Queensland's certified agreement expired on 30 June 2025 and the replacement went to arbitration on 31 December 2025. No new agreement has been certified: the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission's agreements page (updated 2 October 2026) still lists the 2022 agreement, so it remains the instrument in force. The rates below are what the department's own salary schedule publishes, read on 14 October 2026.
The department has now published the September 2026 increases. From 7 September 2026 teachers are paid a 3% interim increase ([2026] QIRC 267) or the award rate where that is higher, and award rates rose 4.75% from 1 September 2026 under the 2026 State Wage Case ([2026] QIRC 280). Classroom teacher Bands 1 to 3, Senior Teacher, Experienced Senior Teacher, assistant teachers, supply teachers and Head of Program Level 1 Paypoint 3 are on the award rate, the same figures as the QIRC's award reprint operative 1 September 2026. Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher, the other Head of Program rows, deputy principals, principals and community teachers are on the 3% interim rate.
The department's workbook no longer dates its columns, and its cover still reads "Updated 1 September 2026". Each table below gives the date its rates apply from: 1 September 2026 for award rates, and 7 September 2026, the operative date of the interim order, for the rest.
Teach Queensland's summary pay page (updated 1 October 2026) quotes a beginning-teacher salary of "approximately $86,601", below the $90,164 the department's salary schedule prints for Band 2 Step 1. This page follows the salary schedule.
Queensland teacher pay scale 2026 — every step
Queensland labels classroom teacher pay as Band and Step, from Band 1 Step 1 to Band 3 Step 4. Senior Teacher, Experienced Senior Teacher, Highly Accomplished Teacher and Lead Teacher are paid above Band 3 Step 4. Four-year-trained graduates enter at Band 2 Step 1.
Full-time annual salaries before tax and before superannuation. Part-time teachers are paid these rates pro rata on their time fraction.
Classroom teachers — Stream 1
The main scale. A beginning teacher with a four-year degree starts at Band 2, Step 1; Band 1 is for teachers on a Permission to Teach or working as an intern.
Rates in this table took effect 1 September 2026 (Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher: 7 September 2026).
| Classification and step | Annual salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Band 1, Step 1 | $80,615 | Permission to Teach or intern |
| Band 1, Step 2 | $83,302 | Permission to Teach or intern |
| Band 2, Step 1 | $90,164 | Four-year degree entry point |
| Band 2, Step 2 | $94,599 | |
| Band 2, Step 3 | $99,216 | |
| Band 2, Step 4 | $103,782 | |
| Band 3, Step 1 | $107,643 | |
| Band 3, Step 2 | $111,478 | |
| Band 3, Step 3 | $115,261 | |
| Band 3, Step 4 | $119,357 | Top of the incremental scale |
| Senior Teacher (4 year trained) | $124,601 | By application |
| Experienced Senior Teacher (ES401) | $127,549 | By application |
| Experienced Senior Teacher (ES402) | $127,549 | |
| Highly Accomplished Teacher | $134,694 | National certification |
| Lead Teacher | $147,050 | National certification |
Every salary links to its take-home figure. Where a salary is not a round $5,000 the link goes to the nearest amount the calculator publishes.
QLD teacher salary 2026 at a glance
Full-time annual salaries from 1 September 2026 for classroom teachers and 7 September 2026 for promotional and school leader positions, read from the Department of Education State School Teachers' Certified Agreement 2022 (expired 30 June 2025, now in arbitration). Tap a classification for every step, or a salary to see it after tax.
| Classification | Steps | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classroom teachers — Stream 1 | 15 | $80,615 | $147,050 |
| Promotional teaching positions — Heads of Program (Stream 2) | 4 | $145,320 | $155,351 |
| Deputy principals (School Leaders Stream 3) | 2 | $161,746 | $164,605 |
| Principals (School Leaders Stream 3) | 20 | $146,776 | $242,573 |
| Assistant teachers and community teachers | 9 | $63,996 | $91,800 |
Queensland principal salary 2026
Principals are paid on their own scale, separate from the classroom teacher steps above. The figures below are read from the same Department of Education State School Teachers' Certified Agreement 2022 (expired 30 June 2025, now in arbitration) schedule as the rest of this page and apply from 1 September 2026 for classroom teachers and 7 September 2026 for promotional and school leader positions.
| Principal scale | Lowest | Highest | Pay points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principals (School Leaders Stream 3) | $146,776 | $242,573 | 20 |
Ten principal levels, each with published pay points. The bracketed labels are the previous band and school leader numbering, which still appears on some payslips.
