Skip to content

NSW take-home pay · 2026–27

NSW teacher salary after tax: what you take home in 2026-27

NSW teacher take-home pay for 2026-27: $2,794 a fortnight for graduates, $3,854 at Step 7. Worked examples with HECS-HELP, salary sacrifice and 12% super.

✓ Fact-checked against official sources Updated 16 October 2026 3 min read

Graduate / fortnight

$2,794

Top step / fortnight

$3,854

Graduate / year

$72,640

Top step / year

$100,207

On this page (7 sections)
  1. Take-home at every step
  2. Worked examples: graduate and Step 7
  3. If you have a HECS-HELP debt
  4. Salary sacrificing into super
  5. Moving to HA/Lead: why the gain is smaller after tax
  6. What the October 2026 rise is worth after tax
  7. FAQs

The short answer

A NSW graduate teacher on $92,882 takes home about $72,640 a year after income tax and Medicare in 2026-27, or $2,794 a fortnight. At Step 7 ($133,422) take-home is about $100,207, or $3,854 a fortnight. HA/Lead teachers on $141,997 keep about $105,548. HECS-HELP repayments reduce these figures.

The table on this page shows take-home pay at every NSW step from the 9 October 2026 rates, using 2026-27 income tax (after the low income tax offset) and the 2% Medicare levy. It assumes you claim the tax-free threshold, have no HELP debt and make no salary sacrifice.

Below are worked examples for the situations that change the answer most: a HELP debt, salary sacrifice, crossing into the 37% bracket, and what the October 2026 rise is worth after tax.

NSW teachers are paid fortnightly. Each pay, the department withholds PAYG tax (which already includes Medicare), plus HELP repayments if you have told it you have a study debt. Super is paid on top of your salary, not out of it. Anything you salary sacrifice comes out before tax.

NSW teacher salary after tax, every step

New South Wales teacher take-home pay, 2026–27 tax year, pay rates from 9 October 2026
StepSalaryTax + MedicareTake-home / yearTake-home / fortnightWith HECS / fortnightPAYG / fortnight
Step 1 Graduate (entry)$92,882$20,242$72,640$2,794$2,659$780
Step 2 Graduate$99,889$22,484$77,405$2,977$2,802$866
Step 3 Proficient (entry)$104,156$23,850$80,306$3,089$2,889$920
Step 4 Proficient$108,421$25,215$83,206$3,200$2,976$972
Step 5 Proficient$115,972$27,631$88,341$3,398$3,130$1,064
Step 6 Proficient$124,696$30,423$94,273$3,626$3,308$1,172
Step 7 Proficient (top of incremental scale)$133,422$33,215$100,207$3,854$3,483$1,278
HA/Lead Highly Accomplished / Lead Teacher$141,997$36,449$105,548$4,060$3,632$1,404

Resident tax rates for 2026–27 with the tax-free threshold claimed, Medicare levy 2%, no salary sacrifice. 'With HECS' includes the compulsory HELP repayment. PAYG is the ATO Scale 2 amount your school withholds each fortnight.

Worked examples: graduate and Step 7

Worked example

Graduate teacher, Step 1 ($92,882)

Gross salary
$92,882
Income tax (after LITO)
$18,385
Medicare levy (2%)
$1,858
PAYG withheld per fortnight
about $780
Take-home $72,640 a year / $2,794 a fortnight

2026-27 rates, tax-free threshold claimed, no HELP debt. Employer super of $11,146 (12%) is paid on top.

Worked example

Step 7 teacher ($133,422)

Gross salary
$133,422
Income tax
$30,547
Medicare levy
$2,668
PAYG withheld per fortnight
about $1,278
Take-home $100,207 a year / $3,854 a fortnight

Effective rate 24.9%. Marginal rate 32% (30% tax plus 2% Medicare). Employer super is $16,011.

If you have a HECS-HELP debt

Every step on the NSW scale is above the 2026-27 HELP repayment threshold of $69,528, so if you have a study debt, repayments start from your first pay. The new system charges a marginal 15% on income above the threshold (17% above $129,717), not a percentage of your whole income.

