When do teachers get paid in Australia? Fortnightly pay explained

Are teachers paid fortnightly?

Yes. Every government school system pays teachers fortnightly. The ACT agreement says teachers are paid fortnightly in arrears, which means each pay covers the fortnight just finished. The NT, WA, SA, Queensland and NSW instruments all work on fortnightly pay periods, and pay rises are expressed as starting from a pay period. Victoria's and Tasmania's agreements also work on a fortnightly basis, although we did not find a published payroll calendar for either.

The exact pay day (usually a set weekday every second week) is set by each department's payroll, and we have not verified the 2026 pay calendar for each state. Your first payslip, your department's HR portal or your school's business manager can tell you your pay day.

How each fortnightly pay is calculated

A year has 365 days, which is slightly more than 26 fortnights (26.09 fortnights). So employers convert an annual salary to a fortnightly amount with a formula. Two common versions:

When pay rises and back pay arrive

Pay rises in teacher agreements almost always start from the first full pay period on or after a date. If the date falls mid-fortnight, the new rate starts in the next full pay period, so your first payslip at the new rate can arrive one to three weeks after the headline date.

Back pay usually arrives as a separate line on one payslip, and it can be taxed at a higher withholding rate than your normal pay. It all evens out at tax time. Use the back pay calculator to estimate what you are owed, and read tax on teacher back pay before you spend it.

Pay during school holidays

Permanent and temporary teachers keep getting the same fortnightly pay through every school holiday. Your annual salary covers the whole year, not just term weeks. Part of the holidays counts as your annual leave, and the rest is time when you are not required at school. Our guide to whether teachers get paid in the school holidays explains each state's rules.

When casual relief teachers are paid

Casual relief teachers (CRTs) are paid for the days or hours they work, usually through the same fortnightly payroll, and get nothing in non-term weeks. Their daily rate includes a loading instead of holiday pay: 5% in NSW government schools, 22% in Victoria, and 25% in Queensland, the ACT and the NT. In Victoria, government-school CRTs are employed by school councils rather than the department, so payment timing can differ from school to school. See casual relief teacher pay across Australia.

Leave loading, super and other payments

• Leave loading (17.5% of four weeks' pay) is paid once a year in NSW, Victoria, the ACT and the NT (in WA it is built into salary, and we have not confirmed the rules in Queensland, SA or Tasmania). NSW pays it to teachers with 12 months' service at 30 November. Victoria calculates it as at 1 December. The ACT pays it with the summer annual leave, with any balance paid on the first pay day in November. The NT pays it on 1 January. Caps apply. See teacher leave loading.
• Super has been paid with each pay since 1 July 2026, under the federal Payday Super rules, instead of quarterly. Check your fund to see each contribution arrive.
• Lump sums such as Victoria's $2,000 sign-on payment (pending) or retention incentives are paid on dates set by the agreement or policy, often as a separate payslip line.

Checking each fortnightly payslip

If something looks wrong, raise it with your school's business manager or your department's payroll team straight away, and keep a copy of the payslip. Underpayments are usually fixed with an adjustment in a later pay. Our guide to understanding your teacher payslip explains each line.

The 27th pay: why some years have one more

Because a year is slightly longer than 26 fortnights, the calendar drifts by a day or two each year. Roughly once every 11 years, a financial year contains 27 pay days instead of 26. You are not paid more salary overall, because each fortnightly amount is set from your annual salary, but more pay days fall inside that tax year. That can affect how much tax was withheld. If your payroll warns you about a 27-pay year, the ATO's guidance on 27 pay periods, or a registered tax agent, can help you decide whether to ask for extra withholding.

Non-government schools and early learning

Teachers covered by the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020 can be paid fortnightly, every four weeks (two weeks in arrears and two in advance), or monthly, as close as possible to the middle of each month. Your enterprise agreement or contract will say which. Final pay must be made within seven days of your employment ending. See the teachers award guide.