Every principal pay point is in the full table further down this page.
QLD leadership, specialist and other pay scales
Promotional teaching positions — Heads of Program (Stream 2)
Head of Department, Head of Department (Curriculum), Guidance Officer, Senior Guidance Officer and Head of Special Education Services.
Rates in this table took effect 7 September 2026 (Level 1, Paypoint 3: 1 September 2026).
| Level and pay point | Annual salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1, Paypoint 2 | $145,320 | HODC, HOD, GO, HOSES 2 |
| Level 1, Paypoint 3 | $148,003 | HODC, HOD, GO, HOSES 2 |
| Level 2, Paypoint 2 | $152,651 | SGO, HOSES 3 |
| Level 2, Paypoint 3 | $155,351 | SGO, HOSES 3 |
Every salary links to its take-home figure. Where a salary is not a round $5,000 the link goes to the nearest amount the calculator publishes.
Deputy principals (School Leaders Stream 3)
Deputy principals, including Head of Special Education Services 4.
Rates in this table took effect 7 September 2026.
Every salary links to its take-home figure. Where a salary is not a round $5,000 the link goes to the nearest amount the calculator publishes.
Principals (School Leaders Stream 3)
Ten principal levels, each with published pay points. The bracketed labels are the previous band and school leader numbering, which still appears on some payslips.
Rates in this table took effect 7 September 2026.
| Level and pay point | Annual salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1, Paypoint 2 | $146,776 | Previously Band 5, SL1 |
| Level 1, Paypoint 3 | $149,372 | Previously Band 5, SL1 |
| Level 2, Paypoint 2 | $154,845 | Previously Band 6, SL2 |
| Level 2, Paypoint 3 | $157,585 | Previously Band 6, SL2 |
| Level 3, Paypoint 2 | $163,363 | Previously Band 7, SL3 |
| Level 3, Paypoint 3 | $166,249 | Previously Band 7, SL3 |
| Level 4, Paypoint 2 | $172,346 | Previously Band 8, SL4 |
| Level 4, Paypoint 3 | $175,396 | Previously Band 8, SL4 |
| Level 5, Paypoint 2 | $181,827 | Previously Band 9, SL5 |
| Level 5, Paypoint 3 | $185,041 | Previously Band 9, SL5 |
| Level 6, Paypoint 2 | $191,829 | Previously Band 10, SL6 |
| Level 6, Paypoint 3 | $195,218 | Previously Band 10, SL6 |
| Level 7, Paypoint 2 | $202,377 | Previously Band 11, SL7 |
| Level 7, Paypoint 3 | $205,954 | Previously Band 11, SL7 |
| Level 8, Paypoint 1 | $213,442 | |
| Level 8, Paypoint 2 | $217,282 | |
| Level 9, Paypoint 1 | $225,182 | |
| Level 9, Paypoint 2 | $229,234 | |
| Level 10, Paypoint 1 | $237,564 | |
| Level 10, Paypoint 2 | $242,573 | Top of the principal scale |
Every salary links to its take-home figure. Where a salary is not a round $5,000 the link goes to the nearest amount the calculator publishes.
Assistant teachers and community teachers
Separate classifications used in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community schools.
