New South Wales Teacher Salaries
Government, Catholic & independent school pay by classification
Government schools
Teachers in New South Wales government schools, paid under Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024 — the clearest pay benchmark.
New South Wales government school teacher pay
4 bands · $92,882–$236,318
Step 1 (Graduate) |
Step 2 (Graduate) |
Step 3 (Proficient) |
Step 4 (Proficient) |
Step 5 (Proficient) |
Step 6 (Proficient) |
Step 7 (Proficient) |
Highly Accomplished/Lead Teacher |
P1 |
P2 |
P3 |
P4 |
P5 |
Rates apply from the first full pay period commencing on or after 9 Oct 2026 under the Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024.
Catholic schools
Catholic systemic school teachers in New South Wales, paid under NSW and ACT Catholic Systemic Schools Enterprise Agreement 2025 — Schedule A, Table A1 (NSW).
New South Wales catholic school teacher pay
2 bands · $92,882–$141,997
Rates apply from the first full pay period commencing on or after 9 Oct 2026 under the NSW and ACT Catholic Systemic Schools Enterprise Agreement 2025 — Schedule A, Table A1 (NSW).
Independent schools
Independent (private) school teachers in New South Wales, paid under Independent Schools (Teachers) Cooperative Multi-Enterprise Agreement 2025 — NSW Teachers (Standards Model).
New South Wales independent school teacher pay
1 band · $94,155–$133,009
Rates effective 1 Feb 2026 under the Independent Schools (Teachers) Cooperative Multi-Enterprise Agreement 2025 — NSW Teachers (Standards Model).
Catholic and independent school teachers without a school agreement are paid the national teachers' award minimum — see the award page.
Find your teacher pay
Pick a sector and classification to preview the salary range, an estimated take-home figure and super. Open the calculator for your exact step, frequency, HECS-HELP and salary sacrifice.
Sits in the lower of New South Wales government pay.
Key Information
New South Wales teacher pay facts, agreement context and conditions to check before comparing pay.
Current rates from
Oct 2026
Employer super
12%
Graduate entry
$92,882/yr
Agreement expiry
8 Oct 2027
New South Wales government school teachers are paid under the Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024. Catholic and Independent school scales are shown on this page where published.
New South Wales teacher Salary Guide by Classification
Quick reference for every New South Wales teacher classification and what it pays in 2026–2027 — gross salary plus the estimated take-home pay, employer super, and total package the salary table doesn't show. Select any level to calculate your exact take-home pay after tax, Medicare, and super.
Classroom Teacher Salary
A Classroom Teacher earns $92,882–$141,997 gross — roughly $73,000–$104,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$104,000–$159,000 total package). Standards-based teacher scale. Steps 1–2 Graduate, 3–7 Proficient, top step Highly Accomplished/Lead.
Calculate Classroom Teacher take-home pay →Assistant Principal Salary
An Assistant Principal earns $153,531–$153,531 gross — roughly $111,000–$111,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$172,000–$172,000 total package). Schedule 3 — single rate.
Calculate Assistant Principal take-home pay →Deputy Principal Salary
A Deputy Principal earns $179,255–$179,255 gross — roughly $126,000–$126,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$201,000–$201,000 total package). Schedule 3 — single rate.
Calculate Deputy Principal take-home pay →Principal Salary
A Principal earns $184,175–$236,318 gross — roughly $129,000–$156,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$206,000–$265,000 total package). Schedule 2A Principal Classification Structure, P1–P5 (P2–P5 include complexity loadings).
Calculate Principal take-home pay →Take-home and total package figures are estimates. Take-home excludes HECS/HELP, the Medicare Levy Surcharge, and salary sacrifice, and assumes a resident taxpayer claiming the tax-free threshold. Total package adds employer super to gross salary.
About New South Wales Teacher Pay Scales
New South Wales government schools set teacher pay through Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024. The classroom-teacher scale runs from $92,882 for a graduate to $141,997 at the top step, with leadership and principal classifications reaching $236,318. The take-home figures in the table already account for income tax and the Medicare levy.
Pay points & progression
A New South Wales classroom teacher starts at $92,882 and steps up the scale each year for experience, reaching $141,997 at the top before moving into Highly Accomplished/Lead, leadership or principal roles by promotion.
- Graduate teachers start on the first step and move up automatically each year — progression is by service, not negotiation.
- Leadership and principal classifications sit above the classroom scale, up to $236,318.
- New South Wales catholic and independent schools mostly pay at or above this government scale; their published rates are shown on this page.
How pay rises work
Pay moves with each new salary column of the agreement; the current column applies from the first full pay period commencing on or after 9 October 2026. The agreement runs to its nominal expiry, when a new agreement is negotiated.
Superannuation
New South Wales pays 12% employer superannuation on base pay.
Total package
Base salary plus 12% employer super. You can lift retirement savings further by salary sacrificing into super.
Source: Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024
Award-reliant schools in New South Wales
Non-government schools without their own agreement pay the national Educational Services (Teachers) Award minimum.
New South Wales public service pay
Browse New South Wales public-sector salary bands across every classification, beyond teaching.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much do teachers earn in New South Wales?
New South Wales government school teachers are paid under Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024, with a graduate on the classroom-teacher scale starting at $92,882 and the top step paying $141,997, before leadership and principal roles. New South Wales catholic and independent schools mostly pay at or above this scale — their rates are shown further down the page.
What does a graduate teacher earn in New South Wales?
A graduate teacher in a New South Wales government school starts at about $92,882 a year on the graduate step of the classroom-teacher scale and moves up a step each year. Switch on "Take-home" in the table above to see pay after income tax and the Medicare levy at each step.
Do Catholic and independent schools in New South Wales pay more than government schools?
New South Wales catholic and independent schools generally pay at or close to the government classroom-teacher scale, and some independent schools pay above it. The exact rate depends on each school's enterprise agreement; the tables on this page show the published systemic and independent scales alongside the government one so you can compare like for like.
Which teachers earn the most in New South Wales?
Beyond the classroom-teacher scale, Highly Accomplished/Lead Teacher, leading-teacher and learning-specialist roles, and the principal classes (assistant principal, deputy and principal) sit at the top of the New South Wales structure. The full bands are in the table above.
How do I work out my New South Wales teaching take-home pay?
Switch on "Take-home" in the table above to see pay after income tax and the Medicare levy, or open the pay calculator to include HECS/HELP and superannuation for your exact salary and pay frequency.
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