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QLD take-home pay · 2026–27

Queensland teacher salary after tax in 2026-27

A Queensland graduate teacher on $90,164 takes home about $2,723 a fortnight in 2026-27. Net pay at every step, with HECS-HELP, super and salary sacrifice.

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

Graduate / fortnight

$2,723

Top step / fortnight

$3,486

Graduate / year

$70,792

Top step / year

$90,643

On this page (7 sections)
  1. Take-home at every step
  2. Worked examples: three Queensland teachers
  3. HECS-HELP: the biggest difference for early-career teachers
  4. Super on top of your salary
  5. Salary sacrifice: what $10,000 into super does
  6. Part-time and the September 2026 back pay
  7. FAQs

The short answer

On the 2026-27 tax rates, a Queensland graduate teacher on $90,164 takes home about $70,792 a year, or $2,723 a fortnight, after income tax and Medicare. At the top of the classroom scale ($119,357) take-home is about $90,643 a year ($3,486 a fortnight). HECS-HELP repayments reduce these figures.

These figures use the 2026-27 income tax brackets, the Low Income Tax Offset and the 2% Medicare levy, applied to the Department of Education's salary rates from September 2026. The after-tax table below shows every step. Below that we work through the cases that change your number most: HECS-HELP, salary sacrifice, part-time load and the September back pay.

QLD teacher salary after tax, every step

Queensland teacher take-home pay, 2026–27 tax year, pay rates from 1 September 2026
StepSalaryTax + MedicareTake-home / yearTake-home / fortnightWith HECS / fortnightPAYG / fortnight
B2101 Band 1 Step 1 (Permission to Teach / intern)$80,615$16,317$64,298$2,473$2,409$630
B2102 Band 1 Step 2 (Permission to Teach / intern)$83,302$17,177$66,125$2,543$2,464$662
B0201/B2201 Band 2 Step 1 (graduate, 4-year trained)$90,164$19,372$70,792$2,723$2,604$746
B0202/B2202 Band 2 Step 2$94,599$20,792$73,807$2,839$2,694$802
B0203/B2203 Band 2 Step 3$99,216$22,269$76,947$2,959$2,788$858
B0204/B2204 Band 2 Step 4$103,782$23,730$80,052$3,079$2,881$914
B0301/B2301 Band 3 Step 1$107,643$24,966$82,677$3,180$2,960$962
B0302/B2302 Band 3 Step 2$111,478$26,193$85,285$3,280$3,038$1,008
B0303/B2303 Band 3 Step 3$115,261$27,404$87,857$3,379$3,115$1,056
B0304/B2304 Band 3 Step 4 (top of incremental scale)$119,357$28,714$90,643$3,486$3,199$1,106
A0304/A2304 Senior Teacher$124,601$30,392$94,209$3,623$3,306$1,170
ES401 Experienced Senior Teacher Step 1$127,549$31,336$96,213$3,701$3,366$1,206
ES402 Experienced Senior Teacher Step 2$127,549$31,336$96,213$3,701$3,366$1,206
LN101 Coach$131,519$32,606$98,913$3,804$3,445$1,256
A0501/A2501 Highly Accomplished Teacher$134,694$33,622$101,072$3,887$3,508$1,294
A0601/A2601 Lead Teacher$147,050$38,420$108,631$4,178$3,718$1,478

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: three Queensland teachers

Worked example

Graduate, Band 2 Step 1, no HECS

Salary (from 1 Sep 2026)
$90,164
Income tax after LITO
$17,569
Medicare levy (2%)
$1,803
PAYG withheld per fortnight
about $746
Take-home $70,792 a year / $2,723 a fortnight

Marginal rate 32% (30% tax plus 2% Medicare). Employer super is extra.

Worked example

Top of classroom scale, Band 3 Step 4

Salary
$119,357
Income tax after LITO
$26,327
Medicare levy
$2,387
PAYG withheld per fortnight
about $1,106
Take-home $90,643 a year / $3,486 a fortnight
Worked example

Lead Teacher, A2601

Salary (from 7 Sep 2026)
$147,050
Income tax after LITO
$35,479
Medicare levy
$2,941
Take-home $108,631 a year / $4,178 a fortnight

Above $135,000 the marginal rate rises to 39%, so each extra dollar of a Lead Teacher's pay keeps 61 cents.

