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WA rural & remote teaching

Rural and remote teaching in Western Australia: every incentive

WA pays country teachers $5,000-$13,730 a year (CTP), remote teachers $15,370-$20,870 (RTS) and up to $7,000 extra in 2026. Who qualifies and how to apply.

✓ Fact-checked against official sources Updated 16 October 2026 4 min read

Incentives listed

11

Largest single

$20,870 a year

State

WA

On this page (6 sections)
  1. Every incentive
  2. Country Teaching Program (CTP)
  3. Remote Teaching Service (RTS)
  4. Regional Attraction and Retention Incentive 2026
  5. District Allowance, housing and other support
  6. FAQs

The short answer

WA public school teachers in country schools get the Country Teaching Program allowance of $5,000 to $13,730 a year and permanency after 2 years. Remote Teaching Service schools pay $15,370 to $20,870 a year plus District Allowance and extra leave. In 2026 the Regional Attraction and Retention Incentive adds up to $7,000 at 67 listed schools.

Western Australia has some of the most generous country teaching incentives in Australia, and most are written into the 2023 General Agreement, not just Department policy. That means they're enforceable entitlements, at least until the agreement is replaced. The GA expires on 5 December 2026, so check whether the successor changes any of them.

There are three main programs: the Country Teaching Program (CTP) for 146 country schools, the Remote Teaching Service (RTS) for the most remote schools, and the temporary Regional Attraction and Retention Incentive (ARI). District Allowance and other benefits sit on top.

Every WA rural, remote and recruitment incentive

IncentiveAmountWho gets it
Remote Teaching Service (RTS) allowance – R1$20,870 a yearSchool-specific, paid fortnightly on top of salary and District Allowance. RTS schools also bring RTS leave (10 weeks after 6 semesters, 22 weeks cumulative after 8), 5 extra personal leave days a year, travel benefits and a transfer to a region of choice after 3 years, subject to availability (cl 45-52, Schedule F).
Remote Teaching Service (RTS) allowance – R2$18,120 a yearAs for R1, at the R2 rate.
Remote Teaching Service (RTS) allowance – R3$15,370 a yearAs for R1, at the R3 rate.
Country Teaching Program (CTP) – Band A$13,730 a year146 country schools across Bands A-D. Paid fortnightly, or as a December lump sum or for travel/PD. Permanency after 2 years' continuous satisfactory service, bonus transfer points, up to 5 extra personal leave days for health travel over 50 km; air-conditioning subsidy in Band A (cl 44, Schedule D).
Country Teaching Program (CTP) – Band B$10,210 a yearBand B grandparent provision $2,000.
Country Teaching Program (CTP) – Band C$8,020 a yearCTP benefits as for Band A apart from the air-conditioning subsidy.
Country Teaching Program (CTP) – Band D$5,000 a yearCTP benefits as for Band A apart from the air-conditioning subsidy.
District AllowanceSet by the public sector District Allowance agreementReplaced the teachers' Locality and Country Incentives allowances under the 2023 GA (cl 24). Where District Allowance is lower, a grandparented Locality Allowance continues (Schedule B, e.g. Jameson $4,355). District Allowance amounts not verified here.
Regional Attraction and Retention Incentive (ARI) 2026Up to $7,000Temporary: extended for 2026 on 13 Oct 2025. 67 listed regional and remote schools. Paid 25% on commencement and 75% to staff who stay to the end of the school year. Casuals and DIDO/FIFO staff are excluded.
Metropolitan Teaching Program (MTP)Up to $3,000 a year72 hard-to-staff Perth schools. Permanency after 2 years.
HELP debt reduction (very remote)Commonwealth schemeFor teachers in very remote public schools; run by the Commonwealth, not the department.

Country Teaching Program (CTP)

Country Teaching Program allowance (2023 General Agreement, Schedule D)
CTP bandAllowance a year
Band A$13,730
Band B$10,210
Band C$8,020
Band D$5,000

A Band B grandparent provision pays $2,000. Paid fortnightly, or as a December lump sum, or used for travel or professional development.

  • Permanency after 2 years' continuous satisfactory service at the program school.
  • Up to 5 extra personal leave days a year for health travel over 50 km.
  • Bonus transfer points toward your next placement.
  • Air-conditioning subsidy at Band A schools.

