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WA · Level 3 Classroom Teacher

Level 3 Classroom Teacher and Senior Teacher pay in WA

WA has no HALT pay steps. Level 3 Classroom Teachers earn $137,567 to $141,551 and Senior Teachers $132,557 to $134,165. How each works and what it's worth.

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

From

$137,567

Up to

$141,551

Take-home / fortnight

$3,956

Effective

December 2025

On this page (5 sections)
  1. Level 3 Classroom Teacher pay in WA
  2. Senior Teacher vs Level 3 Classroom Teacher
  3. What each step is worth after tax
  4. How the Level 3 process works
  5. FAQs

The short answer

WA's government school pay scale has no HALT steps. Its accomplished-teacher pathway is Level 3 Classroom Teacher, paid $137,567 at 3.1 and $141,551 at 3.2 from 6 December 2025. Senior Teacher 1 ($132,557) and Senior Teacher 2 ($134,165) sit between the top classroom step, 2.9, and Level 3. Both are by application.

If you've reached Level 2.9 and want to earn more without leaving the classroom, WA gives you two routes. They're different in effort and pay, so it's worth knowing what each one asks of you.

Level 3 Classroom Teacher pay in Western Australia

ClassificationAnnual salaryTake-home / fortnight
Senior Teacher 1$132,557$3,831
Senior Teacher 2$134,165$3,874
Level 3 Classroom Teacher 3.1$137,567$3,956
Level 3 Classroom Teacher 3.2$141,551$4,049
Level 3 Classroom Teacher 3.3$147,077$4,179

WA's pay scale has no HALT steps. Its accomplished-teacher pathway is Level 3 Classroom Teacher: $137,567 (3.1) to $141,551 (3.2) from 6 Dec 2025, reached by a five-competency portfolio. Senior Teacher 1 and 2 ($132,557 and $134,165) sit below it. Effective 6 December 2025.

Senior Teacher vs Level 3 Classroom Teacher

Rates from 6 December 2025 (2023 GA Tables 7 and 10). Level 3.3 ($147,077) is paid only in the trial schools.

Senior Teacher 1 and 2

  • $132,557 (ST1), $134,165 (ST2)
  • 12 months at 2.9, full registration, recent PL (e.g. 40 hours aligned to the APST)
  • ST1: one extra duty; ST2: 12 months at ST1 and two extra duties
  • An application, not a competitive assessment

Level 3 Classroom Teacher

  • $137,567 (3.1), $141,551 (3.2)
  • Portfolio against five competencies, then a second stage
  • Competencies can be banked for up to three years
  • 3.1 to 3.2 automatic after 12 months

What each step is worth after tax

Take-home above Level 2.9, 2026–27
LevelSalaryTake-home a yearGain over 2.9 after tax
2.9$127,737$96,341–
Senior Teacher 1$132,557$99,619$3,278
Senior Teacher 2$134,165$100,712$4,371
Level 3.1$137,567$102,846$6,505
Level 3.2$141,551$105,276$8,935

After income tax (after LITO) and Medicare, no HECS-HELP or salary sacrifice. Level 3 salaries cross $135,000, where the marginal rate rises to 39% including Medicare.

How the Level 3 process works

  1. 1

    Check you're eligible

    You need to be at the top of the classroom scale with strong evidence of practice. Ask your principal or the department's Level 3 team for the current round dates.

  2. 2

    Build the portfolio

    Show evidence against five competencies. You can bank competencies you've met for up to three years, so you don't have to pass everything in one round.

  3. 3

    Complete the second stage

    Successful portfolios go to a second stage of assessment before appointment to Level 3.1.

  4. 4

    Move to 3.2

    After 12 months' satisfactory service at 3.1 you move to 3.2 automatically.

Our AI HALT evidence planner can help you organise evidence against the Professional Standards, which is useful for a Level 3 portfolio too.

Frequently asked questions

Does WA pay teachers for HALT certification?
Not directly. WA's equivalent is Level 3 Classroom Teacher ($137,567 to $141,551), reached through its own portfolio process.
What does a Level 3 Classroom Teacher earn in WA?
$137,567 at Level 3.1 and $141,551 at 3.2 from 6 December 2025. Level 3.3 pays $147,077, but only in the trial schools.
What is a Senior Teacher in WA?
A classroom teacher at the top of the scale who has applied for Senior Teacher status and takes on extra duties. ST1 pays $132,557 and ST2 $134,165.
How do I become a Senior Teacher in WA?
You need full TRBWA registration, 12 months at Level 2.9 and relevant professional learning in the last five years, and you take on one extra duty.
Is Level 3 Classroom Teacher worth it after tax?
Level 3.2 pays about $8,935 a year more than Level 2.9 after tax on 2026–27 rates.

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.