A guide to secondary teacher salaries in Australia
By Zoya Patel
A career in secondary teaching can be rewarding – but you might have questions about what to expect in terms of salary. Read on for a comprehensive guide to secondary teacher salaries across Australia.
How much do secondary teachers make in Australia?
Many secondary teachers are drawn to the job because they’re passionate about working with young people and making a difference. Most of us can remember a secondary teacher who had a big impact on us – and they can inspire us to be that person for the next generation. But it’s also important to know what sort of financial future you can have as a secondary teacher.
All Australian teachers are paid according to the Teaching Award in each state or territory, which sets salaries based on experience and role level. Overall, secondary school teachers can earn between $79,000 and over $130,000, depending on their years in the role and any leadership positions they take on. Let’s take a closer look at how this works.
Secondary teacher salary progression: from graduate to lead teacher
In secondary schools, teaching careers often follow a structured path, depending on how high into senior roles you decide to go. Here’s what that can look like in practice.
Classroom teacher
You’ll start as a graduate teacher, and your salary will increase each year as you gain experience and meet performance expectations.
Graduates typically earn $79,000 and $92,000, depending on your state or territory.
Experienced teachers can earn between $111,000 and $131,000. You can find a full breakdown of state and territory-based teacher salaries below.
Once you reach the top of the classroom teacher pay scale, further salary growth comes from moving into leadership or specialist roles.
Year level coordinator
High schools appoint a year level coordinator for each grade, who is responsible for student wellbeing, coordination and parent liaison duties.
This role is usually given to an experienced classroom teacher, typically at the Proficient or Highly Accomplished classification level, on top of some teaching duties as well.
Taking on a coordinator role represents the first major step up in pay and responsibility for most teachers.
A year level coordinator falls under a different category of the award in each state or territory, but generally earns between $111,000 and $131,000.
Head teacher/lead teacher
A head teacher’ (sometimes called a ‘lead teacher’) in a high school is usually the head of a department, such as Humanities, Mathematics or Science.
They manage staff, support the principal as needed, and oversee curriculum planning. They may still have a teaching load as well.
This role sits within the higher levels of the award and marks another clear step in both classification and salary.
Lead teachers in Australia can earn between $123,000 and $188,000, depending on their experience and the size of their school.
Each state and territory outlines these pay ranges clearly in their Teaching Award, which sets out salaries by classification and experience level. The figures below give an overview of what you can expect to earn as a secondary teacher across Australia.
Secondary teacher salaries by state and territory
State or territory | Classroom teacher salary | Head teacher salary | Principal or deputy principal salary | Casual rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
New South Wales | $90,177 – $127,281 | $149,059 | $174,034 – $229,435 | $452.85 – $582.38/day |
Australian Capital Territory | $92,186 – $126,838 | $142,082 | $164,592 – $215,432 | $329 - $558/day |
Victoria | $79,589 – $118,063 | $123,966 – $129,544 | $136,022 – $238,676 | $425.80/day |
South Australia | $82,496 – $119,647 | $137,248 | $129,841 – $216,004 | $395.35 – $573.39/day |
Tasmania | $82,828 – $118,328 | $125,464 | $138,909 – $205,111 | $38.77 – $48.79/hour |
Western Australia | $85,610 – $128,697 | $134,165 | $150,934 – $163,356 | $82.17 – $87.86/hour |
Northern Territory | $92,215 – $131,349 | $139,296 – $188,789 | $141,005 – $205,531 | $441.93 – $484.15/day |
Queensland | $84,078 – $111,610 | $141,088 – $143,582 | $157,034 – $235,508 | $96.50/hour |
Sources: NSW Department of Education, ACT Department of Education, Victorian Department of Education, SA Department of Education, Tasmanian Department of Education, WA Department of Education, NT Department of Education, Queensland Department of Education
Do subject specialisations impact your salary?
No, subject specialisations don’t impact your salary directly as a secondary teacher, but they may impact your job prospects, depending on if certain subjects or specialisations are in high demand.
High demand subjects across Australia right now include science, English, mathematics, technologies and special education and inclusion.
Having multiple teaching specialisations can also improve your employability, especially in regional or rural areas where schools value versatile teachers.
Full-time vs part-time vs casual secondary teacher pay
Another element that influences your pay is whether you decide to work on a full-time, part-time or casual basis.
Full-time teachers:
Get paid according to the award in their state or territory
Work standard full-time hours, with set face-to-face teaching hours (generally 5 hours a day, though this can change in different states and territories)
Receive full leave and superannuation entitlements.
