A teacher just accepted a CRT booking for next week -- 3 days at a government primary school in Victoria at a senior level. Before they confirm, they want to know their take-home estimate and whether it is worth declining another booking for a better-paying school.
Casual Relief Teacher (CRT) Pay Calculator
Pay
CRT (Casual Relief Teacher) rates include casual loading of approximately 25% above the permanent daily rate. Superannuation is payable at 11.5% (2024–25 rate).
Note: Rates are estimates based on publicly available award rates. Actual pay may vary by EBA, school, and individual negotiation. Always check your state's current enterprise agreement.
Key EBAs: Victorian VGSA · NSW Crown Employees · Qld State School Teachers EB.
Note: Rates are estimates based on publicly available award rates. Actual pay may vary by EBA, school, and individual negotiation. Always check your state's current enterprise agreement.
Key EBAs: Victorian VGSA · NSW Crown Employees · Qld State School Teachers EB.
Results are estimates for planning purposes. Verify with current standards and a qualified professional.
1 What this calculator does
Estimates daily, weekly and indicative annual CRT (Casual Relief Teacher) pay by Australian state, school sector (government, Catholic, independent) and experience level (graduate, experienced, senior). Includes superannuation calculation at 11.5%. Rates are estimates based on 2024 EBA data.
2 Formula & professional reasoning
Daily pay = Base daily rate (by state, sector, level)
Daily with super = Daily rate x 1.115 (11.5% superannuation)
Weekly = Daily rate x Days worked per week
Indicative annual = Daily rate x 40 weeks (school year)
Note: Actual rates set by state EBAs -- verify with your school
CRT pay in Australia is governed by state-based Enterprise Bargaining Agreements (EBAs) for government schools, and separate EBAs for Catholic and independent sectors. Rates differ significantly by state, sector and experience band. The superannuation rate is 11.5% for 2024-25 (rising to 12% in 2025). The indicative annual calculation assumes 40 working weeks, which is the approximate school calendar -- actual earnings depend on booking frequency.
3 Worked examples
⚠️ Illustrative example only — not clinical or professional instruction.
Basic
VIC government school, graduate level, 3 days
Given: State: VIC | Sector: Government | Level: Graduate/Band 1 | Days: 3/week
Working:
Daily rate VIC Gov Graduate: $450 | With super: $450 x 1.115 = $501.75 | Weekly (3 days): $450 x 3 = $1,350 | Weekly incl. super: $1,505.25Answer: Daily: $450 | Weekly 3 days: $1,350 | Incl. super: $1,505/week
💡 VIC government CRT rates for graduates are among the highest in Australia. At 3 days/week x 40 weeks, indicative annual income is $1,350 x 40 = $54,000 before tax.
Standard
NSW Catholic school, experienced, 5 days -- full week comparison
Given: State: NSW | Sector: Catholic | Level: Experienced/Band 2 | Days: 5/week
Working:
Daily rate NSW Catholic Experienced: $470 | Weekly (5 days): $470 x 5 = $2,350 | With super: $470 x 1.115 x 5 = $2,620.25 | Annual (40 weeks): $470 x 5 x 40 = $94,000Answer: Daily: $470 | Weekly 5 days: $2,350 | Annual est: $94,000 before tax
💡 A full-time CRT at experienced level in NSW Catholic schools earns comparably to a mid-band permanent teacher. However CRT pay includes no sick leave, no professional development, no preparation time pay and no guaranteed ongoing employment.
Advanced
Comparing sectors in QLD at senior level
Given: QLD | Senior level | Government vs Catholic vs Independent | 1 day comparison
Working:
QLD Gov Senior: $550 | QLD Catholic Senior: $535 | QLD Independent Senior: $520 | Difference Gov vs Ind: $30/dayAnswer: Gov: $550/day | Catholic: $535/day | Independent: $520/day | Government highest by $30/day
💡 Government schools consistently pay higher CRT rates than independent schools in most states. Over 40 weeks at 5 days, the $30/day difference amounts to $6,000/year -- significant for a full-time CRT.
4 Sanity check
2024 approximate daily CRT rates (before super)
VIC Gov: $450-$580 | NSW Gov: $430-$560 | QLD Gov: $425-$550 | WA Gov: $440-$570 | Rates vary by experience band
These are estimates -- verify with the employing school's current EBA before accepting a booking.
Superannuation rate 2024-25
11.5% of ordinary time earnings -- paid by the school in addition to the daily rate
CRT workers are entitled to super on all casual earnings exceeding $450 per month (threshold removed from 2022 -- all earnings attract super).
CRT vs permanent teacher conditions
CRT: no sick leave, no long service leave, no preparation time, no marking time, no guaranteed bookings
The higher daily rate partially compensates for the absence of permanent teacher conditions.
Tax on CRT income
CRT income is taxed as ordinary income -- higher weekly earnings push into higher brackets | Consider PAYG withholding variation if juggling multiple schools
5 Common errors
| Error | Cause | Consequence | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treating the CRT daily rate as a long-term salary equivalent without adjustment | Multiplying daily rate by 52 weeks for an 'annual salary' | Income significantly overestimated -- school year is approximately 40 weeks, not 52, and CRTs are not booked every day | Use 40 school weeks and a realistic average booking rate (3-4 days/week for busy CRTs) for a realistic income projection. |
| Not checking the current EBA rate with the school before accepting a booking | Assuming rates are identical to published estimates | Paid a lower rate than expected if the school is on a different EBA cycle or uses a different classification | Ask the school office or principal for the current daily rate before confirming a booking, especially if it is a new school or a different sector than usual. |
| Forgetting to claim the tax-free threshold on each employer's TFN declaration | Using multiple school employers without managing tax declarations | Over-withholding of tax -- effectively giving the ATO an interest-free loan until the tax return | Or under-withholding if claiming threshold at multiple schools | Claim the tax-free threshold only at one employer (your primary or most frequent school). At all other schools, tick 'no' for the tax-free threshold to avoid a large end-of-year tax bill. |
| Not keeping records of all days worked for each school for tax purposes | Relying on schools to keep accurate records | Income reporting errors, difficulty tracking super contributions, inability to claim professional expenses | Keep a daily diary or spreadsheet log of school name, date, hours and daily rate. This is essential for your tax return, super tracking and any pay disputes. |
6 Reference & regulatory links
🇦🇺 Australia
7 Professional workflow
Common tools used alongside this one:
Student–Teacher Ratio Calculator
Student-teacher ratio data informs demand for CRTs -- high-ratio schools often need more relief coverage
→
Report Writing Word Count Tracker
Report Writing Tracker is relevant when CRTs are asked to contribute to reporting -- understanding the time commitment helps with rate negotiation
→