Rates in this table took effect 1 September 2026 (community teachers: 7 September 2026).
| Classification and step | Annual salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Teacher, Step 1 | $63,996 | |
| Assistant Teacher, Step 2 | $65,431 | |
| Assistant Teacher, Step 3 | $66,918 | |
| Assistant Teacher, Step 4 | $68,275 | |
| Community Teacher, Step 1 | $76,306 | |
| Community Teacher, Step 2 | $79,176 | |
| Community Teacher, Step 3 | $82,043 | |
| Community Teacher, Step 4 | $84,913 | |
| Senior Community Teacher | $91,800 |
Every salary links to its take-home figure. Where a salary is not a round $5,000 the link goes to the nearest amount the calculator publishes.
Which agreement sets QLD teacher pay
Queensland public school teacher salaries are set by the Department of Education State School Teachers' Certified Agreement 2022 (expired 30 June 2025, now in arbitration), the instrument the Queensland Department of Education pays against. The rates below took effect from 1 September 2026 for classroom teachers and 7 September 2026 for promotional and school leader positions and were read from that instrument on 14 October 2026.
These are the government (public) school scales. Catholic systemic and independent schools in Queensland negotiate their own agreements and are not covered here.
Casual and relief teacher rates
Casual teachers in Queensland are paid a fixed rate per engagement rather than an annual salary.
| Classification | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Supply (relief) teacher | $103.15 per hour | Band 3 Step 1 classification, including 25% casual loading |
| Supply (relief) teacher — daily | $515.75 per day | Including 25% casual loading |
To turn a daily rate into an annual equivalent, and then into take-home pay, use the QLD pay calculator.
Which step am I on?
This is the part most teachers get wrong on their own payslip. Progression in Queensland is not simply one step per calendar year — the rules below are what the Queensland Department of Education actually applies.
Where you start
The department sets your starting salary from your years of service, your qualifications, and prior teaching or industry experience. A beginning teacher with a four-year degree starts on Band 2, Step 1.
Band 1 is not the graduate band. It is for people teaching on a Permission to Teach, or working as an intern, and has only two steps.
Bands 2 and 3 are the incremental part
Band 2 has four steps and Band 3 has four steps, so there are eight incremental steps between the four-year-degree entry point and the top of the incremental scale at Band 3, Step 4.
Above Band 3 you apply — and you stay in the classroom
Senior Teacher, Experienced Senior Teacher, and Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher are all things you apply for rather than age into, and all of them keep you teaching. That is the distinguishing feature of the Queensland structure: there are four paid classifications above the incremental scale that do not require leaving the classroom.
If you want a leadership role instead, the pathway runs from Head of Department (Curriculum) through to Principal, on the separate Stream 2 and Stream 3 scales above.
What the agreement says about increments
Clause 5.11.2: progression from one salary step to the next by increment is subject to satisfactory performance. Clause 5.11.1 adds something part-timers should know — incremental progression is not affected by your part-time employment fraction, so a 0.5 load still moves you a step a year.
Clause 5.11.3 is the exception: an employee subject to a Managing Unsatisfactory Performance process at Stage 2 or beyond at the time of their increment does not progress.
Senior Teacher, Experienced Senior Teacher and certification
Clause 5.4.3.1: three months before becoming eligible for Senior Teacher you complete an undertaking and personal action plan as part of the annual performance review process.
Clause 5.4.4.1: Experienced Senior Teacher is available to any teacher with two or more years of satisfactory service as a Senior Teacher.
Clause 5.5.5.1 sets the gate for Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher: full teacher registration, a minimum of five years of registered recognised teaching experience at the next portfolio submission date, and at least two completed annual performance reviews in the preceding two years for HAT, or three in three years for Lead. Certification has to be renewed every five years.
The deferred salary scheme
Permanent state school teachers can defer part of their annual salary over four years, then be paid that deferred salary during a fifth year while taking a pre-approved period of leave. It changes what your payslip shows for four years, so it is worth knowing about when you are reconciling gross pay against the scale.
Checking your payslip: find the classification code on your payslip, match it to the first column of the tables above, and compare the annual figure. If your gross fortnightly pay does not divide back to the annual salary for your step, you are either on the wrong step or being paid pro rata on a time fraction. The QLD pay calculator will convert an annual salary to fortnightly for you.
