The Gees Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 (edited) I have a 491 and am planning to arrive in Australia by May 24. Just looking at teaching jobs on Seek and various agencies. Can anyone offer me insight into what is a respectable wage? I have been teaching 20 years (secondary) with management / subject leadership and also act as subject lead tutor for a university accredited teacher training provider. Current salary is roughly £49k here in the UK and obviously I’d be very happy to improve on that in terms of disposable income in Australia ! I’ve seen a post advertised at 130k AUD - any feedback on that salary? Also interested in thoughts on teaching in public vs private sector as we currently have a child in private so would like to maintain that for them.. . (though open minded - will go with what is best fit for them). Do teachers get reduction on fees or places for children? I understand the school year starts in January and I may therefore have to do supply / relief for a while if we are arriving mid- year. Edited December 30, 2023 by The Gees Error Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 The salary will depend where you are moving from in UK and where you are going in Australia. Anything from 2.2 to 2.6 times UK salary in dollars should give you roughly the same standard of living (the exchange rate varies but wages don’t follow it!). The cost of housing is the biggie. So the $130 looks fair, if you can get the job with no Australian experience Many private schools do give concessions to staff but not all. Some universities do as well. You will need to work out your own finances as lifestyles differ. How much does it cost you to maintain your current life, what are your must haves etc……… 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerVoice Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 (edited) 7 hours ago, The Gees said: I have a 491 and am planning to arrive in Australia by May 24. Just looking at teaching jobs on Seek and various agencies. Can anyone offer me insight into what is a respectable wage? I have been teaching 20 years (secondary) with management / subject leadership and also act as subject lead tutor for a university accredited teacher training provider. Current salary is roughly £49k here in the UK and obviously I’d be very happy to improve on that in terms of disposable income in Australia ! I’ve seen a post advertised at 130k AUD - any feedback on that salary? Also interested in thoughts on teaching in public vs private sector as we currently have a child in private so would like to maintain that for them.. . (though open minded - will go with what is best fit for them). Do teachers get reduction on fees or places for children? I understand the school year starts in January and I may therefore have to do supply / relief for a while if we are arriving mid- year. Each state has their own salary scales but when you posted before you mentioned that you were likely moving to QLD, so here's ours (Stream 1). https://www.qtu.asn.au/salaries-CA2022 Our main payscale is currently $72-108k. The equivalent of your upper payscale (U1) is Senior Teacher, and Experienced Senior Teacher (U2 & U3). I believe the highest you could enter our system is at Senior Teacher, which would be $113k (about £60k equivalent). You need to complete two year's service as a Senior Teacher before you are eligible to become an EST, so you wouldn't be eligible for the latter. Heads of Department are on a complete different salary scale. It's not like in the UK where you have an additional payment for Teaching and Learning Responsibilities. A HOD's salary currently starts at about $137k, which you'll find in the above link (Stream 2). If you think you have the relevant experience, then you could apply straight for a HOD position. Jobs in the state school system are advertised on the Queensland Government website. https://smartjobs.qld.gov.au/jobtools/jncustomsearch.jobsearch?in_organid=14904 The really important thing is that you obtain your Recognition of Prior Service statements from your previous employers, or you'll end up having start at the bottom of the salary scale. They need to include all the information described in the following document to get full recognition for each year of service, and you're going to need them before you leave the UK. The reasons for this is that once your start teaching here, you'll only have one month to apply for recognition of prior service. https://ppr.qed.qld.gov.au/attachment/recognition-of-prior-service-teachers-procedure.pdf All of the above applies to the state system (what we teachers generally refer to as 'Education Queensland'), but salaries in the private system are more or less the same (sometimes a bit less due to more competition for the roles) and are negotiable of course. I've never worked in the private sector so I wouldn't know whether they will ask for recognition of prior service, or if you'd get a fee reduction for you own children. It will really be down to the school. The good thing about the state system is that our salaries are paid directly by the government and not from the school's budget, so we don't have any of that nonsense where NQTs are preferred over experience teachers simply because they are cheaper to hire. If you work as a supply / relief teacher you'll currently receive a