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SA · Catholic school teacher

Catholic school teacher pay in South Australia

IEU SA says Catholic teachers in SA start on $82,659 and top out at $116,160, below government rates. The 3% vs 6% dispute and September 2026 action.

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

From

$82,659

Up to

$116,160

Take-home / fortnight

$2,526

Effective

March 2026

On this page (6 sections)
  1. Catholic school teacher pay in SA
  2. Catholic vs government pay in SA
  3. The 2026 dispute
  4. Choosing between Catholic and government schools
  5. Where to check your own rate
  6. FAQs

The short answer

According to the IEU SA, teachers in South Australian Catholic schools start on $82,659 a year and reach $116,160 at the top of the automatic scale. Both are below the government rates of $84,971 (Step 1) and $117,198 (Step 8). CESA has offered 3% a year, the IEU wants 6%, and staff took industrial action in September 2026.

SA Catholic school staff are covered by a Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) agreement that is being renegotiated (the IEU calls it Catholic EB24). The figures on this page come from the IEU SA's March 2026 report, which says SA Catholic teachers are the lowest-paid Catholic teachers in Australia. We haven't verified them against the agreement itself.

Catholic school teacher pay in South Australia

Annual salaryTake-home / yearTake-home / fortnight
Catholic Education SA (CESA) agreement, under renegotiation$82,659 – $116,160$65,688$2,526

IEU SA reports that SA Catholic graduates start on $82,659 and the top of the automatic scale is $116,160. CESA has offered 3% a year; the IEU is claiming 6% a year, and members took protected industrial action in September 2026. Effective 27 March 2026.

Catholic vs government pay in SA

SA Catholic (IEU-reported) vs government rates
Point on the scaleCatholic (IEU SA, Mar 2026)Government (from 8 May 2026)Gap
Graduate / Step 1$82,659$84,971$2,312
Top of automatic scale / Step 8$116,160$117,198$1,038
Top of classroom scale / Step 9$116,160$123,236$7,076

Catholic figures are union-reported and unverified. Government Step 9 needs an application after 207 duty days at Step 8.

Worked example

What the gap means after tax

Catholic graduate ($82,659) take-home
$65,688 ($2,526 a fortnight)
Government Step 1 ($84,971) take-home
$67,260 ($2,587 a fortnight)
Difference about $1,572 a year

2026–27 tax rates, no HECS-HELP.

The 2026 dispute

  • The claim: the IEU SA is seeking 6% back-dated to May 2025, then 6% in May 2026 and 6% in May 2027.
  • The offer: in August 2026 the IEU reported that CESA had offered 3% a year (9.27% compounded over three years). Under the offer, the top of the scale would reach $123,234 from May 2026, roughly level with government Step 9.
  • Conciliation: the IEU sought conciliation in May 2026.
  • Industrial action: from September 2026 members wore union shirts, imposed bans and stopped work, including at Rostrevor College on 23 September.
  • Status: no new agreement had been reached as at 16 October 2026.

Choosing between Catholic and government schools

On base pay, government schools currently pay more at every point we can compare, and they offer Step 9 by application. Pay isn't the only factor. Compare the school's workload rules, leave, salary packaging (many non-government schools are rebatable employers, so packaging can be worth more) and location. Independent and Lutheran schools have their own agreements: Lutheran Schools SA began bargaining in 2026, and St Peter's Girls' School staff won 13% in 2025. See Catholic and independent school pay and salary packaging for teachers.

Where to check your own rate

  1. 1

    Look at your payslip and contract

    They show your classification and salary point.

  2. 2

    Check the agreement

    Find the CESA agreement on the Fair Work Commission's agreements register, or ask your school's business manager for the current schedule.

  3. 3

    Ask the IEU SA

    The union publishes bargaining updates and can check your placement.

Frequently asked questions

How much do Catholic school teachers earn in SA?
The IEU SA reports that SA Catholic teachers start on $82,659 and reach $116,160 at the top of the automatic scale. These are union figures we haven't verified.
Are SA Catholic teachers paid less than government teachers?
Yes, on the IEU's figures. The graduate rate is $2,312 below government Step 1, and the automatic top is $1,038 below Step 8 and $7,076 below Step 9.
What pay rise have SA Catholic teachers been offered?
CESA offered 3% a year, according to the IEU in August 2026. The IEU is claiming 6% a year back-dated to May 2025.
Are SA Catholic teachers striking?
Yes. IEU members took protected industrial action from September 2026, including bans and a stop-work at Rostrevor College on 23 September.
Will SA Catholic teachers get back pay?
That depends on the final agreement. The IEU's claim includes a rise back-dated to May 2025, but no deal had been reached as at 16 October 2026.
Who represents Catholic school teachers in SA?
The Independent Education Union SA Branch (IEU SA) represents teachers in Catholic, Lutheran and independent schools in South Australia.

Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026

  1. 1.SAET: South Australian School and Preschool Education Staff Enterprise Agreement 2024 (ET-24-00640)
  2. 2.SA DfE: School teachers pay rates, effective 08/05/2026 (PDF)
  3. 3.SA DfE: Pay rates, forms for new employees and enterprise agreements
  4. 4.TRB SA: Payment of registration fees
  5. 5.AEU SA: EA27 campaign next phase (Oct 2026)
  6. 6.IEU SA: Same Work, Different Pay (Mar 2026)
  7. 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.