What a QLD teacher salary is worth after tax
Gross salary is not what lands in your account. A graduate on $90,164 and a top-of-scale teacher on $119,357 both pay income tax and the Medicare levy, and most also have a compulsory HECS-HELP repayment deducted at these income levels. Every salary in the tables above links to its take-home figure — start with take-home pay on $90,000 or take-home pay on $120,000.
Superannuation sits on top of these salaries rather than inside them. Check the exact figure for your own step with the take-home pay calculator, and if you have a study debt the HECS repayment calculator shows what comes out at your income.
To check the PAYG amount on a single payslip, look up your gross pay in the ATO fortnightly tax table or, if your school pays monthly, the monthly tax table.
Salary packaging available to QLD teachers
Public school teachers can salary sacrifice into superannuation, which reduces taxable income at your marginal rate. Because the classroom teacher scale runs through the 30% and 37% brackets, the saving is meaningful at the top of the scale and smaller at the graduate step. Work out your own number with the salary sacrifice calculator.
Salary sacrificing also lowers the income your compulsory HECS-HELP repayment is assessed on only in limited cases — reportable fringe benefits and reportable super contributions are added back for that test. If you are packaging, check the effect on repayment income before assuming a saving.
What this page does not show
We publish only what we could read from a primary source. These are deliberately left off rather than estimated:
- The final arbitrated rates. The replacement agreement is still before the QIRC, and the 3% interim increase applies until the proceedings are determined, so no later increase or date is published yet.
- Paypoint 1 for Promotional Levels 1 and 2, for deputy principals, and for Principal Levels 1 to 7 — the department publishes those cells as "--" with no rate, so they are not shown.
- Coach classifications (Pedagogy, Literacy and Numeracy Coaches engaged before 1 July 2019), which the department directs to separate transition arrangements.
- Community Education Counsellor and school-based trainee scales, which are separate classifications.
- Rural and remote incentives and locality allowances, which vary by school and are not a salary rate.
For anything in that list, go to the Queensland Department of Education.
QLD teacher salary questions
Teacher salaries in other states
How this page is sourced▼
Every salary on this page was read from the Department of Education State School Teachers' Certified Agreement 2022 (expired 30 June 2025, now in arbitration) or from the Queensland Department of Education’s own published salary schedule on 14 October 2026, and applies from 1 September 2026 for classroom teachers and 7 September 2026 for promotional and school leader positions. Nothing is estimated, averaged or interpolated: a step we could not read from a primary source is listed under “What this page does not show” rather than filled in.
State scales step up on dates written into the agreement, so re-check after the next scheduled increase. Take-home figures come from the site’s own calculator using ATO rates; because those pages exist in $5,000 steps, a salary that is not a round $5,000 links to the nearest one and says so.
Sources & References
- 1Department of Education Salary Schedule — Teachers sheet (re-published with the 7 September 2026 rates; cover reads "Updated 1 September 2026")— Queensland Department of Education
- 2State of Queensland (Department of Education) v Queensland Teachers' Union of Employees [2026] QIRC 267 — 3% interim increase operative 7 September 2026— Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (Supreme Court Library Queensland)
- 3Teaching in State Education Award - State 2016, reprint operative 1 September 2026 (clause 12.6)— Queensland Industrial Relations Commission
- 4Declaration of General Ruling (State Wage Case 2026) [2026] QIRC 280 — 4.75% from 1 September 2026— Queensland Industrial Relations Commission
- 5Public service agreements (Department of Education State School Teachers' CA 2022; updated 2 October 2026)— Queensland Industrial Relations Commission
- 6Pay and benefits — teaching in Queensland state schools (updated 1 October 2026)— Teach Queensland, Queensland Department of Education
- 7Salaries — Teachers CA 2022: updated salary schedule from 7 September 2026— Queensland Teachers' Union
Last verified: 14 October 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
Accountancy degree (2015); certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One
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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