TAFE Teacher Salary: How to Convert Your Hourly Rate to Annual Pay
A full-time TAFE teacher under the Victorian TAFE Teaching Staff Agreement 2024 earns between $81,307 and $138,372 annually depending on classification, based on 38 ordinary hours per week.
Understanding TAFE Teacher Salary Calculations
If you're looking to convert an hourly rate into an annual figure for a TAFE teacher salary, the standard method is to multiply your hourly rate by the number of ordinary hours worked per week, then by 52 weeks. Under the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020, a full-time teacher works an average of 38 ordinary hours per week. This same 38-hour week applies to most TAFE teaching roles under enterprise agreements, such as the Victorian TAFE Teaching Staff Agreement 2024.
Award vs Enterprise Agreement Rates
Teachers in preschools and schools are covered by the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020, which sets minimum weekly and annual salaries. For example, a Level 1 graduate teacher in a preschool or school earns a minimum annual salary of $75,941 (as of 1 July 2026). In long day care centres, the rate is 4% higher at $78,979. These award rates are the legal minimum; many employers pay above them.
For TAFE teachers, enterprise agreements often provide higher pay. The Victorian TAFE Teaching Staff Agreement 2024 lists annual salaries from $81,307 (Level 1.1, AQF4) to $138,372 (EM3) effective from 25 June 2028. These rates are for full-time employees working 38 hours per week. If you're offered an hourly rate, you can estimate your annual TAFE teacher salary by using the formula: hourly rate × 38 × 52.
Casual Loading and Part-Time Work
Casual teachers receive a loading instead of paid leave. Under the award, casual teachers engaged for less than five consecutive days are paid at the Level 3 rate plus 25%. For TAFE, the Victorian agreement sets casual hourly rates that already include the loading. For example, from 28 June 2026, a Level 3 (AQF6+) casual teaching hour rate is $94.46. This rate covers preparation, planning, and assessment directly related to the teaching hour. If you're a casual, do not add extra loading on top – the rate is all-inclusive.
Part-time teachers are paid pro-rata based on the full-time rate. Use our hourly conversion tool to see how part-time hours affect annual pay.
Tax and Medicare on Your TAFE Teacher Salary
Once you have your gross annual TAFE teacher salary, you can estimate your take-home pay using the 2026–27 resident tax rates. The first $18,200 is tax-free. Then:
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% on income above $190,000
Medicare levy is generally 2% of taxable income. For example, a TAFE teacher earning $100,000 annually would pay approximately $22,967 in tax plus $2,000 Medicare levy, leaving about $75,033 after tax (before any offsets or deductions). Check our take-home pay page for a more precise estimate.
Superannuation Contributions
Employers must pay super guarantee contributions of 12% of ordinary earnings on top of your salary. For 2026–27, the maximum contribution base is $270,830. So if your annual TAFE teacher salary is $100,000, your employer contributes an extra $12,000 into your super fund. This is not deducted from your salary; it's paid in addition. See super and packaging for details on salary sacrifice options.
Using Our Timesheet for Quick Conversion
Our the timesheet lets you enter your base hourly rate and optionally add 25% casual loading. It then calculates annual gross pay based on 38 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Remember: if you already have a casual rate that includes loading, do not tick the casual loading box. The tool also shows fortnightly pay (weekly × 2) and estimates tax and super.
Important Distinctions
- National Minimum Wage: From 1 July 2026, the minimum is $26.44 per hour for a 38-hour week, or $1,004.90 per week. Casual employees get $33.05 per hour including 25% loading. TAFE teachers are paid well above this.
- Average Weekly Earnings: The ABS reported full-time adult ordinary time earnings of $2,083.70 per week in May 2026. A typical TAFE teacher salary falls within or above this range.
- Award vs Agreement: Always check your specific award or enterprise agreement. The Fair Work Ombudsman provides pay guides for each award.
Summary
To calculate your annual TAFE teacher salary from an hourly rate, use the formula: hourly rate × 38 × 52. For casuals, use the loaded rate. Then apply tax and Medicare to estimate take-home pay, and remember super is paid on top. Use our reference tables for current award rates and tax thresholds.
Disclaimer: Annual pay here is hourly rate × hours per week × 52. It assumes the same rate every week, no unpaid overtime, no penalty rates, no allowances, and no salary sacrifice. Super is estimated at 12% of ordinary earnings only, paid on top, and stops at the $270,830 maximum contribution base. Tax is the 2026–27 resident scale with the full tax-free threshold. Medicare uses the 2025–26 single reduction thresholds because the 2026–27 reduction thresholds were not confirmed here. HELP, the Medicare levy surcharge, and salary packaging are not deducted. This is an estimate, not a determination of your pay or tax.
Open the same rate on the home timesheet. Read the reference tables before treating a figure as your pay.