Teacher Aide Salary QLD: Which Pay Floor Applies and How Rates Compare

Understanding the teacher aide salary QLD landscape

When researching "teacher aide salary QLD", it is easy to mix up the national minimum wage, the applicable modern award, and the enterprise agreement that covers many Queensland state school employees. Each sets a different floor, and the actual rate you receive depends on your employer and classification.

The national minimum wage as a backstop

The Fair Work Commission sets the national minimum wage. From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, the adult rate is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week for a 38-hour week. Casual employees receive a 25% loading, bringing the casual minimum to $33.05 per hour. These figures apply to award-free and agreement-free employees in the national system.

However, almost all teacher aides in Queensland are covered by either a modern award or a certified agreement, both of which require rates well above the national minimum. The national minimum acts only as a safety net; if an award or agreement rate falls below it (which is rare), the national minimum prevails.

The Educational Services (Teachers) Award

The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes pay guides for modern awards. The Educational Services (Teachers) Award [MA000077] covers teacher aides in many non-government schools and some early childhood settings. The pay guide effective from 1 July 2026 shows the following minimum hourly rates for full-time employees:

• Level 1: $38.30
• Level 2: $41.86
• Level 3: $45.57
• Level 4: $49.28
• Level 5: $52.99

These rates are the legal minimum under the award. An employer cannot pay less, but they can pay more. Casual employees under the award receive a 25% loading, so a Level 1 casual teacher aide would earn $47.88 per hour. The award also includes provisions for part-time and casual employees working in children's services, with different daily and half-day rates.

It is important to note that the award classification structure defines the skills and responsibilities for each level. A new or inexperienced teacher aide typically starts at Level 1 and progresses with experience and training. The award also contains an introductory rate for the first six months of employment, which from 1 July 2026 is $25.74 per hour (or $978.10 per week), but this is limited to employees who have not previously worked in the industry.

Queensland state school certified agreements

Teacher aides employed directly by the Queensland Department of Education are covered by a state certified agreement, not the federal award. The most recent agreement is the Department of Education Teacher Aides' Certified Agreement 2022, which provided wage increases of 4% from 1 September 2022, 4% from 1 September 2023, and 3% from 1 September 2024. The agreement also included a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) payment based on Brisbane CPI.

In 2025, a new agreement was overwhelmingly accepted by teacher aides, with 91.8% voting yes. According to a Queensland Government media statement, the new EBA provides an 8% wage increase over its life, with an additional CPI adjustment uplift of up to 10.5% inclusive. The increases are backdated to the date of certification by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.

While the exact new hourly rates have not yet been published, the previous agreement's Schedule 1 showed rates such as $38.56 per hour for an OO4 pay point 1 (as at 1 September 2022). After the subsequent increases and the new EBA, current rates are substantially higher. Teacher aides in specialist roles such as Auslan Language Model, Educational Interpreter, and Braille have a separate pay scale.

Separating the legal minimum from negotiated rates

It is common to confuse the award rate with the enterprise agreement rate. The award is the minimum safety net; an enterprise agreement can set higher rates but cannot undercut the award. For Queensland state school teacher aides, the certified agreement replaces the award entirely, so the agreement rate is the legal minimum for those employees.

For teacher aides in private schools or other settings covered by the federal award, the award rate is the minimum. Some employers may choose to pay above the award, but they are not required to unless an enterprise agreement applies.

Superannuation is paid on top

All teacher aide salaries are subject to the superannuation guarantee. Employers must contribute 12% of ordinary time earnings into a super fund on top of the base hourly rate. This is not deducted from the salary; it is an additional payment. For example, a teacher aide earning $38.30 per hour under the award would also receive $4.60 per hour in super, making the total employment cost $42.90 per hour.

How the figures work

If you are comparing a teacher aide salary QLD offer, first check whether your employer is a Queensland state school or a private/independent school. State school employees should refer to the certified agreement; private school employees should refer to the Educational Services (Teachers) Award. Both set rates far above the national minimum of $26.44 per hour.

For a quick comparison, the award Level 1 rate of $38.30 per hour is about 45% above the national minimum. The state agreement rates are even higher, reflecting the specialised nature of the work and the outcomes of collective bargaining.

Frequently asked questions

See the FAQs above for answers on minimum wage, superannuation, and casual rates.

Further reading

• Which minimum wage applies – understand the different pay systems in Australia.
• Rate tables – view current award and national minimum rates.

Sources: , ,

For the published floors, see the rate tables and how the figures work.