HECS-HELP: the biggest difference for early-career teachers

Your HELP repayment is worked out on your whole repayment income, not just the part above a threshold, at 15% of income above $69,528 up to $129,717. Most Queensland graduates are well into the repayment range from their first payslip.

Worked example

Graduate on $90,164 with a HELP debt

Tax and Medicare
$19,372
HELP repayment
$3,095
Take-home $67,696 a year / $2,604 a fortnight

That's about $119 a fortnight less than a graduate without a HELP debt. At Band 3 Step 4 ($119,357) a HELP debt reduces take-home to about $83,168 a year. See HECS-HELP for teachers.

Super on top of your salary

Queensland state school teachers get employer super of 12.75% into Australian Retirement Trust (the QSuper product) by default, according to the QTU's guide to the 2022 agreement; that's above the 12% Super Guarantee. On a graduate salary that is about $11,496 a year on top of your $90,164. Super isn't part of your take-home pay. More on teacher super in Queensland.

Salary sacrifice: what $10,000 into super does

Worked example

Band 3 Step 4 sacrificing $10,000 a year into super

Salary
$119,357
Taxable income after sacrifice
$109,357
Tax and Medicare
$25,514 (was $28,714)
Take-home
$83,843 (was $90,643)
Cost to your pay for $10,000 in super $6,800

Your fund then deducts 15% contributions tax ($1,500). Check your total concessional contributions, including employer super, stay under the $32,500 cap.

Free calculator

Test salary sacrifice and packaging

See what sacrificing to super or packaging other costs does to your Queensland fortnightly pay.

Open the calculator

Part-time and the September 2026 back pay

A Band 3 Step 4 teacher on 0.6 load earns $71,614 and takes home about $58,178 a year ($2,238 a fortnight). The award back pay to 1 September 2026, processed in the fortnight ending 18 October 2026, is taxed as ordinary income in 2026-27, so it may look heavily taxed on the payslip but it all comes out at your marginal rate when you lodge your return. For a graduate, the roughly $551 of back pay for seven weeks costs about $177 in extra tax, leaving about $374. See tax on teacher back pay.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Queensland graduate teacher take home a fortnight?
About $2,723 a fortnight on $90,164 in 2026-27, with no HELP debt. With a HELP debt it's about $2,604.
What is $119,357 after tax in Australia?
About $90,643 a year, or $3,486 a fortnight, in 2026-27 after income tax of $26,327 and Medicare of $2,387. That's the top of the Queensland classroom scale.
What tax bracket are Queensland teachers in?
Most are in the 30% bracket ($45,001-$135,000), so 32% with Medicare. Lead Teachers, Heads of Department and principals earn above $135,000 and pay 37% (39% with Medicare) on the part above it.
Do Queensland teachers get more than 12% super?
Yes. The employer rate is 12.75% into Australian Retirement Trust (QSuper) by default, based on the QTU's guide to the 2022 agreement.
Is teacher back pay taxed more?
No. Back pay is taxed at your normal marginal rate when you lodge your return. The withholding on the payslip can look high, but any excess comes back at tax time.
Does salary sacrificing to super reduce HECS repayments?
No. Salary-sacrificed super is added back to your repayment income, so your HELP repayment stays the same.

Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026

  1. 1.DoE Salary Schedule (xls, updated 1 Sep 2026)
  2. 2.QTU Updated Salary Schedule flyer (1 Oct 2026)
  3. 3.QTU: Salaries under CA2022
  4. 4.QTU: EB referred to arbitration (QTJ Vol 131 No 1)
  5. 5.QTU: Pathway to arbitration and QTU submissions (QTJ Vol 131 No 4)
  6. 6.Teach Queensland: Pay and benefits
  7. 7.Teach Queensland: Beginning teacher incentives and support
  8. 8.QIRC: CA2022 certificate CB/2022/135

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.