State of teacher pay 2026
Who pays public school teachers the most?
Public school teacher pay in all eight states on one page: who pays most today, where each state will be by the end of next year, and how pay has kept up with prices since 2010.
Figures in force on 14 Nov 2026. Prices to the September quarter 2026.
1 · Today · First year
- 1stNorthern Territory
since 1 Jan 2026
- New South Wales
since 9 Oct 2026
- Victoria
since 1 Oct 2026
- 4th
- 5th
- 6thWestern Australia
since 6 Dec 2025
- 7thTasmania
since 1 Mar 2026
- 8thSouth Australia
since 1 May 2026
3 · Pay against prices since 2010 · First year
Each state's pay since the March quarter 2010 against prices in its capital city, as Pay vs inflation works it out. States in a fixed order: not ranked, because the real change depends on the start.
pay +64.7% · inflation +56.9% in Sydney
pay +56.7% · inflation +55.6% in Melbourne
pay +72.1% · inflation +59.6% in Brisbane
pay +63.4% · inflation +55.9% in Perth
pay +58.8% · inflation +59.3% in Adelaide
pay +58.9% · inflation +56.8% in Hobart
pay +70.2% · inflation +54.0% in Canberra
pay +69.5% · inflation +50.3% in Darwin
The ABS measures prices in capital cities. A regional teacher's own prices are not measured.
Pay vs inflation has the charts and the other periods.
2 · By the end of 2027 · First year
Every rise decided or awaiting approval, ranked on the last day of next year, as on the front page.
Northern Territory
New South Wales
Victoria
Australian Capital Territory
Offer not accepted, dispute continuing
Ended by then: today’s rate shown
Queensland
In arbitration, interim rise in effect
Ended by then: today’s rate shown
Western Australia
Tasmania
South Australia
4 · Quote these figures
Journalists, unions and researchers are welcome to quote these figures. Please link to this page and give the date the figures apply from.
TeacherPay, State of teacher pay 2026, teacherpay.com.au/state-of-teacher-pay (figures in force on 14 Nov 2026, prices to the September quarter 2026)
Every figure's source, and each state's agreement
Every figure's source: Sources and method, and each state's agreement:
Catholic and independent schools, and why there is no averageThey set their own pay and aren't ranked here
Catholic and independent schools set their own pay and aren't ranked here. Find your school on the Pay map, or see every pay rise coming.
Why there is no average. An average depends on how many teachers sit on each step, and no agreement publishes that. So this page shows the real rates instead: first year, top of the scale, and where each state stands.