On this page (8 sections)
The short answer
Most NSW independent schools that use the IEU's cooperative agreement pay $94,155 at Step 1.1 to $133,009 at Step 2.5 from 1 February 2026, rising 4% to $97,921 to $138,329 from 1 February 2027. That agreement is the Independent Schools (Teachers) Cooperative MEA 2025. Schools with no agreement must pay at least the award: $75,941 to $105,076 from 1 July 2026.
- Rises fall in February, not October like public and Catholic schools.
- The old Standards, Hybrid and Steps models were replaced in 2025.
- HALT teachers get a $10,406 allowance on top of their step in 2026.
- Some schools use other agreements, such as the NSW Christian Schools MEAs.
How NSW independent schools set pay
There is no single pay scale for NSW independent schools. Each school is its own employer and pays under one of these:
- The Independent Schools (Teachers) Cooperative Multi-Enterprise Agreement 2025 (AE528546). AISNSW applied for it and many member schools are covered, including Sydney's Anglican Schools Corporation. This is the scale on this page.
- A single-school enterprise agreement, bargained by one school with its staff.
- A sector agreement, such as the NSW Christian Schools MEAs 2024 or the Catholic independent (Model A, B and C) MEAs. We have not researched their rates.
- The Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020, the legal minimum if a school has no agreement.
Before you accept an offer, ask the school which agreement covers you and look it up on the Fair Work Commission's website. Our guide to private school teacher salaries has more on checking a school.
Is your Catholic or independent school payslip right? Check your step, pay rate, tax and super against your agreement, and get an email to payroll drafted if it's wrong. Your first check is free. Check my payslip →The AISNSW cooperative agreement pay scale
The cooperative MEA was approved on 2 April 2025 ([2025] FWCA 1127), operates from 9 April 2025 and reaches nominal expiry on 31 January 2028. It replaced the 2021 Standards, Hybrid and Steps model agreements with one step scale. Rises apply from the first full pay period on or after each 1 February.
Source: AE528546, NSW table. 2026 was +4.5% and 2027 is +4%. ACT member schools use a separate Table 2: Level 1 $96,334 to Level 8 $136,522 from 1 February 2026, and $100,187 to $141,983 from 1 February 2027.
Allowances
NSW public schools pay HALT as a separate salary ($141,997 from 9 October 2026) rather than an allowance. Step 2.5 plus the HALT allowance is $143,415 in 2026 (our arithmetic).
Independent vs public vs Catholic pay in NSW
The three sectors are close, but their rise dates differ. Public and Catholic systemic teachers rose 3% from 9 October 2026 and have nothing more scheduled before October 2027. Independent schools on the cooperative MEA rose 4.5% in February 2026 and get 4% in February 2027. Right now an independent graduate is ahead and an independent teacher at the top step is $413 behind. From February 2027 independent schools lead at both ends, until the public and Catholic sectors get their next rise.
See the NSW public scale and our NSW Catholic pay page for the full tables.
Take-home pay at NSW independent schools (2026-27 tax)
- Step 1.1, $94,155
- $73,505 a year, $2,827 a fortnight
- Step 2.3, $117,561
- $89,421 a year, $3,439 a fortnight
- Step 2.5, $133,009
- $99,926 a year, $3,843 a fortnight
- Step 2.5 from Feb 2027, $138,329
- $103,311 a year, $3,973 a fortnight
Full-time, no HELP debt, no packaging. Public Step 1 ($92,882) takes home $72,640. With HELP, Step 1.1 takes home $69,811. Employer super at 12% is extra.
Free calculator
Teacher take-home pay calculator
Compare an independent school offer with your current pay after tax, Medicare and HELP.
Compare my payThe award floor: Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020
If a school has no enterprise agreement, it must pay at least the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020 [MA000077]. The award also acts as the benchmark every agreement must beat when the Fair Work Commission approves it. Award rates rose 4.75% from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, after the Annual Wage Review.
Source: Fair Work Commission, MA000077 clause 17.1. Long day care teachers have higher rates ($78,979 to $109,279). The award is a minimum: the cooperative MEA pays $18,214 more at entry and $27,933 more at the top.
If you are offered a job at a school with no agreement, compare the offer with the award level that matches your experience. On the award Level 1 rate, a full-time teacher takes home $61,120 a year after 2026-27 tax, against $73,505 at cooperative MEA Step 1.1. Our award explainer covers the classification rules.
Questions to ask before you sign
Independent school offer checklist
- Which agreement covers this role, and what is its FWC agreement number?
- Which step will I start on, and how is my previous teaching service counted?
- When is the next pay rise, and when does the agreement expire?
- Will I be paid an Accomplished, HALT or leadership allowance, and at what level?
- What employer super is paid, and is salary packaging offered? Who pays any FBT?
- If there is no agreement, which award level am I classified at?
Write the answers down and run the salary through our take-home pay calculator before you compare it with your current job. A February rise date can be worth more than a slightly higher starting salary if your current employer's next rise is a year away.
Super and salary packaging
The cooperative MEA pays the 12% Superannuation Guarantee (cl 12). NSW public schools also pay 12%. The difference is packaging: the MEA allows salary packaging (cl 11.4), and non-profit independent schools are usually FBT-rebatable, giving a 47% FBT rebate on up to $30,000 of grossed-up benefits a year. Public school employers cannot offer that. Each school's status depends on its own ATO endorsement, so ask. Our salary packaging guide explains the real saving, which is often smaller than it sounds.
Frequently asked questions
How much do independent school teachers earn in NSW?
Do private school teachers in NSW earn more than public school teachers?
What is the minimum pay for a teacher at a NSW independent school?
What happened to the Standards, Hybrid and Steps models?
When do NSW independent school teachers get a pay rise?
How much is the HALT allowance in NSW independent schools?
Can independent school teachers salary package?
Sources we checked · last verified 2026-10-17
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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