How Victorian school principal salaries have climbed over time

Victoria’s state school principals are chalking up the pay rises on all levels — this is how much they’re taking home.

Some of Victoria’s highest-paid government school principals are making $25,000 more than they did five years ago.

The Herald Sun’s analysis of principal class remuneration in Victorian government schools revealed top range school principals who took home the highest salary of $199,265 in 2017 have seen their pay rise to $224,405, an increase of $25,140.

Principals at state schools currently make anywhere between $146,987 and $224,405 per year.

Regardless of the salary range they were hired at, annual pay packets for most principals have increased by about $20,000 since 2017.

Victorian principals are chalking up the pay rises.

Assistant principals and liaison principals also scored a pay rise in that time, with the lowest grade assistants who made $118,230 five years ago now sitting on $133,147 per annum.

The highest paid government school assistant principals take home $189,359 each year, an increase of $21,214 from their $168,145 annual pay in 2017.

The highest-paid liaison staff now also bring home $224,405 each year.

Meanwhile, top executives from the federal Department of Education can earn nearly one million dollars a year.

The department’s secretary Dr Michelle Bruniges is on a total package of $900,000 and there are six other senior executives earning more than $400,000 in the 2020-2021 financial year.

The state Department of Education has one senior executive on more than $400,000 and 92 in total earning more than $160,000, its annual report states.

In comparison, a private school sector source said smaller private school principals could be paid as low as $150,000 to $180,000.

But the source said the top Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS) school principals are on packages of up to $700,000 a year.

Secretary of the Australian Department of Education Michelle Bruniges. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

A medium-sized private school in Melbourne which is currently searching for a new principal is offering the successful candidate a package of $450,000 to $500,000.

Australian Education Union Victorian Branch President Meredith Peace said a principal’s pay packet is based on the size of a school’s budget and their performance in the role.

“Principals generally start at the lowest point in the range and then progress through four annual incremental increases upon a successful performance and development review,” Ms Peace said.

“Principals in public schools are employed in one of five salary ranges, determined by the size of the school budget.

“For example, principals of schools with a budget of between $0 and $1.55m will be employed in range 2, while a principal of a school with a budget greater than $14.3m will be employed in range 6.”

All of the total salary packages include superannuation.

But Ms Peace said proposed changes to the government school’s agreement would mean most principals and assistant principals would be paid their salary and superannuation separately.

Originally published as How Victorian school principal salaries have climbed over time