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NSW · Highly Accomplished / Lead Teacher

NSW Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher salary 2026

NSW HA/Lead teachers earn $141,997 from 9 Oct 2026, $8,575 above Step 7. Who qualifies, what it's worth after tax, and how it compares with Head Teacher pay.

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

Salary

$141,997

Take-home / fortnight

$4,060

Effective

October 2026

On this page (6 sections)
  1. Highly Accomplished / Lead Teacher pay in NSW
  2. Who gets the HA/Lead rate
  3. What HA/Lead is worth after tax
  4. HA/Lead or Head Teacher?
  5. Salary sacrifice at the HA/Lead rate
  6. FAQs

The short answer

NSW public school teachers with Highly Accomplished or Lead accreditation are paid $141,997 a year from the first full pay period on or after 9 October 2026. That is $8,575 more than Step 7 ($133,422). You need HA or Lead accreditation from NESA plus at least a year at Step 7 to be paid the rate.

NSW has one combined HA/Lead classroom rate. Highly Accomplished and Lead teachers are paid the same, and the rate sits on the classroom scale above Step 7 rather than in a separate leadership structure. It is the only way to earn more while staying a full-time classroom teacher.

Highly Accomplished / Lead Teacher pay in New South Wales

Annual salaryTake-home / yearTake-home / fortnight
HA/Lead (Schedule 1A)$141,997$105,548$4,060

Classroom teachers with HA or Lead accreditation and at least a year at Step 7 are paid $141,997, $8,575 above Step 7. Effective 9 October 2026.

Who gets the HA/Lead rate

  • Highly Accomplished or Lead accreditation, granted through NESA's voluntary higher-level accreditation.
  • At least one year at Step 7, unless you were already HA or Lead accredited when you were appointed (award cl 3.5).
  • Accreditation kept current: pay at the HA/Lead rate depends on maintaining it (cl 3.11).

Moving from Step 7 to HA/Lead is not time-based. You can sit at Step 7 indefinitely without it. Read what Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher means and the application process.

What HA/Lead is worth after tax

Worked example

Step 7 to HA/Lead

Step 7 take-home
$100,207
HA/Lead gross
$141,997
Income tax and Medicare
$36,449
HA/Lead take-home
$105,548
Gain after tax $5,341 a year (about $205 a fortnight)

HA/Lead crosses $135,000, where the marginal rate rises to 39% including Medicare. Employer super rises by $1,029 to $17,040. 2026-27 rates, no HELP debt.

HA/Lead or Head Teacher?

Gross rates from 9 October 2026; take-home for 2026-27 with no HELP debt.

HA/Lead, $141,997

  • Stays a classroom role
  • No extra management load
  • Needs NESA HA or Lead accreditation
  • Take-home $105,548

Head Teacher / Assistant Principal, $153,531

  • Promotion by merit selection
  • Lower teaching load (22 periods in high school) but staff to lead
  • No HA/Lead accreditation needed
  • Take-home $112,584

The Head Teacher rate is $11,534 higher than HA/Lead before tax and about $7,036 higher after it. Whether that is worth the extra responsibility is personal; our promotion pay calculator puts the numbers side by side.

Salary sacrifice at the HA/Lead rate

Because HA/Lead sits just over the 37% threshold, a sacrifice into super brings your taxable income back under $135,000. Sacrificing $10,000 cuts take-home from $105,548 to $99,238, a cost of $6,310 for $8,500 added to super after the 15% contributions tax. Employer super of $17,040 plus $10,000 stays under the $32,500 cap.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does a Highly Accomplished teacher earn in NSW?
$141,997 a year from the first full pay period on or after 9 October 2026. Lead teachers are paid the same rate.
Is HA/Lead pay automatic in NSW?
No. You need Highly Accomplished or Lead accreditation plus at least a year at Step 7. Time served alone does not get you past Step 7.
How much more is HA/Lead than Step 7?
$8,575 a year before tax ($141,997 against $133,422). After tax the gain is about $5,341 a year because HA/Lead crosses into the 37% bracket.
Do Lead teachers earn more than Highly Accomplished teachers in NSW?
No. The NSW award has one HA/Lead rate of $141,997 for both.
Can I lose the HA/Lead rate?
Yes. Pay at the HA/Lead rate depends on maintaining the accreditation, so let NESA requirements lapse and the rate can be affected.

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.