On this page (6 sections)
The short answer
Tasmania does not pay a separate HALT salary in its DECYP scales. The senior classroom classification is Advanced Skills Teacher (Band 2 Level 3), paid $129,640 from March 2026, which is $7,247 above the top of Band 1. It rises 3% in March 2027, to about $133,529 on our calculation.
In most states, Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) certification moves you onto a higher pay step. In Tasmania, the published scales show no HALT step. The role that sits above Level 13 for classroom teachers is Advanced Skills Teacher (AST), a Band 2 classification.
Be careful with comparisons that treat AST and HALT as the same thing. AST is a classification in Tasmania's pay structure; HALT is a national certification. We could not confirm from the agreement how AST positions are filled, or whether HALT certification changes your pay in Tasmania, so check with DECYP or the AEU.
Advanced Skills Teacher pay in Tasmania
Tasmania has no separate HALT pay step in the DECYP scales. The senior classroom classification is Advanced Skills Teacher (Band 2 Level 3), $129,640 from March 2026. Effective 1 March 2026.
What an Advanced Skills Teacher earns
The March 2026 rate includes a $400 base adjustment added before the 3% rise.
AST compared with the top of Band 1
Level 13 vs Advanced Skills Teacher, 2026-27
- Band 1 Level 13 salary
- $122,393
- Level 13 take-home
- $92,707 ($3,566 a fortnight)
- AST salary
- $129,640
- AST take-home
- $97,635 ($3,755 a fortnight)
No HELP debt. The gross difference is $7,247.
Because both salaries sit in the 30% tax bracket, about 68 cents of each extra dollar reaches your pay. The next step up, Assistant Principal at $143,334, is $13,694 above AST.
How Tasmania compares with HALT pay elsewhere
Other states pay HALT-certified teachers well above Tasmania's AST rate. In NSW, Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers earn $141,997 from October 2026. In the ACT, HALT certification earns an extra increment, or $7,495 a year at the top of the scale. Tasmania's AST at $129,640 is closer to the top of the classroom scale in NSW ($133,422) than to NSW HALT pay. See NSW vs Tasmania.
Should you pursue HALT certification in Tasmania?
＋ Pros
- HALT is a national certification, so it travels with you if you move to NSW, the ACT or another state that pays for it.
- The evidence you gather (impact data, observations, leadership of colleagues) also supports applications for AST and leadership roles.
− Cons
- We found no HALT pay step in the Tasmanian scales, so certification on its own may not lift your Tasmanian salary.
- The process takes many months of evidence collection on top of a full teaching load.
Read the national HALT guide and the HALT application process, or use the AI HALT evidence planner to map your evidence.
Free calculator
Promotion pay calculator
See what moving from Level 13 to AST or Assistant Principal adds to your take-home.
Compare rolesFrequently asked questions
Is there a HALT salary in Tasmania?
How much does an Advanced Skills Teacher earn in Tasmania?
Is Advanced Skills Teacher the same as HALT?
How much more does an AST earn than a Level 13 teacher?
Did Advanced Skills Teachers get extra in the 2025 agreement?
Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026
- 1.DECYP Salary Scales as at 27 August 2026 (v1.15)
- 2.DECYP Salary Scales as at 9 January 2026 (archived)
- 3.DECYP: Teaching salaries, benefits and incentives
- 4.[2026] TASIC 40: Filing of the Teachers Agreement 2025
- 5.Pulse Tasmania: Teachers vote up new three-year deal
- 6.TRB Tasmania: Fees and payments
- 7.Long Service Leave (State Employees) Act 1994
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.