Pay equity rates

Learn about the new pay rates for teacher aides. For the majority of teacher aides, the new pay equity rates resulted in an increase of 19-30% from the old rates of October 2019.

• Key information
• Why there are different translation rules
• Appointing new teacher aides
• More information

Key information

Education Payroll will automatically translate every eligible teacher aide from the old pay scale to the new pay equity pay scale using a 'point to point' movement based on the translation rules in the settlement agreement. 

The new work matrix

Find out your new pay rates with the online pay rate calculator. 

Online pay rate calculator

• Download the pay equity rates factsheet [PDF, 156 KB]
• Operational guidelines for schools [PDF, 1.7 MB]

Why there are different translation rules

After the Support Staff in Schools Collective Agreement settlement in November 2019, teacher aides were offered a 2019 living wage rate of $21.15 per hour or a 3% increase if they were earning more than this.

This had the effect of collapsing the existing pay scales, particularly in grade A and B.

The new teacher aide pay equity scale opens up this collapsed collective agreement scale and acknowledges the varying levels of experience within the teacher aide grades.

For this reason, there are 2 different translations:

• one for those employed before 29 November 2019
• one for those employed on or after 29 November 2019.

Teacher aides who started before 29 November 2019

Your pay rate will translate to the corresponding pay equity rate based on the step you held under the 2017-2019 Support Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreement (CA) as set out in the table below.

To work out the point-to-point translation, Education Payroll looked at at the your current grade and step and converted them to the equivalent grade and step on the new pay equity scale.

In some instances, 2 or more steps may merge into a new step on the pay equity scale. These merges are outlined using lines on the table below. They include:

• CA grade A, step 1 and 2 translate to pay equity grade A, step 1
• CA grade B, step 8 and 9 translate to pay equity grade B-C, step 5 (unless you have been on grade B, step 9 and have been on that step for 2 years or more, as outlined below)
• CA grade C, step 13 and 14 translate to pay equity grade B-C, step 10
• if you are paid within grade D, the range of rates will translate to the step closest to your current pay rate on the pay equity pay scale grade D steps 2 to 6, provided the rate is equal to, or higher than your current rate.

The exception to the point-to-point translation is teacher aides on grade B, step 9 who have been on that step for 2 years or more.

These teacher aides translated to pay equity grade B-C, step 6, unless your employer discussed your pay with you (by 14 August 2020). They also needed to advise Education Payroll in writing by 20 August 2020 that your role remained solely in grade B of the work matrix.

In this case, Education Payroll translate this to pay equity grade B-C, step 5. It is best practice for you as the employer to keep a copy of this advice in the employee’s personnel file.

Teacher aides who started on or after 29 November 2019

Your pay rate will translate to the corresponding pay equity rate as follows.

• A teacher aide who is paid in grade A (step 1) will translate to work matrix grade A, step 1.
• A teacher aide who is paid in grade B (step 1) will translate to work matrix grade B-C, step 1.
• A teacher aide who is paid in grade B (step 2) will translate to work matrix grade B-C, step 5.
• A teacher aide who is paid in grade C (steps 2 to 7) will translate to the applicable step in work matrix grade B-C, steps 6 to 10.
• A teacher aide who is paid in grade D (step 7) will translate to work matrix grade D, step 1.
• A teacher aide who is paid in grade D (step 8) will translate to work matrix grade D, step 6
• Teacher aides paid within grade D range of rates will translate to the closest step in work matrix grade D steps 2 to 6, provided the rate is equal to or higher than their current rate.

Appointing new teacher aides

When the Ministry, NZSTA and NZEI Te Riu Roa investigated the teacher aide pay equity claim, we gathered information about teacher aide work and used this to develop the work matrix table.

Pay equity work matrix

When creating a new teacher aide role, you will need to assess the job description against the skills, demands and responsibilities outlined in the work matrix table to assign the grade and step.

A teacher aide will be placed in the grade that reflects the highest skills, demands or responsibilities performed regularly and on an ongoing basis in their role. The teacher aide doesn’t have to do every activity in a grade in order to sit within it.

If a teacher aide performs a role that mainly requires skills, demands and responsibilities within grade A, but also performs on a regular and ongoing basis skills, demands or responsibilities from grade B, then grade B would apply to them. You will need to consider what makes up the majority of the role and not the things that are a one-off or isolated event.

When considering the 3 broad areas of work, the role may include all 3 of the criteria (general support, additional support, te reo Māori), a blend of 2, or it may be covered in just 1 of the criteria, for example Te Reo Māori.

In other words, if a teacher aide does one skill, demand or responsibility in a higher grade on a regular and ongoing basis they need to be graded in the higher grade.

A teacher aide can be placed on any step within the applicable work matrix grade. When determining the step consider any particular skills and qualifications held by the teacher aide as well as any previous relevant paid or unpaid work experience.

More detailed information about the new pay scale and case studies can be found in the operational guidelines for schools.

• Operational guidelines for schools [PDF, 1.7 MB]

Last reviewed: 26 February 2024 Has this been useful? Give us your feedback