On this page (8 sections)
The short answer
A South Australian public school School Services Officer at SSO1 Tier 1 was paid $56,660 a year ($28.96 an hour) from 9 May 2025, full time and with leave conditions. After the 3% rise from May 2026, SSO1 Tier 1 is reported as $58,360 (about $29.83 an hour). Teacher aide and student support roles are usually SSO1 (common practice; we haven't confirmed it as a rule).
- The 2025 rates come from the Department for Education's official table.
- We could not read the 2026 table directly; the 2026 figures are 2025 x 1.03, and two of them match a government job ad.
- SA has three SSO pay models: 52-week, a 16% loading, and the 16% loading spread over 52 weeks.
- Full time appears to be 37.5 hours a week, worked out from the table.
The SSO classification structure
In SA public schools, almost all non-teaching staff are School Services Officers (SSOs). That includes teacher aides and student support officers, front office and finance staff, and business managers. Pay is set by the South Australian School and Preschool Education Staff Enterprise Agreement 2024 together with the School Services Officers (Government Schools) Award. We have not confirmed which instrument holds the SSO rate schedule, because the tribunal's approval PDF is a scanned image.
The top tier of each level needs a relevant qualification and the top-tier increment process.
SA SSO pay rates
These are full-time, 52-week salaries with leave conditions. The department's hourly rates equal annual / 52.18 / 37.5, which is how we infer a 37.5-hour week.
* Matches a government job ad (seen in a search result). Other 2026 figures are 2025 x 1.03 and unverified. Source for 2025: Department for Education, School services officers pay rates (via web archive).
Term-time pay: SA's three SSO pay models
The department's SSO pay table has separate columns for different employment arrangements. Our reading of the labels is below. The department doesn't explain them in the table itself, so confirm which one applies to you with your school or the department.
Source: Department for Education SSO pay rates table, 9 May 2025. The table also lists a 'Claim Paid' hourly rate of $36.21 for SSO1 T1. Government job ads say salaries are 'based on an employee working 52 weeks per annum, full time equivalent'.
Why the 52-week loaded figure is lower: if you only work school weeks, your gross pay for the year is less than a 52-week salary, even with the 16% loading. Spreading it across 52 weeks smooths your income, but it doesn't add to it. See are teacher aides paid in school holidays for other states.
Take-home pay for a part-time SSO1
SSO1 Tier 1 at 0.8 FTE (30 hours a week), May 2026 rate
- Reported full-time salary
- $58,360
- Annual pay at 0.8
- $46,688
- Income tax after low income tax offset
- $4,227
- Medicare levy
- $934
2026–27 tax rates, no HELP debt, 52-week 'with leave conditions' model. Based on the reported 2026 rate; check it against your payslip.
Free calculator
Work out your SSO pay
Pick South Australia, your level and tier, and your hours to see your pay after tax.
Open the support staff pay calculatorProgression and qualifications
SSO1 has seven tiers, the most of any level, so a teacher aide can earn more without changing roles. From Tier 1 to Tier 7 is worth $11,067 a year full time at the 2025 rates. The top tier of each level needs a relevant qualification plus the top-tier increment process. Your school or the department's HR team can tell you which qualifications count for your role.
Moving to SSO2 or above means winning a position classified at that level. Every SSO needs a Working With Children Check from the SA screening unit. See how to become a teacher aide.
Aboriginal Education Workers
Aboriginal Education Workers (AEWs, previously called Aboriginal Community Education Officers) have their own scale, from AEW Level 1 (three tiers) to Level 6. The latest table we could find is from 10 May 2024: AEW1 Tier 1 was $63,488 ($34.77 an hour) and AEW6 Tier 1 was $114,153. Those rates are out of date; the 2025 and 2026 rises have been paid since.
Bargaining status
The 1 May 2026 rise was the final increase under the 2024 agreement. Bargaining for the next agreement (the teachers' union calls it EA27) is under way, but we have not confirmed the status of SSO-specific bargaining. Teachers are covered on SA teacher pay and the pay rise tracker.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an SSO1 earn in South Australia?
What level is a teacher aide in SA?
Are SSOs paid in the school holidays in SA?
What is the SSO casual rate in SA?
How many hours is full time for an SSO?
When is the next SSO pay rise in SA?
Sources we checked · last verified 2026-10-17
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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