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School Principal salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a school principal is $111,800 per annum, before tax, up $23,000 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- What a principal earns depends most on the sector and the size of the school, so a principal in a large independent school and one in a small regional government school can be on quite different packages.
- Government principals are paid under state or territory enterprise agreements with defined principal classification levels, while Catholic and independent schools set their own scales, often with allowances tied to enrolment or responsibilities.
- Salary packaging and employer super contributions also vary between employers.
The median salary rose by $23,000 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 school principal
The largest typical pay rise is $2,600 a year, moving into Regional Education Manager.
- Regional Education Manager+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher school principal salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time school principal salary is $111,800; 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 Strategy development and Budgeting and forecasting tend to command a premium over general school principal experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Regional Education Manager pays a typical $2,600 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."
School Principal salary questions
How much do school principals earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a school principal is $111,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is school principal pay rising or falling?
The median school principal salary is up $23,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than school principal?
Regional Education Manager pays a typical $2,600 a year more and draws on similar skills to school principal.
Related salaries
- Regional Education Manager salary
- Primary School Teacher salary
- Secondary School Teacher salary
- Curriculum Coordinator salary
- Childcare Centre Manager salary
- Head of Faculty 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.