On this page (8 sections)
The short answer
A Victorian TAFE teacher earns $84,618 to $128,887 from 1 May 2026 under the Victorian TAFE Teaching Staff Agreement 2024. That runs from Level 1.1 (still completing the Cert IV TAE) to Level 3.5, the top classroom step. Pay rises 1.5% on 1 November 2026, taking the range to $85,887 to $130,821.
- Education Managers earn $132,781 to $140,753 from 1 May 2026.
- Casual teaching delivery pays $91.42 to $98.77 an hour, including preparation and planning time.
- Your level depends on your teaching qualification, not just years of service.
- The agreement covers standalone TAFE institutes, not the TAFE divisions of dual-sector universities.
Who this pay scale covers
The Victorian TAFE Teaching Staff Agreement 2024 is a multi-enterprise agreement approved by the Fair Work Commission. It started operating on 4 July 2025 and reaches nominal expiry on 31 October 2028. It covers teachers at Victoria's standalone TAFE institutes, such as the metropolitan and regional TAFEs that are not part of a university.
Work out your take-home pay
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Take-home pay fortnightly
$2,794
Gross pay
$3,572
Income tax
$707
After the low income tax offset
Medicare levy
$71
Employer super
$429
12.0% paid on top
Where each dollar goes
- Take-home$72,640 (78%)
- Income tax$18,385 (20%)
- Medicare levy$1,858 (2%)
- HECS-HELP$0 (0%)
- Salary sacrifice & packaging$0 (0%)
After the next scheduled rise (1 November 2027)
1-1 becomes $96,598 full-time.
+$97 /fortnight
What your payslip should show
PAYG withheld each fortnight should be about $780 (ATO Scale 2, tax-free threshold claimed). Small differences come from rounding and 27-pay years. Your marginal rate is 32% including Medicare, so each extra $1,000 of salary adds about $680 to take-home.
Estimates for an Australian resident for 2026–27 who claims the tax-free threshold, with no other income, no dependants and private hospital cover not required. Medicare levy uses the 2025–26 low-income thresholds (2026–27 not yet published). Pay data: Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2026, verified 28 October 2026.
Full Victorian TAFE teacher pay scale
The table shows Schedule 1A of the agreement: the rate from 1 May 2026 (what you are paid now), the rate from 1 November 2026, and the final rate from 1 November 2027. Each rise is payable from the first pay period starting on or after the date shown.
Source: Victorian TAFE Teaching Staff Agreement 2024, Schedule 1A. Verified from the agreement PDF. Excludes employer super.
The rise schedule, and why the 21% headline is misleading
The agreement's rises are: 1.5% on 1 May 2025, 1.5% on 1 November 2025, 3.0% on 1 January 2026, 1.5% on 1 May 2026, 1.5% on 1 November 2026, 1.5% on 1 May 2027 and 1.5% on 1 November 2027. There was also a first increase backdated to 1 November 2024 that came with a restructure of the scale.
The restructure matters. When the agreement started on 4 July 2025, existing staff were moved up one step (Level 1.1 to 1.2, Level 3.4 to 3.5 and so on), and three new steps were added: Level 1.3, 2.4 and 3.5. So the large headline rise over the life of the deal is not the same as the increase on any single step. If you started after July 2025, you were placed straight onto the new scale.
What the 1 November 2026 rise is worth
- Level 1.1: $84,618 to $85,887
- +$1,269 a year
- Level 2.1: $97,907 to $99,375
- +$1,468 a year
- Level 3.5: $128,887 to $130,821
- +$1,934 a year
Take-home at Level 3.5 rises from $97,123 to $98,438 a year on 2026-27 tax rates.
How you move up: qualifications and levels
Victorian TAFE levels are tied to your teaching qualification. You need at least two years' vocational experience in your field for Levels 1 to 3. Within a level you move up a step each year of service. To move between levels you need the next qualification.
