NSW Teacher Salary 2026
NSW public school teacher steps from the Crown Employees Teachers Award 2024. The column in force on 27 September 2026 started on 9 October 2025. The next 3% column starts on or after 9 October 2026.
Last updated September 2026.
Key takeaways
- Paid now: Step 1 $90,177 and Step 7 $129,536, from the 9 October 2025 column.
- From the first full pay period on or after 9 October 2026: Step 1 $92,882 and Step 7 $133,422.
- Graduate accreditation is Step 1–2. Proficient accreditation starts at Step 3, not at Step 1.
- Highly Accomplished or Lead is $137,861 now and $141,997 after 9 October 2026. It is not “Step 7 plus a bonus.”
- Super is 12% of salary, not 15.4%.
1. NSW teacher salary steps
Schedule 1A. Tax is Stage 3 PAYG plus 2% Medicare on the current salary only, with no HECS. Confirm the step on the Department of Education salary page.
| Step | Salary now (from 9 Oct 2025) | From 9 Oct 2026 | Super 12% on current | Estimated tax | Net on current salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 — Graduate Conditional or provisional accreditation starts here. | $90,177 | $92,882 | $10,821 | $19,645 | $70,532 |
| Step 2 — Graduate Second graduate step. Proficient accreditation is required before Step 3. | $96,980 | $99,889 | $11,638 | $21,822 | $75,158 |
| Step 3 — Proficient Minimum for a teacher accredited Proficient. | $101,122 | $104,156 | $12,135 | $23,147 | $77,975 |
| Step 4 — Proficient Proficient increment. | $105,263 | $108,421 | $12,632 | $24,472 | $80,791 |
| Step 5 — Proficient Proficient increment. | $112,594 | $115,972 | $13,511 | $26,818 | $85,776 |
| Step 6 — Proficient Proficient increment. | $121,064 | $124,696 | $14,528 | $29,528 | $91,536 |
| Step 7 — Proficient Top of the standard classroom scale. | $129,536 | $133,422 | $15,544 | $32,240 | $97,296 |
| Highly Accomplished / Lead Separate salary, not Step 7 plus a loading. | $137,861 | $141,997 | $16,543 | $35,104 | $102,757 |
2. NSW teacher salary 2026: Step 1 versus Step 7
The query NSW teacher salary 2026 is two dates, not one blended number. Schedule 1A of the Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024 sets a 3% increase on the first full pay period on or after 9 October 2024, again on or after 9 October 2025, and again on or after 9 October 2026. Today, 27 September 2026, sits in the middle column.
- Now: Step 1 $90,177, Step 7 $129,536, Highly Accomplished or Lead $137,861.
- From 9 October 2026: Step 1 $92,882, Step 7 $133,422, Highly Accomplished or Lead $141,997.
The old “graduate $85,000, senior $122,100” line understates both the current graduate rate and the top of the classroom scale. Victorian classroom bands are a different agreement — compare them on the teacher pay scale Victoria 2026 only after you lock the NSW step.
3. Accreditation decides the step
The Department’s salary determination policy assigns Conditional or Provisional accreditation to Step 1, Proficient accreditation to Step 3, and Highly Accomplished or Lead accreditation to the HALT salary. You do not reach Step 3 by years alone. Proficient (Pending) can be paid between Step 3 and Step 7 for up to 203 days, or one year of full-time work, while NESA accreditation is finished. If Proficient is not gained in that window, pay does not stay on the higher step. Service credit for prior teaching is counted in 203-day blocks. Leadership roles are not this classroom scale — see NSW public service clerks only if the offer is an administrative classification, not a school teacher step.
4. Casual daily rates
Schedule 4, same three dates. The middle column, payable now, is CT1 $466.44, CT2 $523.04, and CT3 $582.38 a day. From the first full pay period on or after 9 October 2026 those become $480.43, $538.73, and $599.85. A flat “$460 to $640” range does not match the award. Casual progression still follows accreditation, not a private-sector 25% loading pasted onto an annual salary.
5. Superannuation is 12%
Accumulation-scheme teachers receive the Superannuation Guarantee of 12.0% from 1 July 2025. The table’s net column is tax on salary only. Super is not cash in the fortnight. Model a HELP debt on the HECS-HELP guide after the step is fixed, and compare two offers on the salary comparison tool. The take-home pay calculator uses the same Stage 3 brackets.
6. How to read a NSW teacher offer
- Read the step (1–7) or HALT, and the accreditation level.
- Use the 9 October 2025 column until the first full pay period on or after 9 October 2026.
- Do not treat $85,000 or $122,100 as the 2026 classroom scale.
- Casual pay is a CT daily rate, not the annual step divided by 200.
Start at teacher salaries Australia 2026 if you are comparing states. Primary sources are the award PDF and the Department salary page linked above.
7. Assistant principal salary NSW
An assistant principal salary in NSW is not Step 7 and not the Highly Accomplished rate of $137,861. The Department of Education salary page lists an assistant principal or head teacher at $149,059 and a deputy principal at $174,034. Those roles sit in Schedule 3 of the Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024, separate from the classroom steps in the table above. The photograph above is an AI visual; the raw JPEG is the unedited generate file.
Employer super at the 12% guarantee on $149,059 is $17,887. It is not paid as cash in the fortnight. Confirm the classification on the offer before comparing it with a Victorian classroom or CRT rate.
Sources
- Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024
- NSW Department of Education — salary of a teacher
- NSW Department of Education — salary determination
Teacher salary hub
Other state teacher scales, including Victoria, which already converts on its own agreement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Official Australian tax, superannuation, and take-home pay guidance grounded in current ATO rulings.
What is the NSW teacher salary in 2026?
On 27 September 2026 the payable column is the one that started on 9 October 2025: Step 1 is $90,177 and Step 7 is $129,536. The next 3% column, Step 1 $92,882 and Step 7 $133,422, starts on the first full pay period on or after 9 October 2026. A page that still says graduate $85,000 and top classroom $122,100 is using an older deal.
Where is the NSW teacher salary 2026 scale published?
Schedule 1A of the Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024, hosted by the NSW Department of Education. It prints three dated columns: 9 October 2024, 9 October 2025, and 9 October 2026.
Can a graduate jump to the proficient steps?
Not without Proficient accreditation. Graduate teachers start at Step 1. Proficient accreditation starts at Step 3. Highly Accomplished or Lead accreditation starts on the separate HALT salary.
What is the casual teacher daily rate in NSW?
In the 9 October 2025 column the award sets CT1 at $466.44, CT2 at $523.04, and CT3 at $582.38 a day. From the first full pay period on or after 9 October 2026 those rates become $480.43, $538.73, and $599.85.
How much superannuation do NSW teachers receive?
NSW public school teachers in an accumulation scheme receive the 12.0% Superannuation Guarantee. That is not the federal APS 15.4% rate.