NSW public school teachers receive salaries that place them among the highest paid public school teachers in Australia. They also receive attractive leave provisions and may access a range of comprehensive professional development programs to support their development through every stage of their career.

A wide range of incentives is provided to attract and retain teachers in rural and isolated locations. These include incentive transfers, subsidised housing, locality and climate allowances, additional vacation and leave periods and additional training and development days. Teachers who stay longer than the minimum service period requirement in 40 of the most isolated rural schools are also provided with a monetary retention benefit for up to 5 years.

There is a significant number of qualified teachers seeking employment in public schools. As at 5 October 2011, there were over 34,900 teachers on the employment list, including over 19,300 applicants approved to teach in primary schools and over 14,700 approved to teach secondary subjects.