School Assistant Pay Rates in the Australian Capital Territory
ACT Public Sector Administrative and Related Classifications Enterprise Agreement 2023 to 2026, approved by the Fair Work Commission on 13 September 2023 (AG2023/2959). Section R holds the Education Directorate conditions for School Assistants and Annex A prints their pay. The agreement passed its nominal expiry date on 31 March 2026 but keeps applying: the proposed 2026 to 2029 replacement was not approved by employees when voting closed on 8 September 2026, so the 4 December 2025 rates below are the rates in force.
School Assistants from 4 December 2025 (In force)
| Classification | Full-time a year | Take-home a year | Full breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| School Assistant 2/3 pay point 1Learning Support Assistants start here (cl R16.2) | $59,725 | $50,197 | $60,000 page |
| School Assistant 2/3 pay point 2 | $61,158 | $51,150 | $60,000 page |
| School Assistant 2/3 pay point 3 | $62,564 | $52,085 | $65,000 page |
| School Assistant 2/3 pay point 4 | $63,988 | $53,032 | $65,000 page |
| School Assistant 2/3 pay point 5 | $65,400 | $53,971 | $65,000 page |
| School Assistant 2/3 pay point 6 | $66,968 | $55,019 | $65,000 page |
| School Assistant 2/3 pay point 7 | $68,511 | $56,068 | $70,000 page |
| School Assistant 2/3 pay point 8 | $70,049 | $57,113 | $70,000 page |
| School Assistant 2/3 pay point 9 | $71,670 | $58,216 | $70,000 page |
| School Assistant 3 pay point 1Preschool, bilingual, vision and hearing support assistants start here | $66,968 | $55,019 | $65,000 page |
| School Assistant 3 pay point 2 | $68,511 | $56,068 | $70,000 page |
| School Assistant 3 pay point 3 | $70,049 | $57,113 | $70,000 page |
| School Assistant 3 pay point 4 | $71,670 | $58,216 | $70,000 page |
| School Assistant 4 pay point 1Wellbeing and youth support workers, administrative coordinators start here | $79,668 | $63,655 | $80,000 page |
| School Assistant 4 pay point 2 | $81,934 | $65,195 | $80,000 page |
| School Assistant 4 pay point 3 | $83,849 | $66,497 | $85,000 page |
| School Assistant 4 pay point 4 | $85,789 | $67,816 | $85,000 page |
Annex A of the agreement, School Assistant rows, column '1% + $1,000 from 04/12/2025'. Each figure is 85.034% of the matching ASO pay point (91.836% for School Assistant 4), which is how the annex labels them. The agreement prints no hourly rate for School Assistants.
Take-home pay uses 2026–27 resident tax rates with the low income tax offset and Medicare levy, no HECS, on the full-time figure; the linked page is the nearest $5,000 salary.
Hours, Part-Time and Term-Time Pay
Full-time School Assistants 1, 2, 2/3 and 3 work 125 hours over four weeks, an average of 31 hours 15 minutes a week and usually 6 hours 15 minutes a day; a School Assistant 4 works 67 hours 30 minutes a fortnight, or 33 hours 45 minutes a week (clauses R2.2 and R2.3). The annual salary is the ASO rate scaled to those hours: the ASO 1 to 3 salary times 62.5/73.5, and the ASO 4 salary times 67.5/73.5 (clause R16.6). It is not reduced again for stand-down (clause R16.7), so a full-time School Assistant who works the whole school year receives the printed figure. Part-time staff are paid for their designated hours.
To turn an hourly rate into your own pay, use the hourly to salary calculator or the pro-rata salary calculator for part-time hours.
Where You Start and How You Move Up
Your level follows your job title. Learning Support Assistants and administrative, library, technology, food technology and general assistants start at School Assistant 2/3, a broadband of nine pay points; preschool, bilingual, vision support and hearing support assistants and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Workers start at School Assistant 3; administrative coordinators, wellbeing support workers, youth support workers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Officers start at School Assistant 4 (clause R16.2). School Assistant 1 ($55,378 to $58,501) is only used for trainees in ACTPS vocational employment programs (clause R16.3).
