Who this covers: primary and secondary teachers, early childhood educators, TAFE and university staff.
What lenders do differently
Contract type
Permanent teachers are the simplest case. Temporary contracts of a year or more are counted by most lenders once renewed or with a letter confirming continuation. Casual relief teaching is counted after about twelve months with a consistent pattern, at the actual earnings.
Allowances
Higher duties, head teacher and year adviser allowances are counted where they are ongoing or have two years of history; some lenders shade them. Rural and remote incentives are usually counted while the posting continues.
School holidays
A permanent salary is paid through the holidays, so nothing changes in the assessment. Casual teachers' income is annualised across the whole year, so the term pattern matters: twelve months of payslips reads better than one term's.
Schemes and concessions
Teachers are often first home buyers at the price caps' edge; the 5% Deposit Scheme has no income test, and NSW's duty exemption runs to $800,000. A guarantor is the other common route.
Worth knowing before applying
A new graduate on a probationary contract is usually counted from the first payslip with the contract; a move from casual to temporary resets some lenders' history clock; and HELP debt from the degree reduces capacity through the compulsory repayment.
The tools that fit
Policies on all of the above differ lender to lender and change without notice; the value of the conversation is knowing which lender's policy reads your payslip best on the day. Understanding how your income is read before you apply is what makes the application calm.