flat rate of around $460/day, and that's regardless of your experience. Make sure you apply for QCT registration before you arrival because you can't work in QLD without it. https://www.qct.edu.au/registration Hope this helps. Edited December 30, 2023 by InnerVoice 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausvisitor Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 (edited) On 30/12/2023 at 16:27, The Gees said: I have a 491 and am planning to arrive in Australia by May 24. Just looking at teaching jobs on Seek and various agencies. Can anyone offer me insight into what is a respectable wage? I have been teaching 20 years (secondary) with management / subject leadership and also act as subject lead tutor for a university accredited teacher training provider. Current salary is roughly £49k here in the UK and obviously I’d be very happy to improve on that in terms of disposable income in Australia ! I’ve seen a post advertised at 130k AUD - any feedback on that salary? Also interested in thoughts on teaching in public vs private sector as we currently have a child in private so would like to maintain that for them.. . (though open minded - will go with what is best fit for them). Do teachers get reduction on fees or places for children? I understand the school year starts in January and I may therefore have to do supply / relief for a while if we are arriving mid- year. Flipping heck I thought teachers were paid more than £49k with your level of experience We have graduates joining the UK office of the company I work for on £57k with absolutely no prior work experience The world has gone mad... Edited January 1 by Ausvisitor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gees Posted January 1 Author Share Posted January 1 12 minutes ago, Ausvisitor said: Flipping heck I thought teachers were paid more than £49k with your level of experience We have graduates joining the UK office of the company I work for on £57k with absolutely no prior work experience The world has gone mad... Mad indeed. That is including our recent pay award, which we went on strike to fight for last year. I have been at the top of the pay scale for about 13 years. The workload and stress have also become so much worse over the last 10 years in particular. If we were staying the UK I have a plan B to leave teaching. There is a recruitment and retention crisis, all of which is played down by government but is having a terrible impact on our young people. I hear that there are similar issues in Australia but not quite as bad as the UK - I hope!! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gees Posted January 1 Author Share Posted January 1 @InnerVoice @rammygirl thank you both so much for your advice, it’s much appreciated! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerVoice Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 4 hours ago, Ausvisitor said: Flipping heck I thought teachers were paid more than £49k with your level of experience We have graduates joining the UK office of the company I work for on £57k with absolutely no prior work experience The world has gone mad... 4 hours ago, The Gees said: Mad indeed. That is including our recent pay award, which we went on strike to fight for last year. I have been at the top of the pay scale for about 13 years. The workload and stress have also become so much worse over the last 10 years in particular. If we were staying the UK I have a plan B to leave teaching. There is a recruitment and retention crisis, all of which is played down by government but is having a terrible impact on our young people. I hear that there are similar issues in Australia but not quite as bad as the UK - I hope!! The top of the MPS in the UK is currently only £46k. You need to take on TLRs to get any more than that. Teaching must be one of the most poorly-paid professions considering the time required to become a qualified teacher, not to mention they work you like a dog in the UK system. We have around 20% less contact hours in QLD (can't speak for the other states, but I imagine it's similar). That said, the job here is no walk in the park. The workload is substantial with constant changes to curriculum, unnecessary admin tasks, individual learning plans for students with so-called disabilities, and excessive amounts of behaviour management to deal with due to poor whole-school policies. The job is simply emotional hard labour. I've been quiet-quitting for a couple of years now, but in December I threw in the towel and this year I intend to work supply until I can find another job - not in teaching. Back in 2012 one of my IT students said "Sir, have you heard about Bitcoin?" Fortunately I listened, or I'd be turning the handle for another 10 years! