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Art Teacher salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an art teacher is $101,400 per annum, before tax, up $21,300 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Art teachers are paid on a teacher salary scale, so your years of service and your step on that scale move your pay more than the subject you teach.
- Government schools pay under a state or territory award or enterprise agreement, while independent schools set their own scales, which can sit above or below the public rate.
- A faculty or year level coordination role adds an allowance, and casual relief work pays a daily rate instead of a continuing salary.
The median salary rose by $21,300 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than art teacher
The largest typical pay rise is $29,500 a year, moving into Music Teacher.
- Music Teacher+$29,500/yr
- Secondary School Teacher+$19,300/yr
- Head of Faculty+$18,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher art teacher salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time art teacher salary is $101,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Teaching and instruction and Curriculum and lesson design tend to command a premium over general art teacher experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Music Teacher pays a typical $29,500 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Art Teacher salary questions
How much do art teachers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an art teacher is $101,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is art teacher pay rising or falling?
The median art teacher salary is up $21,300 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than art teacher?
Music Teacher pays a typical $29,500 a year more and draws on similar skills to art teacher.
Related salaries
- Drama Teacher salary
- Music Teacher salary
- VET Trainer salary
- Secondary School Teacher salary
- Head of Faculty salary
- Teacher Aide salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.