial Order is expected but hasn't been published.
Agencies on the Department's panel are paid by the school and pay you under their own employment terms. The AEU has said panel agencies are not bound to pay the Ministerial Order rate; we couldn't confirm that in an official document. Job adverts we saw in 2026 offered $460 a day in Melbourne with bonuses of up to $180 a day, and $430 to $480 a day plus super for a regional role. Treat these as examples, not a guaranteed rate.
Direct conditions from the Victorian CRT handbook. Agency conditions vary: ask for them in writing.
Direct with the school council
- $425.80 a day, the published Ministerial Order rate
- Minimum 3 hours' pay per school per day
- Paid if cancelled after 12pm the day before
- Days recorded by the school for future salary placement
- Each school is a separate employer
Through a panel agency
- Agency's own rate; may be higher or lower
- Bonuses for hard-to-fill days in some adverts
- Agency handles bookings, induction and child-safety checks
- One employer, one payslip, one super contribution
- Minimums, cancellations and records set by the agency
What a year of relief work pays each way
150 days of relief teaching in Victoria (2026-27 tax)
- Direct: 150 x $425.80
- $63,870 gross; $52,954 after tax; + $7,664 super
- Agency at $460 plus super: 150 x $460
- $69,000 gross; $56,400 after tax; + $8,280 super
- Agency at $460 including super (about $410.71 + super)
- $61,607 gross; $51,449 after tax
From our 2026-27 tax engine: resident, tax-free threshold claimed with one employer, no HELP debt. The agency figures use an advertised day rate for illustration.
Free calculator
Casual relief teacher pay calculator
Enter your state, day rate and days per term to compare direct and agency work after tax, with super and no holiday pay.
Compare my ratesThe award floor for agency teachers
If an agency or non-government school employs you and no enterprise agreement applies, the minimum is the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020. Casuals get a 25% loading. On our calculation from the award formula, a Level 1 school teacher's casual full day is about $363.85 from 1 July 2026, well below any state's government rate. Most agencies pay above it, but it's the legal floor. See the teachers award.
Tax: one agency or many schools
In Victoria, each school council that employs you directly is a separate employer. Claim the tax-free threshold with all of them and too little tax is withheld, leaving you with a bill. An agency is one employer however many schools you visit, which makes PAYG withholding simpler. Working for a mix of both is common; claim the threshold with your main payer only. Full detail: relief teacher tax.
Does agency work count towards your pay step?
This is the hidden cost of agency work if you later take a contract or permanent job. Victoria counts casual relief teaching in Victorian registered schools since 1 January 2005 as approved experience for your starting salary, and asks principals to give CRTs a yearly letter of days worked. The NT counts 180 relief days as a year. NSW counts cumulative casual service. Whichever way you work, you need a record of days, schools and dates.
Questions to ask an agency before you register
- What is the day rate, half-day rate and hourly rate, and is super on top?
- Is there a minimum paid engagement per booking?
- What do I get if a school cancels late?
- How are long-term bookings paid? Is there a higher rate after a set number of days?
- Will you give me a statement of days worked by school and date each year?
- Which award or agreement covers me?
- Who pays my registration and working with children check costs?
- How often am I paid, and when does super reach my fund?
Which is better for you?
＋ Pros
- Agency: possibly higher day rates and bonuses for hard-to-fill days
- Agency: one employer for tax and super
- Agency: bookings across many schools without contacting each one
- Direct: published rate, minimum 3 hours and late-cancellation pay in Victoria
- Direct: schools record your days for future salary placement
− Cons
- Agency: rates and conditions vary and aren't published
- Agency: 'including super' quotes can hide a lower wage
- Agency: may not provide service records automatically
- Direct: several employers can mean a tax bill if you claim the threshold twice
- Direct: you chase bookings yourself
Frequently asked questions
Do CRT agencies pay more than schools?
What is the CRT daily rate in Victoria?
Do agencies have to pay the Victorian CRT rate?
Do agency relief teachers get super?
Does agency relief teaching count as teaching experience?
Can I work for an agency and directly for schools?
Sources we checked · last verified 2026-10-28
- 1.Victorian Department of Education: Casual relief teachers handbook
- 2.Victorian Department of Education: VGSA 2026 approval process and FAQs
- 3.Teach.NSW: Salary of a teacher (casual rates)
- 4.Queensland Department of Education: salary schedule
- 5.SA Department for Education: school teacher pay rates
- 6.WA School Education Act Employees General Agreement 2023
- 7.NT Public Sector Educators' 2024-2027 Enterprise Agreement
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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