On this page (9 sections)
The short answer
A government school teacher in the Northern Territory earns $96,180 a year as a graduate (CT1) and $136,997 at the top of the classroom scale (CT9), from the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2026. Another 4.3% rise in January 2027 lifts that to $100,316 and $142,888. Current NT rates are already the highest of any state or territory.
NT public school pay is set by the NT Public Sector Educators' 2024–2027 Enterprise Agreement, approved by the Fair Work Commission on 31 October 2024. It gave three 4.3% rises (13.46% compounded) on top of a rebuilt classroom scale, and it runs until 31 December 2027.
The table below shows every step for the previous, current and next pay column. This page explains how you move through it, what sits above it, and where the NT sits nationally.
NT teacher pay scale from 1 January 2026
Take-home uses 2026–27 resident tax rates with the tax-free threshold, Medicare levy 2%, no HECS-HELP and no salary sacrifice. Employer super of 12% is paid on top. Source: Northern Territory Public Sector Educators' 2024-2027 Enterprise Agreement.
NT teacher pay rises
Bargaining status: Agreement in force to 31 Dec 2027; final 4.3% rise due January 2027; no bargaining under way
Leadership and other roles in NT
Your NT take-home pay
⚙Your details
Salary
Show results
Take-home pay fortnightly
$2,880
Gross pay
$3,699
Income tax
$745
After the low income tax offset
Medicare levy
$74
Employer super
$444
12.0% paid on top
Where each dollar goes
- Take-home$74,882 (78%)
- Income tax$19,374 (20%)
- Medicare levy$1,924 (2%)
- HECS-HELP$0 (0%)
- Salary sacrifice & packaging$0 (0%)
After the next scheduled rise (1 January 2027)
CT1 becomes $100,316 full-time.
+$108 /fortnight
What your payslip should show
PAYG withheld each fortnight should be about $820 (ATO Scale 2, tax-free threshold claimed). Small differences come from rounding and 27-pay years. Your marginal rate is 32% including Medicare, so each extra $1,000 of salary adds about $680 to take-home.
Estimates for an Australian resident for 2026–27 who claims the tax-free threshold, with no other income, no dependants and private hospital cover not required. Medicare levy uses the 2025–26 low-income thresholds (2026–27 not yet published). Pay data: Northern Territory Public Sector Educators' 2024-2027 Enterprise Agreement, verified 16 October 2026.
How the NT classroom scale works
There are nine classroom steps, CT1 to CT9, plus an Authorised Person (AP) rate of $91,587 for people teaching before they are fully qualified or registered. A four-year-trained graduate starts at CT1. If you have more than 12 months of post-qualification teaching, the Salary Assessment Procedure places you by completed years of service, so one year of experience starts you at CT2.
You move up one CT level after each 12 months of service, continuous or broken (cl. 39.2). Increments are only held back through a formal inability or discipline process, so in practice CT1 to CT9 takes about eight years. Relief teaching counts too: 180 days of relief work equals one year of service (cl. 30.3).
What sits above CT9
- HALT allowances, not steps. Certified Highly Accomplished teachers get an extra $13,938 a year and Lead teachers $29,184 (2026). At CT9 that means $150,935 or $166,181. See NT HALT pay.
- Senior Teacher ST1–ST8, the NT's middle-leader jobs: $145,286 to $196,907. See Senior Teacher pay.
- Assistant Principal, paid in the Senior Teacher stream at a level set by job evaluation. See assistant principal pay.
- Principal PLO1–PLO7 (non-contract): $147,068 to $214,369. See NT principal pay.
What changes next
The last rise under this agreement is 4.3% from the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2027. CT1 goes to $100,316 and CT9 to $142,888. Compared with the scale before the deal (CT1 $84,191, CT9 $120,742), that is a 19.2% rise for graduates and 18.3% at the top in a little over two years. The agreement nominally expires on 31 December 2027 and no bargaining has started. The NT pay rise page tracks the timeline.
How the NT compares nationally
The NT currently pays the most at both ends of the classroom scale. In September 2026 even the ACT Education Minister described the ACT offer as making ACT teachers the highest paid outside the Northern Territory. Remote allowances (up to $10,319 a year single, $12,345 with dependants), free remote housing and six weeks' recreation leave add to the gap. Compare the detail in which state pays teachers the most, NSW vs NT and ACT vs NT.
How to check your step
- 1
Find your classification on your payslip
It will show CT1–CT9, AP, ST or PLO. If it doesn't, ask your school business manager or payroll.
- 2
Count your completed years of service
Include NT and interstate teaching, plus 180 relief days per year. One completed year should put you one step above CT1.
- 3
Check your increment date
Increments fall due 12 months after your last one. If yours is late, raise it with payroll and the AEU NT.
- 4
Check the right column
From January 2026 the CT figures in the current column apply. Use the pay scale explorer to see your step over time.
Free calculator
Teacher take-home pay calculator
Turn any NT step into fortnightly take-home pay, with HECS-HELP and salary sacrifice.
Open the calculatorFrequently asked questions
How much do teachers earn in the NT in 2026?
Does the NT pay teachers the most in Australia?
When is the next NT teacher pay rise?
How long does it take to reach the top of the NT scale?
What is an Authorised Person in NT schools?
Is HALT a pay step in the NT?
Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026
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.