Remote Teaching Service (RTS)

Remote Teaching Service allowance and leave (2023 General Agreement, Schedule F)
ItemAmount
RTS allowance R1$20,870 a year
RTS allowance R2$18,120 a year
RTS allowance R3$15,370 a year
RTS leave after 6 semesters (3 years)10 weeks
RTS leave after 8 semesters (4 years)22 weeks in total, then 1 week per further semester
TransferGuaranteed to a region of choice after 3 years (subject to availability)
Extra personal leave5 days a year

RTS allowance is paid fortnightly on top of District Allowance. Travel benefits also apply.

Regional Attraction and Retention Incentive 2026

The ARI pays up to $7,000 to teachers and administrators at 67 listed regional and remote schools in 2026. It's paid 25% when you start and 75% if you stay to the end of the school year. Casual staff and DIDO/FIFO staff are excluded. The WA government extended it for 2026 on 13 October 2025 with $7.4 million (the program totals $44.1 million). It's temporary, not an ongoing entitlement, so don't count on it for 2027 unless the Department announces another extension. The Department's incentives overview still quotes "up to $8,500", which was the 2025 offer.

District Allowance, housing and other support

  • District Allowance replaced the old teachers' Locality and Country Incentive allowances under the 2023 GA. It follows the public sector District Allowance agreement; we didn't capture the amounts, so ask payroll for your town's rate. Some places keep a higher grandparented Locality Allowance (for example Jameson, $4,355).
  • Housing: Government Regional Officers' Housing (GROH) is available in many towns, but rents and subsidies weren't verified. Ask before you accept. Our rural teacher housing guide explains what to check.
  • Vacation travel: the SSTUWA reports new vacation travel concessions for Kimberley, Pilbara and Goldfields staff under the 2023 GA.
  • HELP debt reduction: teachers in Very Remote schools can have their teacher education HELP debt reduced after 4 years full-time within 6 years. See HECS relief for remote teachers.
  • Metropolitan Teaching Program: not rural, but worth knowing: up to $3,000 a year and permanency after 2 years at 72 hard-to-staff Perth schools.
Worked example

Graduate at a CTP Band A school

Level 2.1 salary (from 6 Dec 2025)
$88,178
Graduate Teacher Allowance (years 1-2)
$2,000
CTP Band A allowance
$13,730
Taxable income
$103,908
Take-home after tax and Medicare
$80,137 (vs $70,801 in a Perth school)
Extra take-home from CTP about $9,336 a year

2026-27 tax rules, no HELP debt. Excludes District Allowance and any ARI payment if the school is on the ARI list.

Free calculator

Rural teacher incentives calculator

Add CTP or RTS allowances, the ARI and District Allowance to your WA salary and see take-home pay.

Open the calculator

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Country Teaching Program allowance in WA?
$13,730 a year at Band A, $10,210 at Band B, $8,020 at Band C and $5,000 at Band D. It's paid on top of salary at 146 country schools, and you get permanency after 2 years.
What is the Remote Teaching Service allowance?
RTS schools pay $20,870 (R1), $18,120 (R2) or $15,370 (R3) a year on top of salary and District Allowance. RTS teachers also earn 10 weeks' extra leave after 3 years and 22 weeks after 4 years.
Is the WA $7,000 attraction and retention incentive still available?
Yes, for 2026. Teachers and administrators at 67 listed regional and remote schools can get up to $7,000, paid 25% on starting and 75% at the end of the school year. It's temporary, so check whether it continues in 2027.
Do relief teachers get country incentives in WA?
Not the ARI: casual and FIFO staff are excluded. Whether a casual relief teacher gets CTP or RTS allowances depends on the agreement's rules, so ask the school before accepting a long block.
Can I get permanency by teaching in the country in WA?
Yes. The Country Teaching Program offers permanency after 2 years' continuous satisfactory service at a program school, as does the Metropolitan Teaching Program at 72 Perth schools.
Is housing provided for country teachers in WA?
Often. Government Regional Officers' Housing (GROH) is available in many regional towns, but rent and subsidy amounts weren't verified. Confirm the cost for your town before you accept a position.

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.