Salary Trends Across SA Non-Government Schools – July 2026
The IEU’s updated analysis of salaries at 1 July 2026 shows continued improvement across the sector, driven largely by scheduled Enterprise Agreement (EA) increases, rather than widespread bargaining outcomes.
Currently there are a number of schools where we are waiting for EAs to be approved, and these EAs contain salary increases — a number of which have back dated salary increases.
The Catholic Schools EA, when finalised, is set to include back pay for members to 1 May 2025 and 2026.
Beginning teacher salaries now average $88,769, top-step teacher salaries average $120,695, and Education Support Officer (ESO) Grade 2 Year 3 salaries average $74,793. Since May 2026, average salaries increased by 0.43% for beginning teachers, 0.71% for top-step teachers, and 0.69% for ESOs.
However, large disparities between employers remain.
The gap between the highest and lowest paying schools remains more than $54,000 for teachers and more than $31,000 for ESOs — highlighting the continuing importance of enterprise bargaining outcomes.
Beginning Teachers (Step 3 unless stated)
Using the July 2026 data:
- Average: $88,769
- Median: $89,363
- Range: $61,418 – $115,475
- Difference: $54,057
Movement since May 2026
- Increase of $377 on average
- Increase of 0.43% since May 2026
The Best
Highest paying:
- Indie School (Level 9): $115,475
- St Peter’s College: $100,757
South Australia continues to have two schools paying more than $100,000 to beginning teachers. This remains a significant milestone for entry-level salaries at a time when housing affordability and cost-of-living pressures continue to impact younger workers.
Top Step Teachers (Step 10 unless stated)
Using July 2026 data:
- Average: $120,695
- Median: $122,778
- Range: approximately $79,011 – $133,564
- Difference: approximately $54,553
Movement since May 2026
- Increase of $853 on average
- Increase of 0.71% since May 2026
The Best
Highest paying:
- St Peter’s College: $133,564
- Seaview Christian College: $133,257
- Prince Alfred College: $129,882
Top-end union-negotiated agreements continue to exceed the lowest-paying employers by more than $54,000 annually. While salaries have risen across much of the sector, the gap between the highest and lowest-paying schools remains substantial, demonstrating the continuing impact of bargaining outcomes on teacher pay.
ESO Grade 2 Year 3
Using July 2026 data:
- Average: $74,793
- Median: $75,488
- Range: $50,795 – $82,135
- Difference: $31,340
Movement since May 2026
- Increase of $509 on average
- Increase of 0.69% since May 2026
The Best (ESO)
Highest paying:
- Trinity College: $82,135
- Prince Alfred College: $82,126
- DfE: $79,526
- Suneden Specialist School: $79,525
ESO salary disparities remain significant. While many independent schools benchmark teacher salaries against the Department for Education (DfE), support staff salaries often remain well below public sector equivalents. For many general staff, salary growth continues to lag behind both teacher salaries and inflation. Structural adjustments are being pursued through enterprise bargaining to address this issue. These salary comparisons are based on full-time equivalent rates, although most general staff work part time because they are employed during term time or for about 40 weeks of the school year.
Inflation Context
Latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) data shows inflation remaining elevated:
- Annual CPI (April 2026): 4.2%
- Down from 4.6% (May 2026)
- Up from approximately 3.8% during late 2025
What this means
- Inflation at 4.2% means real wages continue to go backwards where salary increases remain below CPI.
- While inflation has moderated, cost-of-living pressures remain significant for education workers.
- Only the strongest enterprise agreements are maintaining or improving purchasing power.
- Many workers remain behind despite nominal wage increases.
- The DfE below inflation increases are supressing wages in South Australia.
- Employees covered by expired agreements, or non-union arrangements continue to be most exposed to real wage losses.
Key Bargaining Insights
- Union agreements deliver clearly better outcomes
Top EA schools exceed lower-paying employers by:
- Entry salaries: +$25,000 to +$50,000
- Top-step salaries: +$30,000 to +$54,000
There remains a strong correlation between active IEU membership, collective bargaining and improved salary outcomes.
- Non-union and expired agreements continue to fall behind
- Flat salary structures in expired and non-union agreements continue to drive inequality across the sector.
- Workers on these agreements have frequently experienced real wage cuts when CPI is considered.
- Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) advocacy, of which the IEU is a part, remains important for award workers and the National Wage Case outcome will have provided above inflation increases.
Conclusion
The July 2026 salary data confirms:
- Salaries continue to increase across the non-government sector, largely through scheduled enterprise agreement rises.
- Beginning teacher salaries now average $88,769, top-step teacher salaries average $120,695, and ESO Grade 2 Year 3 salaries average $74,793.
- Inflation at 4.2% continues to outpace many agreements, meaning real wages remain under pressure.
- The gap between the best and worst employers remains extreme, exceeding $54,000 annually for experienced teachers.
Most importantly, the data show a clear relationship between collective bargaining and salary outcomes.
Schools with strong union-negotiated agreements continue to lead the sector on pay, while workers covered by expired agreements, non-union arrangements or award-reliant salaries continue to fall behind.
The July figures reinforce a consistent trend across the sector:
Where members are organised, salaries are significantly higher.
Where they are not, wages stagnate or fail to keep pace with inflation.
At a time of ongoing cost-of-living pressures and teacher workforce shortages, the evidence is increasingly clear that collective bargaining remains the most effective mechanism for improving wages and reducing inequality in South Australian non-government schools.
Note: Based on IEU salary dataset current to 1 July 2026. Some recently approved agreements may not yet be reflected in published salary schedules. E&OE.
