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VIC · Learning Specialist / Leading Teacher

Learning Specialist and Leading Teacher salary in Victoria (2026)

Victoria's Learning Specialists and Leading Teachers earn $123,966 to $129,544, rising to $146,439 under VGSA 2026. How Range 3 works and what it's worth.

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

From

$123,966

Up to

$129,544

Take-home / fortnight

$3,607

Effective

July 2025

On this page (6 sections)
  1. Learning Specialist / Leading Teacher pay in VIC
  2. Range 3 pay now and under VGSA 2026
  3. What Range 3 is worth after tax
  4. Learning Specialist or Leading Teacher: which is which?
  5. How you get a Range 3 role
  6. FAQs

The short answer

Learning Specialists and Leading Teachers in Victorian government schools share the same pay: Range 3, $123,966 (3-1) to $129,544 (3-2) under the VGSA 2022. Once VGSA 2026 is approved, Range 3 rises to $140,140 to $146,439 from 1 October 2026, and to $159,002 to $166,150 by November 2029.

Victoria doesn't have 'head teachers' or HALT pay steps like NSW. Its middle-leadership roles are Learning Specialist (an expert classroom teacher who leads teaching practice) and Leading Teacher (a school leadership role, often running a program, team or area). Both sit on Range 3, a two-step range above the top of the classroom scale.

Learning Specialist / Leading Teacher pay in Victoria

Annual salaryTake-home / yearTake-home / fortnight
Range 3, subdivisions 3-1 and 3-2 (identical pay for both roles)$123,966 – $129,544$93,777$3,607

Learning Specialists and Leading Teachers share the same two-step Range 3: $123,966 to $129,544 now. Proposed VGSA 2026 rates are $140,140 to $146,439 from 1 Oct 2026, rising to $159,002 to $166,150 by 1 Nov 2029. Effective 1 July 2025.

Range 3 pay now and under VGSA 2026

StepToday (VGSA 2022)From 1 Oct 2026 (proposed)From 1 Nov 2029 (proposed)
3-1$123,966$140,140$159,002
3-2$129,544$146,439$166,150

Learning Specialist and Leading Teacher are paid identically. The proposed 10 Aug 2026 rates are $127,690 and $133,430.

Compared with the top of the classroom scale (2-6, $118,063 today), moving to 3-1 is worth $5,903 a year now and $6,684 on the proposed October 2026 rates. Moving to 3-2 is worth $11,481 now and $12,983 from October 2026.

What Range 3 is worth after tax

Worked example

Leading Teacher or Learning Specialist at 3-2, proposed 1 Oct 2026

Salary
$146,439
Income tax (after LITO)
$35,252
Medicare levy
$2,929
Take-home pay $108,258 a year ($4,164 a fortnight)

Compare $100,230 ($3,855 a fortnight) at 2-6 on the same date: $309 a fortnight more. Range 3 crosses the $135,000 threshold, so part of it is taxed at 37% plus Medicare.

On today's rates, 3-2 takes home $97,570 ($3,753 a fortnight) against $89,763 ($3,452) at 2-6: about $301 a fortnight more.

Learning Specialist or Leading Teacher: which is which?

Exact duties are set by each school's position description.

Learning Specialist

  • Expert teacher who stays largely in the classroom
  • Models and coaches teaching practice for colleagues
  • Leads improvement in a subject or area of pedagogy
  • Range 3 pay

Leading Teacher

  • Leadership role with whole-school or team responsibility
  • Often leads a curriculum area, year level, wellbeing or a program
  • More administration, less face-to-face teaching
  • Range 3 pay

How you get a Range 3 role

  1. 1

    Reach Range 2

    Most applicants are experienced Range 2 teachers, often at or near 2-6.

  2. 2

    Watch School Jobs Vic

    Learning Specialist and Leading Teacher positions are advertised and filled by merit selection.

  3. 3

    Address the key selection criteria

    Write to the position's criteria with specific evidence. Our guide to key selection criteria for Victorian teachers shows how.

  4. 4

    Interview

    Expect questions about leading adult learning and using data. Practise with the AI teacher interview coach.

From May 2027, VGSA 2026 pays a 1% top-of-range allowance each year to staff who've held 3-2 for 12 months with a successful performance outcome. Read more on Learning Specialist and Leading Teacher roles in Victoria and whether promotion is worth it.

Free calculator

Promotion pay calculator

Compare your take-home at 2-6 with 3-1 or 3-2, now and on the VGSA 2026 rates.

Open the calculator

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Leading Teacher earn in Victoria?
$123,966 to $129,544 under the VGSA 2022 rates still paid today. Once VGSA 2026 is approved, it's $140,140 to $146,439 from 1 October 2026, back-paid.
Do Learning Specialists and Leading Teachers earn the same?
Yes. Both are paid on Range 3 with the same two steps, 3-1 and 3-2. The difference is the role, not the pay.
Does Victoria pay a HALT allowance?
No. Victorian government schools don't have a separate HALT pay step. Senior classroom pay comes through Learning Specialist and Leading Teacher positions on Range 3.
What happens when my Leading Teacher contract ends?
You return to the top of the classroom scale, 2-6 ($118,063 today, $133,456 proposed from 1 October 2026), unless you're reappointed or win another Range 3 role.
Is a Victorian Leading Teacher the same as a head teacher?
Roughly. Victoria doesn't use the NSW Head Teacher title; Leading Teachers fill similar middle-leadership roles, and are paid on Range 3.

Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026

  1. 1.Proposed Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2026 (PDF, Department of Education)
  2. 2.Proposed VGSA 2026: Agreement Explanation (PDF)
  3. 3.Proposed VGSA 2026: Approval Process and FAQs (PDF)
  4. 4.Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022 (PDF)
  5. 5.Enterprise Bargaining: Overview (Department PAL)
  6. 6.Casual Relief Teacher Employment Handbook
  7. 7.Relocation incentives: Targeted Financial Incentives and Regional Relocation Incentive
  8. 8.Workforce support and initiatives: Attraction (Department PAL)

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