This suits you if: you’re looking for stability and a consistent full-time salary, and can commit to standard working hours with some after-hours planning or school activities as needed.
Part-time teachers:
Get paid according to their relevant award, but at a ‘pro rata’ rate, where their salary and conditions are based on the percentage of full-time hours worked.
Often teach a reduced number of classes or days per week, like 2-3 class loads.
This suits you if: you want to balance teaching with other commitments, like parenting, study or caring responsibilities, but still want regular classroom days.
Casual teachers:
Are paid either a daily or hourly rate, as set by the award.
Don’t usually receive leave entitlements, but their hourly rate is higher to compensate.
Often step in for regular classroom teachers to deliver pre-planned lessons.
This suits you if: you want flexibility and control over your schedule, or need work that fits around other commitments like study or caring responsibilities.
Teaching is rewarding, but also associated with a high workload – how does it balance out?
Charles McIntosh became a teacher after qualifying as an engineer. Teaching offered a way to contribute to his community and balance his work-life responsibilities. Starting out as a part-time teacher, he eventually went full-time and now is a head teacher.
"As a head of faculty, I teach three classes and manage about 11 staff. Having come from an engineering background, I would’ve made a lot more money to manage that many people without face-to-face work per se,” he explains.
I’ve heard from plenty of engineer friends that my lower pay is justifiable because I ‘get to love my job’. Your love of your job is not part of your pay packet, your love of your job gives back in spades when your kids get a happy teacher who wants to be there every day.
Charles also points out that there is a community within teaching, including policy makers and unions, who are there to keep improving the industry.
“Ultimately, you do your kids a service every time you argue for better pay and conditions for teachers, because those kids will get the best from you when you are looked after. Our kids are worth properly paid and supported teachers.”
How to become a secondary school teacher in Australia
To become a secondary teacher in Australia, you’ll need a Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education) or a Master of Teaching (Secondary Education).
The degree and entry pathway you choose depends on where you’re starting from and what you’ve already achieved.
1. Start without an ATAR
Choose this option if: You didn’t finish Year 12 or get the ATAR needed for teaching.
Time commitment: 4 years of full-time study (or part-time equivalent)
Begin with an Undergraduate Certificate in Teaching Education Studies, which is open to everyone.
Progress into a Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education) with full credit from your certificate – meaning you’ll graduate in the same time as direct-entry students.
Complete your required teaching placements in secondary school settings.
Pass the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE).
Once qualified, register with your state or territory’s teacher registration authority.
2. Take the direct route
Choose this option if: You got an ATAR of 70+ or hold a TAFE qualification.
Time commitment: 4 years of full-time study (or part-time equivalent)
Apply directly for a Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education).
Choose your major and minor teaching areas — for example, English and Humanities, or Science and Maths.
Complete your professional placements and the LANTITE test.
Register with your state or territory’s teacher registration authority when you graduate.
3. Take the fast route
Choose this option if: You have a bachelor degree in another field but you want to switch careers and become a teacher.
Time commitment: 2 years of full-time study (or part-time equivalent)
Apply for a Master of Teaching (Secondary Education).
Choose your major and minor teaching areas. Your existing degree can be used as your specialisation (for example, if you studied History, you could qualify to teach Humanities).
Complete your placements in secondary schools and the LANTITE test.
Register with your state or territory’s teacher registration authority once you’ve graduated.
Every teacher begins somewhere. Choose the path that feels right for you and take the first step towards a career that transforms futures.
The salary information in this guide is current as of November 2025.
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FAQs about secondary teacher salaries
What is the secondary teacher starting salary in Australia?
The starting salary for a graduate secondary teacher differs in each state and territory, but is between $79,589 and $92,215. This increases each year based on experience.
How much do secondary teachers earn in Victoria vs NSW?
Secondary teachers in NSW earn more than those in Victoria, with graduates starting at $90,177, compared to $79,589 in Victoria.
This is partly because the NSW Government recently lifted all teacher salaries across the award, in response to the growing demand for a meaningful salary increase for the sector, to reflect the high workload and important contributions of educators.
What’s the difference between primary and secondary teacher salaries?
The teaching awards are the same for secondary and primary teachers, but there can be a difference in the number of opportunities in the school system to grow your salary outside of the standard increments.
Secondary schools can have more opportunities for teachers to take on leadership and coordination roles that have higher salaries associated with them, such as year level coordinator roles and head of faculty positions.