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 (edited) 6 hours ago, Ausvisitor said: Flipping heck I thought teachers were paid more than £49k with your level of experience We have graduates joining the UK office of the company I work for on £57k with absolutely no prior work experience The world has gone mad... Wee bit of a reality check as to what the ‘average’ salary is in the UK I think. This is nabbed from my LinkedIn and is only about Scotland but gives a good snapshot on the tax take and brackets (which reflects earnings). £57k is almost double the national average salary. Edited January 2 by Cheery Thistle Added info 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 6 hours ago, The Gees said: Mad indeed. That is including our recent pay award, which we went on strike to fight for last year. I have been at the top of the pay scale for about 13 years. The workload and stress have also become so much worse over the last 10 years in particular. If we were staying the UK I have a plan B to leave teaching. There is a recruitment and retention crisis, all of which is played down by government but is having a terrible impact on our young people. I hear that there are similar issues in Australia but not quite as bad as the UK - I hope!! I feel for you, I had to parachute out in 2018. With 13 years experience I was acting HoD for 2 years, managing 7 staff including 2 probationer teachers. I had a full teaching load myself comprising of 3 languages, RE and PSE. I was earning £40k per year. I had just had enough. I’ve been working in L and D for a few years and although it is nowhere near as meaningful as teaching I am far less stressed, have time for my daughter and I actually have a life. I wish you all the best with the move. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausvisitor Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 13 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said: Wee bit of a reality check as to what the ‘average’ salary is in the UK I think. This is nabbed from my LinkedIn and is only about Scotland but gives a good snapshot on the tax take and brackets (which reflects earnings). £57k is almost double the national average salary. Median salary is a better indicator than average (average includes people (like young teens) who just work 4 hours a week in the supermarket for pocket money) That said the median is £34,900 so still well below what many top graduates will earn straight out of university this year 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 1 hour ago, Ausvisitor said: Median salary is a better indicator than average (average includes people (like young teens) who just work 4 hours a week in the supermarket for pocket money) That said the median is £34,900 so still well below what many top graduates will earn straight out of university this year ‘Many top graduates’, how many people are we talking about here though? And you also need to think about the price of entry into that elite club, be it through private schools, tuition, university fees etc etc. And how do you define ‘top graduate’? It’s a teeny tiny tranche of the population. I think the fact that almost 40% of people in Scotland don’t earn enough to pay tax is truly shocking, honestly. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausvisitor Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 I'm not saying it's right (if anything I'm agreeing with you that it's a bit disagreeable). However all the top law firms and the elite consultancies are paying over £50k starting salaries this year plus £5-£10k signing bonuses. (the magic circle law firms are the biggest offenders at around £120k for some graduates - mainly Oxbridge) I agree that there is a price to entry but I don't think it always comes in the form of cash or the bank of Mummy and Daddy. I went to Oxford, it's bloody hard work, I was doing 5 times the work of my brother (who went to York) to walk out with (on paper) the same degree. But I got interviews and he got many less. We both went to one of the worst state schools in the country, one where less than 10% went on to do more education after 16 (yes I'm old enough for 16+ study to be optional). Neither of us had a penny from our parents when we were at uni (they didn't have anything to give us), so I get a bit annoyed when people say Oxford grads are just entitled rich kids. That said it was private schools all the way when it came to educating my kids, they aren't going to have to grasp the bottom of the rung and haul themselves up like I had to if I can help them get on at the 10th floor just by using my own money. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 2 hours ago, Ausvisitor said: so I get a bit annoyed when people say Oxford grads are just entitled rich kids It mostly is though and I think it’s unrealistic to deny that. You know better than most, having gone through it. My God, doing an arts degree at Edinburgh in the late 90’s being from a local state school was absolute torture haha! Surrounded by the ‘yas’ as we used to call them. Ya dahling, ya, ya….. Well done for managing it, seriously. I’m not disagreeing with you either, but I’m saying it’s not typical, it’s not the norm, it’s in no way ‘normal’. Most of my contemporaries have decent degrees from decent universities. Mine is an honours from Edinburgh plus my PG from Glasgow. These are not polytechnics! Only two earn over £100k a year and we are in our 40’s now. We are talking aerospace engineers, senior HR managers, research scientists, nurses, OT’s, pharmacists, optometrists etc. the two bigger earners are in finance and software (company director). I suppose it depends what you want out of life too. I know the price you pay for the big salary and bonus - it’s hours and hours chained to a desk, often missing out on milestones. You’re always someone’s b*tch. My friend’s husband literally pulls a 14 hour shift every day. He’s just turned 40 and looks older than my hubby who is 51 and works 3 days a week! My dad used to say the more money you earn the bigger your problems are and as I get older I do wonder if he might have been right. So far my daughter has been at state school and doing well. Not sure what Aus might bring, we’ll see. We’re not particularly pushy or ambitious as parents (I think that might sound bad), but I know deep down that she’ll do ok. She’s kind of more sporty and artistic/creative and that’s ok with me. Here’s hoping the OP secures a position that rewards their experience and expertise. