SA teacher pay rise 2026 and the EA27 campaign

All the rises in the South Australian School and Preschool Education Staff Enterprise Agreement 2024 have now been paid. What happens next depends on the successor agreement, which the AEU SA calls EA27. In October 2026 the union was collecting petition signatures to deliver to Education Minister Lucy Hood before formal bargaining starts.

Where SA teacher pay stands right now

EA 2024 nominally expires about March 2027; final 3% paid May 2026; AEU EA27 campaign under way, no offer yet

1. 7 October 2026

   AEU SA launches the next phase of its EA27 campaign

   After a year of building claims, the AEU SA is collecting petition signatures to deliver to Education Minister Lucy Hood before formal bargaining for the 2027 agreement.

2. 23 September 2026

   Catholic school staff take protected industrial action

   IEU members in SA Catholic schools wore union shirts, imposed bans and stopped work, including at Rostrevor College.

3. 7 August 2026

   IEU SA: Catholic offer of 3% a year vs 6% claim

   CESA offered 3% a year. The IEU says SA Catholic teachers are the lowest paid in Australia.

4. 8 May 2026

   Final 3% rise under SA school EA 2024

   Teacher Step 1 rose to $84,971 and Step 9 to $123,236. DfE published new web rates effective 8 May 2026.

SA teacher pay rise timeline

Old, current and upcoming rates

What the 2024 agreement paid

• May 2023: 4% for teachers, back-paid once the agreement was approved in March 2024. Step 1 went from $74,769 to $77,760. Leaders got 5%.
• May 2024: 3% for teachers, 4% for leaders.
• May 2025: 3% for teachers, 4% for leaders. Step 1 reached $82,496.
• 8 May 2026: 3% for teachers and leaders, the final rise. Step 1 reached $84,971.
• Also in the deal: face-to-face teaching time cut by 60 minutes a week, phased by school disadvantage category from 2024 to 2029 (Category 3 schools in 2026), and Step 9 by application.

What the May 2026 rise was worth

The EA27 campaign

The AEU SA spent much of 2026 building members' claims for the next agreement. In October 2026 it said the next phase of the EA27 campaign was the most important yet, and launched a petition to Minister Hood ahead of formal bargaining. We haven't seen a published pay claim or a government offer. The current agreement's nominal life of 36 months ends around late March 2027 by our calculation, but it keeps applying until a new one is approved.

Back pay: what to expect

No back pay is owed now, because every rise in the 2024 deal has been paid on time. If EA27 is agreed after the date its first rise is meant to start, any back pay depends on what the new agreement says. Last time, the May 2023 rise of 4% was back-paid when the agreement was approved in March 2024, so there is precedent. Back pay is taxed as part of your income in the year you receive it. See tax on teacher back pay and the back pay calculator.

What to watch

• The AEU SA petition delivery and the start of formal bargaining with the Department for Education.
• The government's first offer: the percentage, the timing of the first rise, and whether it is back-dated.
• The Catholic dispute: CESA has offered 3% a year against the IEU's 6% claim, and staff took protected action in September 2026. See SA Catholic pay.
• Country zone allowances, which stay at 2026 rates until EA 2024 is replaced.