Education Assistant Pay Rates in Western Australia
Education Assistants' (Government) General Agreement 2025, registered by the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission ([2025] WAIRC 00036). It operates from 1 January 2025 and expires on 31 December 2026 (cl 6.1).
Education Assistants from 1 January 2026 (In force)
| Classification | Hourly | Full-time equivalent a year | Take-home a year | Full breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA (Mainstream) 1.1New mainstream EAs start here (cl 25.1) | $34.75 | $58,728 | $49,534 | $60,000 page |
| EA (Mainstream) 1.2 | $35.4100 | $59,843 | $50,275 | $60,000 page |
| EA 2.1 | $36.8700 | $62,310 | $51,916 | $60,000 page |
| EA 2.2 | $37.40 | $63,206 | $52,512 | $65,000 page |
| EA 2.3 | $38.15 | $64,474 | $53,356 | $65,000 page |
| EA (Mainstream) 2.4 | $39.0500 | $65,995 | $54,367 | $65,000 page |
| EA (Special Needs) 3.1Also AIEO (start point, cl 29.1), EA (EAL/D) | $39.78 | $67,228 | $55,195 | $65,000 page |
| EA (Special Needs) 3.2 | $40.5500 | $68,530 | $56,080 | $70,000 page |
| EA (Special Needs) 3.3 | $41.37 | $69,915 | $57,022 | $70,000 page |
| EA Specialist (Auslan, Braille, Advanced EA, EA Lead) | $43.28 | $73,143 | $59,217 | $75,000 page |
| Aboriginal Cultural Advisor | $44.26 | $74,799 | $60,343 | $75,000 page |
Schedule 2 – Wages, 1 January 2026 column. Level 2.1–2.3 rates apply to mainstream and Special Needs EAs alike. Annual = hourly rate × 32.5 hours × 52 weeks, our full-time equivalent; the agreement publishes hourly rates.
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 ordinary hours are 32.5 a week (cl 22.1). Most EAs are paid for the hours they are rostered, so multiply the hourly rate by your own 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
A new mainstream EA starts at level 1.1 and moves to level 2.1 on the increment date unless the principal decides otherwise (cl 25.1–25.3). Special Needs positions start at level 2 or 3 depending on the students' needs, and Aboriginal and Islander Education Officers start at 3.1 (cl 26, 29.1).
- The agreement added $65 a week to every rate from 1 January 2025 and again from 1 January 2026. It expires on 31 December 2026 and no later rate has been published.
- Casual EAs get a 25% loading instead of personal leave and paid student vacation time (cl 13.2).
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 WA 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
- SA SSO pay rates: School Services Officer
Frequently Asked Questions
WA EA pay questions and answers
How much does an Education Assistant earn in WA?
From 1 January 2026, a WA public school Education Assistant earns $34.75 an hour at level 1.1, $36.87 at level 2.1, $39.05 at mainstream level 2.4 and $39.78 to $41.37 at Special Needs level 3. EA Specialists (Auslan, Braille, Advanced EA and EA Lead) earn $43.28 an hour.
What is a full-time Education Assistant salary in WA?
Full-time is 32.5 hours a week, so level 1.1 at $34.75 an hour is about $58,728 a year and level 3.3 at $41.37 about $69,915 (hourly × 32.5 × 52).
What do casual Education Assistants get paid in WA?
Casual EAs get the hourly rate plus a 25% loading in place of personal leave and student vacation time, under clause 13.2 of the Education Assistants' (Government) General Agreement 2025.
How we worked this out▼
Rates are copied from the instrument’s own table for the date shown. The instrument publishes hourly rates, so the full-time equivalent is hourly × 32.5 hours × 52 weeks, and it is labelled as derived. 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
- 1Education Assistants' (Government) General Agreement 2025 — Schedule 2, wages— Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission
Last verified: 24 September 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
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Anita Bell earned her accountancy degree in 2015 and has worked as a senior bookkeeper with Prime Bookkeeping for over 5 years. This built her skills in Australian and New Zealand tax legislation and industry regulations. She is certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One, and works with payroll and rostering software including Gusto, Deputy, Tsheets and KeyPay. She has strong experience in hospitality, building and construction, financial services, real estate, ecommerce, and medical and health services.
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