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerVoice Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 8 hours ago, Ausvisitor said: so I get a bit annoyed when people say Oxford grads are just entitled rich kids. 5 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said: It mostly is though and I think it’s unrealistic to deny that. It mostly isn't though, and it's just a stereotype perpetuated by those who suffer from tall poppy syndrome. Everyone I know who's been to Oxbridge have been extremely bright, hardworking, and also went to a comprehensive. I wouldn't dispute that the old school tie will help you get your foot in the interview room, but you still need to show you can deliver the goods too. Everyone loves to cite Prince Edward getting in with his D grades but that's the exception rather than the rule, and it was long time ago now. I'd agree that they have more than their fair share of spoilt rich kids there, but that's because many have had the benefit of a private education and have usually been pushed much harder by ambitious parents than those in the state system. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 So are we really saying that most Oxford and Cambridge graduates aren’t from privileged backgrounds and private schools? It’s fairly easy for me to dig out figures to back this one up I’m afraid….. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 6 minutes ago, InnerVoice said: It mostly isn't though, and it's just a stereotype perpetuated by those who suffer from tall poppy syndrome. Everyone I know who's been to Oxbridge have been extremely bright, hardworking, and also went to a comprehensive. I wouldn't dispute that the old school tie will help you get your foot in the interview room, but you still need to show you can deliver the goods too. Everyone loves to cite Prince Edward getting in with his D grades but that's the exception rather than the rule, and it was long time ago now. I'd agree that they have more than their fair share of spoilt rich kids there, but that's because many have had the benefit of a private education and have usually been pushed much harder by ambitious parents than those in the state system. Ok so a bit of Google digging shows that Oxbridge take approx 68% of their students from state and (importantly I think) grammar schools. This sounds GREAT. However when you consider that only 6% of gen pop attend a private school then the context changes significantly. I am not suggesting for a moment that students at these institutions don’t work hard. But let’s not try and pretend that the playing field is level. That’s helluva naive. Re: Tall Poppy, I thought that was people trying to make out they were something better than they are? Or bigging themselves up? Rather than a working class chip on shoulder? Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerVoice Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 15 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said: Ok so a bit of Google digging shows that Oxbridge take approx 68% of their students from state and (importantly I think) grammar schools. This sounds GREAT. However when you consider that only 6% of gen pop attend a private school then the context changes significantly. I am not suggesting for a moment that students at these institutions don’t work hard. But let’s not try and pretend that the playing field is level. That’s helluva naive. Re: Tall Poppy, I thought that was people trying to make out they were something better than they are? Or bigging themselves up? Rather than a working class chip on shoulder? Lol. Thanks for proving my point - glad you agree It isn't a level playing field and no one is pretending it is. Entry to Oxbridge is highly competitive. If you've had a private education it will put you in a better position but you still need to be bright enough to pass their admission tests, which are much harder than A' levels according to those who've taken them. As @Ausvisitor pointed out, he's paying for his kids to have a private education so they can get on a higher rung of the ladder, but they still need to climb the rest of the way themselves. My cousin was privately educated but was a right dosser and didn't get a single O' level. Fortunately he turned out to be a brilliant salesman and has done very well for himself. Regarding tall poppy syndrome, it means quite the opposite of what you've said. Let me just google that for you, lol. https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=tall+poppy+syndrome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 (edited) 6 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said: Re: Tall Poppy, I thought that was people trying to make out they were something better than they are? Or bigging themselves up? Rather than