Teacher Salary Over a Financial Year

As teachers we’re used to dealing with 2 types of year, school year and calendar year, on a regular basis. Oddly enough, many of us forget that our “yearly” salary from the collective step scale does not correspond to the fiscal year. This is of course due to our raises coming in April and, when applicable, step increases occurring in August, at the start of a new school year. Even a teacher on the top step has two different “yearly” salaries in a calendar year.
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Need an example? 

Let’s take a Step-9 teacher starting in January of 2024. All numbers are gross, before any deductions.

1. From January 1st until April 1st, 2024 your “yearly” salary would be $69,418.  In this time you would earn $18,689. 
2. On April 1st, 2024 you would receive the raise described in the provincial collective agreement. Your new “yearly” salary is $75,726. You would earn this salary until you go up in step at the beginning of the new school year in late August.  This results in earnings of $37,863.
3. At the end of August, the beginning of the new school year (2024-2025 school year), due to step increase you now have a “yearly” salary of a Step-10 teacher equal to $78,711. From August to December you would earn $18,164.​

If we add up these 3 values $18,689 and $37,863 and $18,164 we get $74,717. You will not find $74,717 anywhere on a contract or in a collective agreement. All contracts are written for SCHOOL years, not financial years.  These amounts will all vary with step level and percentage contract.

But wait……there’s more!

You may have received student teacher monies, oversize compensation, sick day payouts, and/or medical insurance contributions. All of these are taxable forms of income that also must be included in your gross earnings. These monies are all very particular to the specific teacher and further change the amount reported on your tax documents. The salary scale really is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to calculating your pay. 

The table below has sample rough calculations for every step. Find the step you were in last school year and follow that line across.