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WA · Graduate teacher

Graduate teacher salary in WA

WA graduate teachers start on $88,178 at Level 2.1 plus a $2,000 Graduate Teacher Allowance for two years. Take-home, HECS, release time and country pay.

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

From

$88,178

Up to

$90,178

Take-home / fortnight

$2,671

Effective

December 2025

On this page (5 sections)
  1. Graduate teacher pay in WA
  2. What a WA graduate gets
  3. Country starts pay much more
  4. Before you start
  5. FAQs

The short answer

A qualified graduate teacher in a WA government school starts at Level 2.1 on $88,178 a year (from 6 December 2025). On top of that you get a $2,000 a year Graduate Teacher Allowance for your first two years, making $90,178. That is about $70,801 after tax, or $2,723 a fortnight, before HECS-HELP.

WA's graduate rate is lower than the NT, NSW and Queensland, but WA adds a graduate allowance and extra release time in your first year, and its country incentives can lift a first-year salary above $110,000.

Graduate teacher pay in Western Australia

ClassificationAnnual salaryTake-home / fortnight
Level 2.1 salary$88,178$2,671
Graduate Teacher Allowance (first two years)$2,000$77
Level 2.1 + allowance$90,178$2,723

Qualified graduates start at Level 2.1 on $88,178 from 6 Dec 2025, plus a $2,000 a year Graduate Teacher Allowance for the first two years and extra release time in year 1. Effective 6 December 2025.

What a WA graduate gets

  • Salary: Level 2.1, $88,178 a year, paid fortnightly.
  • Graduate Teacher Allowance: $2,000 a year for the first two years, pro rata if you're part-time (cl 13.1).
  • Extra release time: an extra 0.05 FTE off class in year 1, plus mentoring.
  • Annual increments: you move to 2.2 ($95,627) after 12 months' satisfactory service, a rise of $7,449.
Worked example

Graduate take-home in 2026–27

Level 2.1 + Graduate Teacher Allowance
$90,178
Income tax (after LITO)
$17,573
Medicare levy
$1,804
HECS-HELP (if you have a debt)
$3,098
Take-home $70,801 without HELP, $67,704 with HELP

Employer super of $10,821 is paid on top. Without the allowance, Level 2.1 alone takes home $69,441.

Country starts pay much more

WA pays large allowances for country and remote schools, and graduates are eligible. These are the 2026 figures for a graduate on $90,178.

Graduate pay with country incentives, 2026–27
SchoolTotal payTake-home a year
Perth (no incentive)$90,178$70,801
Country Teaching Program Band A (+$13,730)$103,908$80,137
Remote Teaching Service R1 (+$20,870)$111,048$84,993

After income tax (after LITO) and Medicare, no HECS-HELP. District Allowance and the temporary Attraction and Retention Incentive (up to $7,000 in 2026) can apply on top.

Before you start

  1. 1

    Register with the TRBWA

    Application is $140 for Provisional or $178 for Full registration, then $95 a year. See WA teacher registration.

  2. 2

    Get a WA Working with Children Check

    It is separate from registration and run by the Department of Communities.

  3. 3

    Check your starting level

    If you taught before (interstate, overseas or as a relief teacher), ask for your prior service to be assessed. Relief teachers move up a step every 200 days worked.

  4. 4

    Check the allowance is paid

    The Graduate Teacher Allowance should appear on your payslip from your first pay.

Read the first-year teacher guide and becoming a teacher in WA.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the graduate teacher salary in WA?
It is $88,178 a year at Level 2.1 from 6 December 2025, plus a $2,000 a year Graduate Teacher Allowance for the first two years.
How much does a graduate teacher take home in WA?
About $70,801 a year or $2,723 a fortnight including the allowance, on 2026–27 tax rates. With a HELP debt it is about $67,704.
How long is the WA graduate allowance paid?
For your first two years of teaching, at $2,000 a year, pro rata for part-time.
What do WA graduates earn in their second year?
After 12 months' satisfactory service you move to Level 2.2, $95,627 a year, plus the second year of the graduate allowance.
Do WA graduates get extra time off class?
Yes. First-year graduates get an extra 0.05 FTE release time plus mentoring.
Can a WA graduate earn more in the country?
Yes. A graduate at a Remote Teaching Service R1 school earns $111,048 with allowances, and about $84,993 after tax.

Sources we checked · last verified 16 October 2026

  1. 1.WAIRC: School Education Act Employees' (Teachers and Administrators) General Agreement 2023 listing
  2. 2.General Agreement 2023 full text (PDF)
  3. 3.Teachers (Public Sector Primary and Secondary Education) Award 1993 (PDF)
  4. 4.WA Department of Education: Teacher salaries
  5. 5.WA Department of Education: Incentives and allowances
  6. 6.WA Department of Education: Attraction and retention incentive
  7. 7.TRBWA: Fees

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.