a working class chip on shoulder? Lol. Tall Poppy refers to the Australian habit of cutting people down to size when they're considered to be getting too big for their boots (or 'up themselves' as we say). It's also used to refer to people discrediting or disparaging legitimately successful people out of envy. Edited January 3 by Marisawright 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerVoice Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 11 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said: So are we really saying that most Oxford and Cambridge graduates aren’t from privileged backgrounds and private schools? It’s fairly easy for me to dig out figures to back this one up I’m afraid….. Most people dig up the figures first to support their (incorrect) preconceptions, but you've going all in regardless. I have to admire your bravado! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 2 hours ago, InnerVoice said: Most people dig up the figures first to support their (incorrect) preconceptions, but you've going all in regardless. I have to admire your bravado! Well they do and they don’t. We can see from the figures that the MAJORITY of attendees at those to universities come from state and grammar schools. Grammar schools are a whole other can of worms!! However we can also see that there is still a disproportionately high percentage of entrants from private schools. This is probably reflected across other ‘top’ universities but I unfortunately don’t have time to look into it. Maybe there is a semi-retired member on here with more time/inclination?? It certainly felt like most of my fellow students at Edinburgh were private schoolers but that was a while ago, times have changed and maybe it was my course choice as well. Perhaps the more science/engineering based courses were more egalitarian. Anyway, I fear we are veering far from the original purpose of this thread and as much as I enjoy debate I don’t have unlimited time to spend on it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausvisitor Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 Not retired but a quick Google Nine highest UK providers with more than 10,000 students for the proportion of private school students with Imperial in 5th at 32.4% (behind Durham, St Andrews, Edinburgh and Exeter) followed by UCL (32.4%), Oxford (31.4%), LSE (30.4%) and Cambridge (30.0%) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerVoice Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 9 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said: Anyway, I fear we are veering far from the original purpose of this thread and as much as I enjoy debate I don’t have unlimited time to spend on it. It's noticeable how often certain members tend do that, while others attempt to answer the questions posed by the OP 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 11 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said: Anyway, I fear we are veering far from the original purpose of this thread and as much as I enjoy debate I don’t have unlimited time to spend on it. Thanks for acknowledging that, out of respect for the OP can we all answer the OP or scroll by . Cal x 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benj1980 Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 On 31/12/2023 at 00:27, The Gees said: I have a 491 and am planning to arrive in Australia by May 24. Just looking at teaching jobs on Seek and various agencies. Can anyone offer me insight into what is a respectable wage? I have been teaching 20 years (secondary) with management / subject leadership and also act as subject lead tutor for a university accredited teacher training provider. Current salary is roughly £49k here in the UK and obviously I’d be very happy to improve on that in terms of disposable income in Australia ! I’ve seen a post advertised at 130k AUD - any feedback on that salary? Also interested in thoughts on teaching in public vs private sector as we currently have a child in private so would like to maintain that for them.. . (though open minded - will go with what is best fit for them). Do teachers get reduction on fees or places for children? I understand the school year starts in January and I may therefore have to do supply / relief for a while if we are arriving mid- year. You won't get an accurate answer unless you're able to suggest where you are planning to live. Every state is different, I have to say I struggled to understand this to begin with but every state has different pay scales and costs of living. I'm in WA and far more comfortable in terms of financially and job contentment. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerVoice Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 36 minutes ago, benj1980 said: You won't get an accurate answer unless you're able to suggest where you are planning to live. Every state is different, I have to say I struggled to understand this to begin with but every state has different pay scales and costs of living. I'm in WA and far more comfortable in terms of financially and job contentment. The OP stated in an earlier post that they are likely to be moving to Queensland, which is why I provided the information about QLD salary scales. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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