^{Last Updated 27/1/2025}

If you’re a teacher or considering becoming one, understanding your potential salary in Western Australia is an important step. This guide breaks down teacher pay rates in WA for 2025, making it easy to see what you can earn, how salaries increase, and the opportunities for career progression.

This article only covers full-time classroom teachers. If you are interested in pay rates for casual relief teachers in WA, see What is the Relief Teacher Pay Rate in WA?

WA Public School Teacher Salaries

In WA public schools, teacher salaries depend on your qualifications and experience. As a new teacher, you start at the first pay level (also called a step or increment) and move up the scale every year as you gain experience.

For trained teachers, pay levels range from $88,178 (entry-level) to $127,737 (most experienced) in 2025. If you’re an untrained teacher, salaries range from $70,096 to $103,568.

Here’s a breakdown of the 2025 salaries for public school teachers:

Salaries for Trained Teachers

Salaries for Untrained Teachers

See more: How to Increase your Salary as a Teacher.

How Does the Pay Scale Work for New Teachers?

If you are a new, trained teacher, you will begin at Pay Level 2.1, earning $88,178 in 2025. Each year, you move up one pay level as you gain experience, receiving a higher salary. For example, after three years, your salary will increase to $103,568 at Pay Level 2.3. After nine years of teaching, you can earn up to $127,737 at Pay Level 2.9.

Other Teaching Roles

Teachers in WA can also take on advanced roles with higher salaries, such as Senior Teacher or Level 3 Teacher.

Senior Teacher

Senior Teachers are experienced educators who take on additional leadership responsibilities. They earn a fixed annual salary of $132,557 in 2025.

Level 3 Teacher

Level 3 Teachers are highly accomplished teachers who demonstrate leadership and expertise. They have higher pay levels than classroom teachers, as shown below:

How Do Pay Increases Work?

WA teachers have received consistent pay increases under the current Enterprise Agreement:

• 2023 (5% increase): Salaries rose significantly in December 2023.
• 2024 (4% increase): Teachers earned another raise in December 2024.
• 2025 (3% increase): Salaries increased again in December 2025.

For example:

• A teacher earning $82,317 in 2023 will see their salary grow to $88,178 in 2025—an increase of $5,861 over three years.

See More: Do Teachers REALLY Get Paid for the Holidays?

WA Catholic School Teacher Salaries

If you are a teacher in a WA Catholic school, you will get paid a different amount to your colleagues in public schools. 

While CEWA uses the same Enterprise Agreement as the WA Department of Education, their salaries are outlined below.

Trained Teachers

Untrained Teachers

In the Catholic sector, untrained teachers do not have increments like they do in the public sector.

Persons holding a Limited Authority to Teach shall be placed on step 1  of the above table with no further incremental progression.

Salary Increases   

Like the public sector, WA Catholic schools also recognise Senior Teachers. 

Recognised Senior Teachers will get paid an additional $5,374 as of December 2022.

See more: Is it Worth Becoming a Highly Accomplished Teacher?

Pay Increases

Like in the public sector, WA Catholic School teachers will receive the same 3% increase in December 2021 and again in December 2022. They also have an additional allowance if you are a recognised Senior Teacher.

Just like in public schools, teachers in Catholic schools will move up steps as they gain experience. Teachers will stay on Step 1 until they have three years of experience, after which they will move up one step every year. 

See more: Pay for Teachers Around the World: How Australia Stacks Up.

WA Independent School Salaries

Salaries in WA Independent schools work a little differently to how they do in the public and Catholic sectors. 

All school teachers in WA have an award. This is negotiated by the Independent Education Union of Australia (IEUA). This award applies to teachers in all sectors and sets the minimum wage for all teachers in Western Australia.

Actual Salaries in Independent Schools

This award only sets the minimum salary. If you are working in an Independent school in WA, your pay is likely to be higher. 

As you can see, these award rates are much lower than what you would be paid in a public or Catholic school. All Independent schools need to pay their teachers this minimum salary, but the vast majority will pay their teachers much more so that they can compete with other schools in the state. 

Unlike in WA Catholic and public schools, salaries in Independent schools change depending on what school you are in. Each school can set their salaries, so you need to contact the individual school to get more information about pay.

How does WA compare to other states?

• NSW
• QLD
• VIC
• SA
• NT