Queensland Teacher Salaries
Government & Catholic school pay by classification
Government schools
Teachers in Queensland government schools, paid under Department of Education State School Teachers' Certified Agreement 2022 — the clearest pay benchmark.
Queensland government school teacher pay
9 bands · $74,146–$235,508
Catholic schools
Catholic systemic school teachers in Queensland, paid under Catholic Employers Single Enterprise Collective Agreement – Diocesan Schools of Queensland 2023–2026 (EB10).
Queensland catholic school teacher pay
1 band · $76,689–$126,795
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 Queensland government pay.
Key Information
Queensland teacher pay facts, agreement context and conditions to check before comparing pay.
Current rates from
July 2024
Employer super
12%
Graduate entry
$74,146/yr
Agreement expiry
30 June 2025
Queensland government school teachers are paid under the Department of Education State School Teachers' Certified Agreement 2022. Catholic school scales are shown on this page where published.
Queensland teacher Salary Guide by Classification
Quick reference for every Queensland 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 $74,146–$111,610 gross — roughly $60,000–$84,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$83,000–$125,000 total package). Band 1–3 classroom scale. Band 1 = intern/pre-qualification; qualified graduates are taken to enter at Band 2 Step 1.
Calculate Classroom Teacher take-home pay →Senior Teacher Salary
A Senior Teacher earns $116,729–$116,729 gross — roughly $88,000–$88,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$131,000–$131,000 total package). Senior Teacher (4-year trained).
Calculate Senior Teacher take-home pay →Experienced Senior Teacher Salary
An Experienced Senior Teacher earns $121,172–$123,102 gross — roughly $91,000–$92,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$136,000–$138,000 total package). Experienced Senior Teacher (EST).
Calculate Experienced Senior Teacher take-home pay →Highly Accomplished Teacher Salary
A Highly Accomplished Teacher earns $130,770–$130,770 gross — roughly $97,000–$97,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$146,000–$146,000 total package). Highly Accomplished Teacher (HAT).
Calculate Highly Accomplished Teacher take-home pay →Lead Teacher Salary
A Lead Teacher earns $142,766–$142,766 gross — roughly $104,000–$104,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$160,000–$160,000 total package). Lead Teacher (LT).
Calculate Lead Teacher take-home pay →Head of Program Level 1 Salary
A Head of Program Level 1 earns $141,088–$143,582 gross — roughly $103,000–$105,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$158,000–$161,000 total package). Heads of department (HOD), heads of department – curriculum (HODC), guidance officers (GO) and heads of special education services level 2 (HOSES2) — Stream 2 promotional positions.
Calculate Head of Program Level 1 take-home pay →Head of Program Level 2 Salary
A Head of Program Level 2 earns $148,205–$150,827 gross — roughly $107,000–$109,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$166,000–$169,000 total package). Senior guidance officers (SGO) and heads of special education services level 3 (HOSES3) — Stream 2 promotional positions.
Calculate Head of Program Level 2 take-home pay →Deputy Principal Salary
A Deputy Principal earns $157,034–$159,810 gross — roughly $113,000–$114,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$176,000–$179,000 total package). Deputy principals — Stream 3 School Leaders; the same scale covers heads of special education services level 4 (HOSES4).
Calculate Deputy Principal take-home pay →Principal Salary
A Principal earns $142,500–$235,508 gross — roughly $104,000–$155,000 take-home after income tax and Medicare, plus 12% employer super (~$160,000–$264,000 total package). Principals — Stream 3 School Leaders, Levels 1–10. The level is reviewed annually against the school's total government resourcing; Levels 1–7 progress through paypoints 2–3, Levels 8–10 through paypoints 1–2.
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 Queensland Teacher Pay Scales
Queensland government schools set teacher pay through Department of Education State School Teachers' Certified Agreement 2022. The classroom-teacher scale runs from $74,146 for a graduate to $111,610 at the top step, with leadership and principal classifications reaching $235,508. The take-home figures in the table already account for income tax and the Medicare levy.
Pay points & progression
A Queensland classroom teacher starts at $74,146 and steps up the scale each year for experience, reaching $111,610 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 $235,508.
- Queensland catholic 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 took effect 1 July 2024. The agreement passed its nominal expiry and continues to apply while a replacement is negotiated.
Superannuation
Queensland 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: Department of Education State School Teachers' Certified Agreement 2022
Award-reliant schools in Queensland
Non-government schools without their own agreement pay the national Educational Services (Teachers) Award minimum.
Queensland public service pay
Browse Queensland public-sector salary bands across every classification, beyond teaching.
More reading
Related guides
Background reading on tax, super, and salary topics.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do teachers earn in Queensland?
Queensland government school teachers are paid under Department of Education State School Teachers' Certified Agreement 2022, with a classroom-teacher scale from $74,146 (graduate) to $111,610 at the top, before leadership and principal roles. Queensland catholic schools mostly pay at or above this scale — their rates are shown further down the page.
What does a graduate teacher earn in Queensland?
A graduate teacher in a Queensland government school starts at about $74,146 a year on the first 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 Queensland pay more than government schools?
Queensland catholic 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 Queensland?
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 Queensland structure. The full bands are in the table above.
How do I work out my Queensland 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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