Teacher Payslip Checker: Is Your Pay and Back Pay Right?

In short

To check a teacher payslip, compare five things with your agreement: your step and FTE, gross pay for the fortnight, allowances, tax withheld and super. A full-time NSW Step 5 teacher on $115,972 (from 9 October 2026) should see about $4,460 gross a fortnight, about $1,064 PAYG withheld and about $535 super. The checker does this line by line and drafts an email to payroll if something's off.

How to use the ai payslip & back pay checker

1

Pick your state and employer

Choose your state and whether you're in a government, Catholic or independent school, so the checker uses the right pay scale, pay-rise dates and super rate.
2

Enter your payslip lines

Type in the lines from one payslip: pay period, step or classification, FTE, ordinary pay, any allowances, back pay, tax withheld, HELP and super. Leave out your tax file number, bank details and employee ID.
3

Read the line-by-line check

Each line is marked as matching, worth a closer look or likely wrong, with the figure we expected and where it comes from: the scale, the date of the rise, the ATO withholding tables or the super rate.
4

Send the draft email to payroll

If something looks wrong, the checker drafts a short, polite email to your payroll team setting out the line, the amount you expected and why. You check it, edit it and send it yourself.

What the payslip checker checks

Most payslip errors aren't dramatic. A step that didn't move on your anniversary, a pay rise that started a fortnight late, an allowance still at last year's rate or super paid on the wrong amount. Each is easy to miss and can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars before anyone notices. The checker runs the same checks a careful payroll officer would, against the figures in your state's agreement.

What the checker compares, line by line

Payslip line	What we check it against	Typical problem
Step / classification	Your state's pay scale and progression rules	Step not moved on your anniversary or after accreditation
Base pay (ordinary salary)	Annual rate × FTE, converted with your state's fortnightly formula	Old rate still being paid after a rise
FTE	The fraction you agreed	Wrong FTE after parental leave or a change of days
Allowances	Current allowance rates in your agreement	Allowance missing, or not increased with a pay rise
Back pay	Rate change dates and the days covered	Back pay short, missing a period or missing an allowance
Tax withheld (PAYG)	ATO 2026–27 withholding for your fortnightly pay	Tax-free threshold claimed with two employers; HELP missing
HELP	ATO repayment rates, if you told payroll you have a debt	Still withheld after a debt is repaid, or never set up
Super	Your employer's rate: 12% in most states, 12.75% for QLD state schools, 12.5% in ACT public schools	Super paid on the old rate or not paid on back pay

The checker gives general information based on published scales and ATO rates. Payroll holds your full record and makes the final call.

Worked example: checking a NSW Step 5 fortnight

NSW's final 3% rise under the 2024 award applied from the first full pay period on or after 9 October 2026. Step 5 went from $112,594 to $115,972. Here's what a full-time Step 5 teacher's first payslip at the new rate should roughly look like, and what the checker would flag if it didn't.

Worked example

NSW Step 5, full-time, new rate from October 2026 (no HELP, no salary sacrifice)

Annual salary (Step 5, from 9 Oct 2026): $115,972
Gross pay for the fortnight ($115,972 ÷ 26): About $4,460.46
PAYG withheld (ATO 2026–27 tables, tax-free threshold claimed): About $1,064
Net pay before union fees or other deductions: About $3,396
Employer super at 12% (paid to your fund, on top): About $535
Old fortnightly gross at $112,594: About $4,330.54

What the rise should add About $130 gross a fortnight

PAYG from our 2026–27 tax engine. NSW's exact annual-to-fortnight formula isn't published in the award; dividing by 26 is a close check, within a few dollars. With a HELP debt, expect roughly $268 a fortnight more withheld.

If the payslip still shows about $4,330 gross after the rise should have started, the checker marks base pay as likely wrong and works out the shortfall per fortnight. If gross is right but tax is far above $1,064, it looks for the usual causes: a back pay line in the same pay, a HELP debt, or a missing tax-free threshold claim. See the NSW payslip explained for every NSW line.

The most common teacher payslip errors

Errors the checker looks for

Pay rise not applied from the first full pay period on or after the start date
Step not moved after 12 months' service, Proficient accreditation or HALT certification
FTE still wrong after returning from leave or changing days
Allowance (rural, locality, higher duties, Year Adviser) missing or at an old rate
Back pay short because a step change during the back pay period was ignored
Super calculated on the old salary or left off back pay
HELP withheld after the debt was repaid, or not withheld when you owe it
Leave without pay deducted twice, or leave paid at the wrong rate

Free calculator

Just want a back pay estimate?

The free back pay calculator estimates what you're owed by state, step and dates. Use the checker when the payslip arrives to see whether it matches.

Estimate my back pay

Privacy: what not to paste

You only need the numbers. Don't enter your tax file number, bank account details, employee or payroll ID, home address or date of birth, and if you upload or paste a payslip, cover or delete those fields first. The checker doesn't need them to check your pay, and the draft email leaves a placeholder for anything payroll needs to identify you.

Free check and full access

Your first payslip check is free. Full access is a one-off A$14.99 for 12 months of unlimited checks, so you can check every payslip through VGSA back pay, QLD arbitration or your next step, plus draft emails to payroll. It's general information, not financial or legal advice, and it can't see your full payroll history. If a draft email doesn't resolve things, your union can help.

New to payslips? Start with how to read your teacher payslip. If back pay is late or short, read what to do if your back pay is wrong or missing, and if payroll says you've been overpaid, read what happens with a teacher overpayment.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check my teacher payslip is correct?

Check your step and FTE first, then work out your expected fortnightly gross from your state's pay scale, then check allowances, tax withheld and super. The checker does all five against your agreement and shows the expected figure for each line.

How much tax should be taken out of a teacher's fortnightly pay?

It depends on your gross pay. For 2026–27 a full-time NSW Step 5 teacher earning about $4,460 a fortnight has about $1,064 withheld, a graduate on $92,882 about $780, if they claim the tax-free threshold and have no HELP debt.

Can the payslip checker check my back pay?

Yes. Enter the back pay line and the period it covers, and the checker works out what the rate change should have produced for your step and FTE, including any step change in the period. It flags a gap and explains it.

Does the checker contact payroll for me?

No. It drafts an email you can edit and send yourself. Nothing is sent on your behalf, and you choose what to include.

Do I need to enter my tax file number or bank details?

No, and you shouldn't. The checker only needs the pay figures. Remove your TFN, bank account, employee ID and address before pasting or uploading anything.

Does it work for Catholic and independent school teachers?

It works best where your agreement's scale is in our data: government schools in every state and the main Catholic systems. For an independent school with its own agreement, enter your annual rate and it checks the rest of the payslip against that.

How much does the payslip checker cost?

Your first check is free. After that it's a one-off A$14.99 for 12 months of unlimited checks. There's no subscription.

What if the checker says my pay is wrong but payroll disagrees?

Ask payroll to explain the calculation in writing, with the rate, step and dates they used. If you still think it's wrong, contact your union. The checker can be wrong too: it doesn't see your full employment record.

Guides that go with this tool

Payslips

How to read your teacher payslip: a state-by-state guide

Where to find your payslip in each state, what every line means and a five-minute check you can do every pay.

Back pay

Teacher back pay wrong or missing: how to check it and get it fixed

How to check teacher back pay, calculate what you're owed and get payroll to fix a missing or short payment.