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Across Australia, Catholic school teachers perform fundamentally the same work. They teach students, prepare lessons, mark and correct student work, deliver the National Australian Curriculum, support student wellbeing, engage with families, and contribute to the broader life of their school communities.

Their responsibilities, professional expectations, and commitment are consistent across diocesan systems. Yet despite this same role, a stark disparity persists: Catholic school teachers in South Australia are the lowest paid in the nation.

And Catholic employers are comfortable with this continuing.

Recent comparisons of systemic diocesan salary structures highlight the scale of the gap. Graduate teachers in South Australia begin on $82,659, significantly behind their interstate counterparts. In the Australian Capital Territory, graduates currently earn $91,397; in New South Wales, $90,177; in Queensland ($86,600), and in Western Australia, between $88,785 and $91,449. Even in small jurisdictions , such as the Northern Territory the salary of $88,753, exceed those in South Australia. (Soon, IEU members can visit their Member Portal for the full table).

The disparity widens further at the top of the automatic progression scale. South Australian teachers currently reach $116,160, while teachers in New South Wales and the ACT exceed $129,000. Western Australian teachers can earn up to $130,216 or more with allowances, and even the lowest interstate comparisons remain well above South Australian levels. This results in a pay gap of more than $13,000 annually for experienced teachers despite performing equivalent work under comparable conditions.

Currently we are seeing escalating Industrial Action in Public Schools in Victoria with the AEU rejecting a 18% pay offer, instead seeking increases of 35% over three years plus reduced class sizes and workload relief. The IEU Victoria is supporting the AEU campaign.

The South Australian pay inequity is particularly concerning in the current economic environment. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded annual inflation of 3.8% in January 2026. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has warned of renewed upward inflation pressure, and the RBA forecast CPI to rise to 4.2% by June 2026. This projection was made prior to the US Iran war and the global oil shock, and economists are predicting increased and persisting high inflation.

Given the impact of uncontrolled world events, cost pressures are anticipated to rise across the Australian economy through 2026.

It is within this context that the IEU has continued to advance a clear, considered and structured wage claim. The union is seeking salary increases of 6% backdated to May 2025, followed by 6% in May 2026 and a further 6% in May 2027. This claim is designed not only to address existing pay disparities with other states but also to protect teachers against the real wage erosion caused by inflation.

This claim would deliver meaningful growth over the life of the agreement. A graduate teacher on $82,659 would rise to approximately $98,000 by May 2027, while a teacher at the top of the scale would see salaries increase from $116,160 to around $138,000. This represents gains of roughly $15,000 to $22,000 annually over the life of the agreement but while being a substantial improvement this would still not make Catholic teachers the highest paid in South Australia.

Crucially, the backdating of the first 6% increase to May 2025 would provide an immediate financial benefit through backpay, offering some short-term relief in a high-cost environment. At the same time, the forward increases in 2026 and 2027 would ensure that salaries keep pace with inflation and begin to deliver modest real wage growth.

Importantly, the IEU’s claim aligns with broader economic conditions. With inflation running at 3.8% and forecast to rise to 4.2%, increases sought in the IEU claim are not excessive; rather, they are necessary to maintain living standards and begin closing the interstate pay gap. Without such increases, South Australian Catholic teachers will continue to fall further behind in both nominal (actual monetary increase) and real terms (your purchasing power).

The implications extend beyond individual teachers. Catholic education systems rely heavily on the professionalism, expertise and dedication of their workforce. Persistent underpayment risks undermining workforce sustainability, particularly in a competitive national labour market. As interstate systems continue to implement scheduled salary increases into 2026 and beyond, South Australia risks deepening recruitment and retention challenges. Catholic Schools already are falling well behind the top paying schools in South Australia meaning Catholic schools are not the school of choice.

The principle at stake is straightforward: equal work should attract equal pay. The current disparity cannot be justified by differences in professional standards, responsibilities or workload.

Rather, it reflects structural inequities in bargaining outcomes and funding priorities; and the focus on new buildings over salary increases.  In an environment of rising inflation and tightening monetary conditions, addressing these inequities becomes even more urgent.

The IEU continues to push strongly in negotiations to secure improved salaries and conditions that properly recognise the work of Catholic school teachers in South Australia.

Collective action remains critical. Union membership and engagement strengthen bargaining capacity and send a clear message to employers that the profession will not accept being left behind.

Ultimately, achieving pay parity is not only a matter of fairness but of system sustainability. If Catholic education in South Australia is to remain competitive and continue delivering high-quality outcomes for students and communities, it must ensure that its teachers are appropriately valued economically as well as professionally.

When educators stand together, employers listen.

Achieving fair pay and better conditions depends on the strength of our collective voice. Now is the time to get involved

By joining the IEU, you stand with colleagues across the sector to push for the salaries and respect Catholic school teachers in South Australia deserve

• Join online: https://ieusa.org.au/join-the-ieusa
• Stay connected and be part of the momentum by following the campaign on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ieusa) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ieu_SA),
• IEU members — keep watch on your email for further updates.

Every new member and every show of support strengthens our position at the bargaining table.

When educators stand together, employers listen and together we can ensure South Australian teachers are no longer left behind.