Worked example

Graduate on $92,882 with a HELP debt

Income tax and Medicare
$20,242
HELP repayment
$3,503
Take-home $69,137 a year / $2,659 a fortnight

At Proficient Step 3 ($104,156) the HELP repayment is $5,194 and take-home $75,112. At Step 7 it is $9,658, leaving $90,549. See HECS-HELP for teachers.

Free calculator

Work out your own take-home pay

Pick NSW and your step, add HELP, salary sacrifice or part-time hours and see your fortnightly pay.

Open the calculator

Salary sacrificing into super

The award lets NSW teachers salary sacrifice up to 100% of salary into super (cl 8). Sacrificed amounts are taxed at 15% in the fund instead of your marginal rate, which is 32% for every classroom step. Your employer's 12% Superannuation Guarantee plus what you sacrifice must stay under the $32,500 concessional cap.

Worked example

Step 7 teacher sacrificing $10,000 a year

Take-home with no sacrifice
$100,207
Take-home with $10,000 sacrifice
$93,407
Cost to your take-home pay
$6,800
Added to super after 15% contributions tax
$8,500
Gain in total wealth about $1,700 a year

Employer super of $16,011 plus $10,000 sacrifice is $26,011, under the $32,500 cap. Super is locked away until preservation age. See salary sacrifice super for teachers.

Moving to HA/Lead: why the gain is smaller after tax

HA/Lead pays $141,997, which is $8,575 more than Step 7. But it takes you over $135,000, where the tax rate rises from 30% to 37% (39% with Medicare). After tax the gain is $5,341 a year ($105,548 against $100,207), or about $205 a fortnight. A Head Teacher on $153,531 takes home $112,584.

What the October 2026 rise is worth after tax

Both columns use 2026-27 tax rates so you can see the rise alone.

Graduate, Step 1

  • Gross: $90,177 to $92,882 (+$2,705)
  • Take-home: $70,800 to $72,640
  • About $71 more a fortnight

Top of scale, Step 7

  • Gross: $129,536 to $133,422 (+$3,886)
  • Take-home: $97,564 to $100,207
  • About $102 more a fortnight

Frequently asked questions

How much does a NSW graduate teacher take home a fortnight?
About $2,794 a fortnight on $92,882, after income tax and Medicare in 2026-27. With a HECS-HELP debt it falls to about $2,659.
What is $133,422 after tax in NSW?
About $100,207 a year, or $3,854 a fortnight, in 2026-27 with no HELP debt. Tax is $30,547 and Medicare $2,668. State income tax does not exist, so the figure is the same in every state.
Is super included in a NSW teacher's salary?
No. The 12% Superannuation Guarantee is paid on top of your salary to Aware Super (or your chosen fund). At Step 7 that is $16,011 a year.
What tax bracket are NSW teachers in?
Every classroom step from Step 1 to Step 7 sits in the 30% bracket ($45,001 to $135,000), a 32% marginal rate with Medicare. HA/Lead, Head Teacher and higher roles cross into the 37% bracket.
Does a part-time NSW teacher pay less tax?
Yes, because tax is on what you earn. A 0.6 FTE teacher on Step 5 earns about $69,583 and takes home about $56,796 a year. Try the part-time teacher pay calculator.
When does the October 2026 rise show in my take-home pay?
From the first full pay period on or after 9 October 2026, so your first fortnight at the new rate may start partway through October. If it reaches you late, the arrears arrive as back pay and are taxed as normal salary; see tax on teacher back pay.
Can NSW teachers salary package?
Public school teachers can salary sacrifice into super (up to 100% of salary under the award). Wider packaging benefits depend on the employer; see our teacher salary packaging guide.

Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026

  1. 1.Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024 (IRC Gazette C9868)
  2. 2.IRC NSW award 264 version history
  3. 3.Teach.NSW: Salary of a teacher (updated 12 Oct 2026)
  4. 4.NSW DoE: Teacher subsidies, allowances and bonuses (updated 28 Sep 2026)
  5. 5.NSW DoE: Awards and determinations
  6. 6.NSW DoE: Superannuation
  7. 7.NESA: Teacher accreditation annual fee
  8. 8.NSW and ACT Catholic Systemic Schools Enterprise Agreement 2025

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.