The qualification path through the Victorian TAFE scale
- 1
Level 1.1: start while completing the Cert IV TAE
You teach under supervision while you complete the Certificate IV (or a Diploma) from the Training and Education (TAE) training package. The agreement sets no fixed deadline, but you cannot progress past Level 1.1 until it is finished.
- 2
Levels 1.2 and 1.3: Cert IV TAE held
Level 1.2 is for teachers with the Cert IV and up to one year's teaching; Level 1.3 for more than one year. Level 1 tops out at $96,504 from 1 May 2026.
- 3
Level 2: an approved AQF level 5 teaching qualification
An approved diploma-level teaching qualification that includes 200 hours of supervised teaching practicum (Schedule 4 of the agreement sets out the practicum requirement). Level 2.1 covers teachers who are obtaining it. Level 2 runs from $97,907 to $108,725.
- 4
Level 3: an AQF level 6 or higher teaching qualification
An approved teaching qualification at advanced diploma level or above, again with 200 hours of supervised practicum. Level 3.1 covers teachers obtaining it. Level 3 runs from $112,179 to $128,887.
- 5
Education Manager
A leadership classification above Level 3 that needs an AQF 5 or 6+ qualification, paid $132,781 to $140,753 from 1 May 2026.
Free calculator
Pay step timeline calculator
Map out when you would reach each step, and what the 1.5% rises add along the way.
Plan my stepsCasual TAFE teacher rates in Victoria
Casual teachers are paid by the hour at two rates: a teaching delivery rate for hours in front of students, which includes an amount for the preparation, planning and assessment work attached to each hour, and a non-teaching rate for other work you are asked to do. The level is set the same way as for salaried teachers.
Verified from the agreement. When a casual converts to ongoing, every 400 hours of casual teaching counts as one increment.
A casual teaching 15 delivery hours a week at Level 1 earns $1,371.30 a week from 1 May 2026, or $1,391.85 from 1 November 2026. Don't compare that $91.42 directly with other states' casual rates, because they include different things. Queensland's $111.35 includes associated non-contact time, for example. The national TAFE salary comparison explains the differences.
Take-home pay for Victorian TAFE teachers
Victorian TAFE take-home pay from 1 May 2026 (2026-27 tax)
- Level 1.1: $84,618
- $67,020 a year, $2,578 a fortnight
- Level 1.2: $90,879
- $71,278 a year, $2,741 a fortnight
- Level 2.1: $97,907
- $76,057 a year, $2,925 a fortnight
- Level 3.5: $128,887
- $97,123 a year, $3,736 a fortnight
No HELP debt. With HELP the four figures are $64,757, $68,075, $71,800 and $88,219. Employer super at 12% is extra ($10,154 at Level 1.1; $15,466 at Level 3.5).
Free calculator
Teacher take-home pay calculator
Put in your exact level and see your fortnightly pay, HELP repayments and super.
Calculate my payVictorian TAFE vs Victorian school teacher pay
Victorian school teachers are on a different agreement, the Victorian Government Schools Agreement, which a new 2026 version replaced on 23 October 2026 (approved by the Fair Work Commission on 16 October 2026). Check the Victorian teacher pay scale and the VIC pay rise page for the school figures. In short: school teaching needs a four-year teaching degree and registration with the VIT, while a TAFE job can start with industry experience and a Cert IV in progress.
Against the other states, Victoria has the highest verified top classroom TAFE rate in the country. Its Level 1.1 start looks low, but it is a training rate. A Cert IV holder starts at Level 1.2, $90,879, which is close to TAFE Queensland's Teacher 1 rate of $91,202.
Frequently asked questions
How much do TAFE teachers earn in Victoria?
When is the next Victorian TAFE pay rise?
Can I teach at a Victorian TAFE without a Cert IV TAE?
What is the casual TAFE teacher rate in Victoria?
Why did my step change when the new agreement started?
Does this agreement cover RMIT or Federation University TAFE teachers?
How do I get from Level 1 to Level 2?
Sources we checked · last verified 2026-10-28
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.
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