Salary assessment
Teachers, speech language therapists and teaching guidance counsellors need to have their salary assessed before they start their job, so they are paid correctly.
You will need a salary assessment if you are working in the NZ state sector, and you are:
- beginning your first teaching job, eg new graduates, moving to NZ, or have only worked in private schools
- returning to teaching after a break of two or more years
- returning to teaching after being a principal for two or more years
- returning to teaching after a break where you have gained some relevant work experience, eg teaching in a private school
- a teacher who has new or improved qualifications that haven't been assessed
- a newly qualified speech language therapist (under the Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement)
- about to begin working as a teaching guidance counsellor.
Teachers moving to New Zealand
If you are a teacher moving to NZ from overseas, you will need a NZ visa or to have applied for it.
Before applying for a salary assessment, you should have:
- your qualifications assessed by NZ Qualifications Authority (NZQA), or be in the process of being assessed if you require an International Qualification Assessment (IQA)
- applied for teacher registration or have a current NZ practising certificate
- accepted employment in a teaching role.
You can apply for a salary assessment while waiting for your teacher registration and practising certificate to be processed, as long as your qualifications have been assessed by NZQA (if an IQA is required). See international qualifications for more info.
Day-to-day relievers
Day to day relievers can apply for a salary assessment, but as their situation is different from a permanent teacher, please note:
- if your exact start date isn't known then you can use an approximate date
- all applications must be submitted by a state or state integrated school, so you will need approach a school and principal, and ask them to submit the application on your behalf.
Principals, non-teaching roles and early childhood teachers
Principals, non-teaching roles in schools and early childhood teachers do not go through this salary assessment process.
For salary progression for these roles you can find more information under the different employment agreements on the Ministry of Education's website.