Australia’s best and worst paid teachers revealed – including where teachers straight out of uni can earn $100k a year

Where teachers start their career can be a decision worth a small fortune – especially if they head north. See the huge difference in how much each state and territory pays.

Inexperienced Northern Territory teachers are set to soon earn over $100,000 a year straight out of uni, beating crocs, cyclones and their southern states counterparts to be the highest-paid in the nation.

But southern states lag well behind, with the so-called ‘Education State’ of Victoria having the country’s worst-paid teachers – prompting more than 700 to transfer interstate last year.

Teachers are voting with their feet, chasing sunshine and salaries as education departments across the country compete for talented teachers.

News Corp’s analysis of Australia’s best-paid teachers comes as a recent OECD report found Australian teachers are among the highest earners in the world.

Leading the list was the Northern Territory, where a graduate teacher will receive a base salary of $92,215 this year.

That figure will jump to $100,316 by 2027, with the highest classification of teachers earning $142,888 – putting them on par with a fourth-year doctor in the NT.

This is in an education system which consistently records the nation’s worst NAPLAN results due to an extremely disadvantaged student demographic.

On the other end of the spectrum are Tasmania and Victoria, where graduate teachers earn a touch above $79,000 and top-scale teachers earn about $118,000.

Rookie teachers in the Northern Territory earn the highest starting salaries in the nation, but have to contend with crocs, cyclones and students with the nation's worst literacy and numeracy rates.

Both these states are currently negotiating new pay deals with their education departments to recruit and retain more teachers during a national shortage.

“Victoria’s public school teachers are the lowest paid in Australia, and our public school principals and education support staff are undervalued,” Australian Education Union (Victoria) deputy president Briley Stokes said.

“Our public school teachers, principals and education support staff are leaving Victoria and moving to other states and territories where they will have decent pay and conditions.”

A Victorian Department of Education spokeswoman said they were working towards an agreement with “hardworking school staff”.

“Our teachers and school staff work incredibly hard to give our students a great education – that’s why we have backed them with a $160m investment in this year’s budget to attract and retain more teachers right across the state,” the spokeswoman said.

“We have commenced negotiations for the new school staff EBA in good faith to reach an agreement for our hardworking school staff.”

An Australian Education Union Victoria protest over $2.4 billion school funding cuts. Picture: Josie Hayden

Reports from the various teacher registration boards reveal the cost of lower wages as teachers vote with their feet.

Queensland was the most desirable state, attracting 1918 interstate and Kiwi teachers in 2024, including 439 from Victoria and 587 from NSW.

NSW lagged behind in attraction with 1058 teachers granted mutual recognition from interstate and New Zealand, and 1609 moved to Victoria.

The Territory’s top wages enticed 212 Victorians to head up north – representing nearly 40 per cent of all converts.

NT Education Minister Jo Hersey sweetened the deal on Thursday, announcing a range of $5000 scholarships for undergraduate teachers both in the Territory and interstate.

“We’ll see you soon,” Ms Hersey said to prospective teachers.

“We have the highest paid teachers here in the Territory and we need to make sure that pipeline continues to lure people from down south.”

Are you a teacher considering moving states for higher pay? Email us at [e-mail] to share why.

Originally published as Australia’s best and worst paid teachers revealed – including where teachers straight out of uni can earn $100k a year