On this page (9 sections)
The short answer
A teacher in a South Australian government school earns $84,971 a year at Step 1 and $123,236 at Step 9, the top of the classroom scale, from 8 May 2026. Certified Highly Accomplished Teachers earn $133,736 and Lead Teachers $141,365. No further rise is scheduled until a new agreement replaces the 2024 one.
SA public school pay is set by the South Australian School and Preschool Education Staff Enterprise Agreement 2024, approved by the SA Employment Tribunal (case ET-24-00640) and in force from 25 March 2024. It delivered 4% in May 2023 (back-paid) and 3% in each of May 2024, May 2025 and May 2026. The May 2026 rise, paid from 8 May, was the last one in the deal.
The table below shows every step for the previous and current pay columns. There is no future column yet because nothing has been agreed beyond May 2026. This page explains how you move up, what Step 9 involves, and where SA sits against other states.
SA teacher pay scale from 8 May 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: South Australian School and Preschool Education Staff Enterprise Agreement 2024.
SA teacher pay rises
Bargaining status: EA 2024 nominally expires about March 2027; final 3% paid May 2026; AEU EA27 campaign under way, no offer yet
Leadership and other roles in SA
Your SA take-home pay
⚙Your details
Salary
Show results
Take-home pay fortnightly
$2,587
Gross pay
$3,268
Income tax
$616
After the low income tax offset
Medicare levy
$65
Employer super
$392
12.0% paid on top
Where each dollar goes
- Take-home$67,260 (79%)
- Income tax$16,011 (19%)
- Medicare levy$1,699 (2%)
- HECS-HELP$0 (0%)
- Salary sacrifice & packaging$0 (0%)
What your payslip should show
PAYG withheld each fortnight should be about $682 (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: South Australian School and Preschool Education Staff Enterprise Agreement 2024, verified 16 October 2026.
How the SA teacher scale works
The classroom scale has nine steps. Steps 1 to 8 are annual increments: you move up one step after each year of service. Step 9 is different. It is the top of the classroom scale, but you have to apply for it. Above Step 9 sit three salary classifications: AST2 (a legacy rate now used as the Key Teacher Fallback salary), Highly Accomplished Teacher and Lead Teacher.
The Department for Education presents Step 1 as the entry rate for a registered teacher. The rules for placing graduates by qualification sit in the Teachers Award, which we haven't verified, so treat $84,971 as the usual starting point rather than a guarantee. People teaching before they are registered, on a Special Authority, are paid $74,083.
What sits above Step 9
- Highly Accomplished Teacher, $133,736 and Lead Teacher, $141,365. Both need national HALT certification (cl. 6.8). In SA these are salary levels, not allowances. See SA HALT pay.
- Band B leaders, $128,390 (B-0) to $172,842 (B-6): coordinators, senior leaders, assistant principals and deputy principals. See coordinator and senior leader pay and deputy principal pay.
- Band A principals and preschool directors, $146,492 (A-1) to $222,484 (A-9). See SA principal pay.
What changes next
Nothing is scheduled. The 2024 agreement nominally runs for 36 months from 25 March 2024, which by our calculation means late March 2027, and it keeps applying until it is replaced. The AEU SA's EA27 campaign is building towards formal bargaining, and no government offer had been made as at 16 October 2026. Until a new deal is made, the 8 May 2026 rates stay in place. The SA pay rise page tracks the campaign.
How SA compares nationally
SA's starting salary is near the bottom of the national table. Step 1 at $84,971 is below Tasmania ($85,313), WA ($88,178), Queensland ($90,164), the ACT ($91,396), NSW ($92,882) and the NT ($96,180). Only Victoria's current rate is lower, and Victoria has a new agreement waiting for approval. At the top, Step 9 ($123,236) is mid-table, ahead of Victoria's current rate and the Tasmanian and Queensland classroom tops but well behind NSW ($133,422) and the NT ($136,997). The pay rises have stopped while other states keep going, so the gap will grow until EA27 lands. See which state pays teachers the most, NSW vs SA and SA vs NT.
How to check your step
- 1
Find your classification on your payslip
It shows your step (1 to 9), or AST2, HAT, LT, a Band B or Band A level. Ask your school's business manager if it isn't clear.
- 2
Check your increment date
Steps 1 to 8 move up each year. If you have been on the same step for more than a year, raise it with payroll and the AEU SA.
- 3
Diary your Step 9 application
If you are on Step 8, count your duty days. You can apply from a month before you reach 207.
- 4
Use the 8 May 2026 column
Those are the current rates. Our pay scale explorer shows your step over time.
Free calculator
Teacher take-home pay calculator
Turn any SA step into fortnightly take-home pay, with HECS-HELP, country zone allowance and salary sacrifice.
Open the calculatorFrequently asked questions
How much do teachers earn in South Australia in 2026?
When is the next SA teacher pay rise?
How do I get to Step 9 in SA?
How long does it take to reach the top of the SA scale?
Are SA teachers paid less than other states?
What is AST2 in SA?
Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026
- 1.SAET: South Australian School and Preschool Education Staff Enterprise Agreement 2024 (ET-24-00640)
- 2.SA DfE: School teachers pay rates, effective 08/05/2026 (PDF)
- 3.SA DfE: Pay rates, forms for new employees and enterprise agreements
- 4.TRB SA: Payment of registration fees
- 5.AEU SA: EA27 campaign next phase (Oct 2026)
- 6.IEU SA: Same Work, Different Pay (Mar 2026)
- 7.IEU SA: Catholic EB24 – more than just numbers (Aug 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.