Teachers salary under the Educational Services Award
The minimum pay for teachers in Australia is set by the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020 (MA000077). The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes updated rates each year. The rates shown here apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.
Award rates for preschools and schools
For full-time teachers in preschools and schools, the award provides five classification levels. The weekly and hourly rates are:
- Level 1: $1,455.40 per week ($38.30 per hour) – about $75,681 per year
- Level 2: $1,590.70 per week ($41.86 per hour) – about $82,716 per year
- Level 3: $1,731.70 per week ($45.57 per hour) – about $90,048 per year
- Level 4: $1,872.70 per week ($49.28 per hour) – about $97,380 per year
- Level 5: $2,013.70 per week ($52.99 per hour) – about $104,712 per year
Casual teachers engaged for less than five consecutive days cannot be paid above Level 3.
Award rates for long day care centres
Teachers in long day care centres have slightly higher minimum rates:
- Level 1: $1,513.60 per week ($39.83 per hour) – about $78,707 per year
- Level 2: $1,654.40 per week ($43.54 per hour) – about $86,029 per year
- Level 3: $1,801.00 per week ($47.39 per hour) – about $93,652 per year
- Level 4: $1,947.70 per week ($51.26 per hour) – about $101,280 per year
- Level 5: $2,094.30 per week ($55.11 per hour) – about $108,904 per year
These rates include additional loadings for Saturday work, overtime, and shift penalties.
How teacher pay compares to the national average
The national full-time adult ordinary-time average is $2,083.70 per week ($108,352 per year) according to the ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026. This is the benchmark used on this site.
Teachers at Level 5 in schools earn just below that average ($104,712), while those in long day care centres at Level 5 earn slightly above ($108,904). However, most teachers under the award are at lower levels and earn significantly less. For context, the Education and training sector average (which includes teachers, lecturers, and trainers) is $2,197.90 per week ($114,291 per year) – above the national average.
Take-home pay illustration
Using 2026–27 resident tax rates (tax-free threshold $18,200, then 15% to $45,000, 30% to $135,000, plus 2% Medicare levy), a teacher on the award Level 3 salary of $90,048 per year would pay:
- Income tax: about $19,867
- Medicare levy: about $1,801
- Net take-home: about $68,380 per year ($1,315 per week)
A teacher on Level 5 in a long day care centre ($108,904) would pay about $26,467 tax plus $2,178 Medicare, leaving about $80,259 per year ($1,543 per week).
These are rough estimates. Actual tax depends on deductions, offsets, and family circumstances.
State variations
Teacher salaries can vary by state due to different award conditions or enterprise agreements. The national full-time averages by state (ABS May 2026) provide a comparison:
- New South Wales: $109,658
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- South Australia: $102,450
- Western Australia: $115,825
- Tasmania: $96,008
- Northern Territory: $103,173
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090
Teachers in states with higher overall averages may have more room for above-award pay. For a detailed look at how your salary compares, use our Place a salary on the line tool or explore States and territories.
Other benchmarks
- Full-time median (all occupations): about $90,532 per year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025)
- All-employees median: about $74,100 per year
- National minimum wage (from 1 July 2026): $26.44 per hour, $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week
The award rates for teachers at Level 1 are above the national minimum wage but below the full-time median. At Level 5, they exceed the median.
For more on how these figures are determined, see How the figures are set.