Victorian education support (ES) pay rates 2026

The ES classification structure

Victoria does not have separate awards for teacher aides, office staff and technicians. Every non-teaching role in a government school sits in one Education Support (ES) class, split into ranges. An integration aide, a learning support officer, an office administrator and a lab technician are all ES staff. Which range applies depends on the position, not your job title.

Victorian ES pay rates: VGSA 2026 and VGSA 2022

Victoria publishes annual full-time salaries based on 38 hours a week (76 hours a fortnight). The hourly rates below are our calculation: annual salary / 52.1786 / 38. Part-time staff are paid pro rata by their time fraction.

The 1 October 2026 rate is 13% above the old VGSA 2022 rate at every point shown. Further rises are set for 1 November 2027 (2-1: $66,518), 1 November 2028 ($69,179) and 1 November 2029 ($72,568). The agreement's nominal expiry is 10 August 2030.

Where you start: qualifications under VGSA 2026

For the first time, VGSA 2026 ties starting points in Range 2 to the job's requirements (cl 18(4)(c)). If the role requires an AQF certificate (such as a Certificate III or IV) or involves coordination or specialised support, it starts at 2-4. If it requires an AQF diploma or registration as an enrolled nurse, it starts at 2-5. Other Range 2 roles start at 2-1.

VGSA 2026 also plans a mandatory AQF qualification framework for ES staff, to start no earlier than 1 February 2029 (cl 18(1)(c)). Staff already employed will be treated as meeting it. There is also a $2,000 lump sum on commencement of the agreement (cl 8(2)), paid in full to full-time staff and pro rata to part-timers. The Department has not yet said which pay it will be in.

How ES staff are paid over the school holidays

Victorian ES staff are paid for 52 weeks a year. There is no term-only pay model for ongoing or fixed-term ES staff. A full-time ES employee gets 152 hours (20 days) of annual leave plus 228 hours (30 days) of additional paid leave, and together they cover the school vacations (VGSA 2026 cl 26(1)). Part-timers get these pro rata.

Casual ES staff are different. Under VGSA 2026, casuals are paid the hourly rate of the bottom subdivision of their range plus a 35.40% loading, with a minimum 3-hour engagement (cl 18(9) to (10)). They are not paid for holidays. For other states, see are teacher aides paid in school holidays.

Take-home pay: a part-time ES aide before and after the rise

Progression through the subdivisions

Within a range you move up through the subdivisions under the agreement's salary progression rules; check the agreement or ask your principal about the timing and criteria that apply to you. Moving to a higher range generally means winning a position classified at that range. Range 2 has eight subdivisions: from 2-1 to 2-8 is worth $17,952 a year at the 1 October 2026 full-time rates (it was $15,880 under the VGSA 2022).

Bargaining status: where VGSA 2026 is up to

The government has described the deal as lifting the Range 2 minimum by about 29.8% over four years. We will update this page when the Department publishes the back pay date. Teachers are covered by the same agreement: see Victorian teacher pay rises and estimate your lump sum with the back pay calculator.