Teaching salaries, benefits, and incentives

Salary placement

We can recognise your previous teaching service from outside the department if you provide: 

• a certified copy of teaching qualifications to determine correct salary placement; and 
• a certified copy of any statements of service from employers indicating previous teaching service and any periods of leave without pay taken. 
• The full range of teacher salaries is available in our salary scales list (PDF, 497KB) – see page 20 for teaching roles. 

Remote Schools 

We have eight remote schools in Lutruwita/Tasmania: 

• Cape Barren Island School
• Flinders Island District High School 
• King Island District High School 
• Mountain Heights School 
• Redpa Primary School 
• Rosebery District School 
• Strahan Primary School 
• Zeehan Primary School 

There are additional financial incentives and benefits for teachers working in these schools: 

• A settling in payment of $5,000 where you are appointed to an isolated school which involves relocating. This settling in payment is conditional to committing to a minimum period of two years at the isolated school.  
• Additional payments starting at $3,138 upon commencement of permanent employment and completion of your first year, with an increase to $3,275 at the completion of your second and third years of continuous employment that increases to $6,281 upon completing four, five and six years of continuous service. Fixed-term employees will receive payment of the additional salary at the completion of the year. Part-time employees will be paid at a pro-rata basis according to the allocated workload. 
• Pay only $10 per week for department owned school accommodation if you teach at Mountain Heights School, Rosebery District School, Strahan Primary School or Zeehan Primary School (subject to availability). 
• You can apply for a total of eight days paid time over a two-year period to attend to urgent business which is unable to wait to the school holidays period.  
• If you are required to attend specialist medical appointments that require overnight travel, your meals and accommodation will be covered. 
• If you’ve had 12 months or more at Band 1 Level 13 and remain at the school, you may be paid an experienced teacher allowance of  $3,250 per annum pro-rata on a fortnightly basis. 
• The commencing salary for beginning teachers in an isolated school is to be Band 1 Level 8 (where the usual beginning salary outside of an isolated school is Band 1 Level 5). 

The Hard-to-Staff Schools Teacher Incentive Pilot Program Agreement 2024 commenced from the start of Term 1 2025 and covers the following schools: 

• Yolla District School
• Smithton High School 
• Port Dalrymple District School 
• Jordan River Learning Federation – Senior School 
• New Norfolk High School 
• Lilydale District School 
• Montrose Bay High School 
• Glenora District School 
• Fairview Primary School 

Eligible employees in identified schools will receive a lump sum payment of $1,000 after six weeks of Term 1 and a further $2,275 after six weeks of Term 3 (pro-rata if part-time). Payments are not payable when an employee is on leave without pay. 

Identified schools may be varied from year-to-year. 

All teachers work in a supportive workplace with induction, mentoring, and access to professional development opportunities. 

DECYP has a range of programs to suit your personal and professional interests. 

Teaching within regional areas can provide career progression and professional development through opportunities that are not always available at metropolitan schools. 

Early Career Teachers

As an Early Career Teacher, you are provided with a mentor – an experienced teacher who can provide ongoing feedback and support to improve your practice and build your teaching capability.

You will also be enrolled in a first year teacher induction program. This is a paid, four-day specialised professional development induction program taking place before Term 1.

Early Career Teachers are eligible for time release to facilitate induction and support transition into the profession. The Beginning Teacher Time Release (BeTTR) Program applies to beginning teachers who:

• are in their first and second year of employment since graduation; and
• are employed on a permanent or fixed-term basis for at least one school term; and
• are above 0.4 full-time equivalent (FTE).

This enables graduate teachers to undertake personal development and access to support and guidance as they embark on their teaching career.

Full-time beginning teachers are eligible to access a minimum ‘instructional load’ time release of four hours per fortnight in the first year and two hours per fortnight in the second year. Part-time teachers, above 0.4FTE, can access the time release on a pro-rata basis.

How can BeTTR be utilised?

• school based induction programs 
• structured mentoring – classroom observations, goal setting, feedback 
• professional development attendance  
• observations of experienced teachers 
• reflective practice 
• planning and assessment preparation
• transition from provisional to full registration.

A full-time teacher is employed to work 70 hours per fortnight with an instructional load of: 

• 42 hours per fortnight for primary school; 
• 40 hours per fortnight for secondary school. 

Tasmanian Early Career Teachers receive the most planning and preparation time in the country!  

Full-time Early Career Teachers are eligible to access a minimum ‘instructional load’ time release of: 

• four hours per fortnight in the first year; and 
• two hours per fortnight in the second year. 

Eligible part-time teachers can access time release on a pro-rata basis.  

A Vocational Education and Training (VET) specialist teacher, who is studying a Bachelor of Teaching (Applied Learning) or equivalent, is entitled to have one-line off teaching for study.

As a DECYP teacher, you will receive 11.4 weeks of annual leave. On top of this, you can get the following paid leave: 

• Aboriginal cultural leave (up to five days per year) 
• compassionate and bereavement leave (10 days per year*) 
• disability leave (up to five days per year) 
• family violence leave (up to 20 days per year) 
• foster and kinship care leave (up to 10 days per year) 
• gender affirmation leave (up to four weeks per year) 
• parental leave (after 12 months of continuous service, up to 18 weeks per year) 
• surrogacy leave (after 12 months of continuous service, up to six weeks per year). 

* Manager’s discretion for further leave above the annual 10 days. 

If you’re a new employee and appointed in certain schools or roles, you may be eligible to get your relocation costs paid or reimbursed by the department.  

This may include: 

• transport (for you and your dependants) 
• removalist costs of necessary household furniture  
• transport of domestic pets (not including livestock) 
• special accommodation payment 
• accommodation and meal expenses enroute. 

Furniture and removal costs are paid up front by the department. All other costs are reimbursed, evidenced by receipts. 

The terms of reimbursement costs with respect to appointment, promotion or assignment of duties involving relocation are outlined in Ministerial Direction No. 21 and State Service Regulations 2021. 

Reimbursement of reasonable expenses is discretionary and are to be assessed and approved by the Head of Agency (or delegate) based on reasonable and demonstrated expenses.