- The agreement's last increase was 1% plus $1,000 from the first full pay period on or after 1 December 2025 (4 December 2025), and it passed its nominal expiry on 31 March 2026. Employees voted down the proposed Administrative and Related Classifications Enterprise Agreement 2026 to 2029 in a ballot that closed on 8 September 2026, so no further increase is scheduled until a new agreement is made and approved by the Fair Work Commission.
- A temporary School Support Allowance of $1,500 a year is paid to every School Assistant 1 to 4 in equal fortnightly instalments for the life of the agreement (clause R16.8 and Annex C). It is a flat amount, paid once a pay period, and not paid for a full pay period of unpaid leave.
- The working days between published school terms are paid stand-down (clause R3.3). A School Assistant 4 works six extra days during those breaks, usually two in each, plus four professional learning days (clause R3.4). Annual leave of four weeks is taken in the block from the end of Term 4 to the last working day before Australia Day (clause R7.4).
- A temporary School Assistant moves up a pay point after 12 months of continuous service, or after 200 days worked at their ordinary hours if the service is broken; earlier service, including casual work, counts (clause R15). Casual School Assistants are engaged through the Directorate's casual register (clause R14.2).
- Every School Assistant does at least four days (25 hours) of professional learning a year, preferably in the stand-down periods (clause R13.5).
Student wellbeing, engagement and youth work roles are often employed outside the school support structure, by a council or a community organisation under the SCHADS award: see youth worker pay rates for those minimums.
Teacher Aide Pay in Other States
Each state sets its own rates. Compare them on the school support staff pay hub, see teacher salaries on the ACT teacher pay page, and the award minimum for private and Catholic schools on the teacher aide pay rates page.
- NSW SLSO pay rates: School Learning Support Officer
- VIC ES pay rates: Education Support (ES) staff
- QLD teacher aide pay rates: Teacher Aide
- WA EA pay rates: Education Assistant
- SA SSO pay rates: School Services Officer
- TAS TA pay rates: Teacher Assistant
- NT school-based AO pay rates: School-based Administrative Officer
Frequently Asked Questions
ACT school assistant pay questions and answers
How much does a school assistant earn in the ACT?
From 4 December 2025 a School Assistant 2/3 in an ACT public school is paid $59,725 to $71,670 a year across nine pay points, a School Assistant 3 $66,968 to $71,670 and a School Assistant 4 $79,668 to $85,789, plus the $1,500 a year School Support Allowance. These are the Annex A rates of the ACT Public Sector Administrative and Related Classifications Enterprise Agreement 2023 to 2026.
What level does a Learning Support Assistant start on in the ACT?
School Assistant 2/3, pay point 1, at $59,725 a year. The 2/3 broadband was created when the agreement started: every School Assistant 2 moved into it at the matching pay point and the old competency barrier between levels 2 and 3 was removed (clause R17).
Why is an ACT school assistant paid less than an ASO at the same level?
Because the salary is pro rata to the hours. A School Assistant 2/3 works 62.5 hours a fortnight against 73.5 for a full-time ASO, so the pay is the ASO rate times 62.5/73.5 (85.034%); a School Assistant 4 works 67.5 hours and gets 91.836% (clause R16.6). ASO 2 pay point 1 is $70,236, which becomes $59,725 for a School Assistant 2/3.
When is the next ACT school assistant pay rise?
None is set. The agreement's last rise was 1% plus $1,000 from 4 December 2025 and it passed its nominal expiry on 31 March 2026. The proposed 2026 to 2029 replacement was voted down in September 2026, so the next increase depends on a new agreement being made and approved by the Fair Work Commission.
How we worked this out▼
Rates are copied from the instrument’s own table for the date shown. Annual salaries are as printed. Nothing is estimated from job ads.
Take-home pay uses 2026–27 resident tax rates with the low income tax offset and Medicare levy, no HECS, on the full-time figure; the linked page is the nearest $5,000 salary. General information, not advice: your payslip and your school’s HR team are the final word.
Sources & References
- 1ACT Public Sector Administrative and Related Classifications Enterprise Agreement 2023 to 2026 (AG2023/2959), Section R and Annex A, ACT Government (Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate)
- 2Enterprise Agreements, ACTPS Employment Portal, ACT Government
Last verified: 22 October 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
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AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
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