Average early childhood teacher salaries across Australian states
Make a positive impact on children’s lives – be part of the essential early childhood education industry.
With strong demand for early childhood teachers throughout Australia, you can build a meaningful career with good pay, high job security and opportunities for career advancement.
Early childhood education: stats at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Average national salary | $88,000 |
| In shortage? | Yes, Australia-wide |
| Employment growth – last year | +14% |
| Employment growth – last 5 years | +58% |
| Growth in workforce (education and training) | Last year: +50,500 workers (+4.2% increase) |
| Sources: Occupation Profiles (Jobs and Skills Australia), ABS Labour Force, Industry Profiles (Jobs and Skills Australia), Occupation Shortage List (Jobs and Skills Australia), Seek | |
Make a difference & improve access to early learning
Access to early learning is critical for a lot of families. It supports parents who need to go to work. Done right, it also helps give children the best start in life.
As an early childhood teacher, you’ll work with parents, health professionals and other educators to support children as they learn through play and develop their sense of identity, communication skills, motor skills, problem solving skills and how to express themselves.
By observing, assessing and facilitating children’s development and learning, you'll have the chance to help children build self-confidence as they begin to question and explore their world.
Great news: more wage increases for early childhood teachers
The Australian Government recently announced a new worker retention payment for the early childhood education and care workforce. Starting in January 2025, early childhood teachers can get a:
- 15% wage increase above modern award rates
- minimum 20% additional funding for eligible on-costs.
Providers need to apply for the payment, with grant applications are open until 30 September 2026.
State-by-state early childhood teacher salaries in Australia
How much are early childhood teachers paid in Tasmania?
In Tasmania, you can expect an annual salary of between $80,000 and $95,000 as an early childhood teacher, depending on where you work and your level of experience. Areas with bigger shortfalls in workers may offer higher pay.
Source: Seek
How much are early childhood teachers paid in Queensland?
Average salaries range between $85,000 and $100,000 per year for early childhood teachers in Queensland. As a big state with lots of regional areas, your exact location has a big influence on how much you make. For example, higher demand for early childhood teachers in Rockhampton and Capricorn Coast mean the average salary there is $100,000.
Source: Seek
How much are early childhood teachers paid in South Australia?
South Australian early childhood teachers earn between $90,000 and $95,000 per year on average, with Adelaide flagged as a key area in Australia experiencing a shortage of qualified early childhood teachers.
Source: Seek
How much are early childhood teachers paid in the Northern Territory?
Early childhood teachers in the Northern Territory earn between $75,000 to $95,000 annually on average. While pay for new workers in the early childhood industry is lower compared to other states, there are plenty of opportunities for career growth and pay rises.
Source: Seek
How much are early childhood teachers paid in Western Australia?
As an early childhood teacher in Western Australia, you can earn between $85,000 and $95,000 per year. Like other states and territories, your salary varies depending on your exact location and level of experience. In Mandurah and Peel, the average annual salary skews on the higher end at $95,000.
Source: Seek
How much are early childhood teachers paid in Victoria?
In Victoria, early childhood teachers typically earn between $80,000 and $95,000 per year. Bendigo, Goldfields and Macedon Ranges record the highest average salaries in the state at $110,000 per year. This also represents the highest average earnings Australia-wide.
Source: Seek
How much are early childhood teachers paid in New South Wales?
The average annual salary for early childhood teachers in New South Wales is between $80,000 and $90,000. Demand is higher in certain regions, for example, Coffs Harbour and the North Coast: where average earnings are $93,638 per year.
Source: Seek
How much are early childhood teachers paid in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)?
Early childhood teachers in the ACT can expect a higher annual salary on average compared to other areas in Australia of $90,000 to $110,000 per year. Canberra also attracts the highest average salary compared to other capital cities at $105,557 per year.
Source: Seek
Australian early childhood teacher salaries by state & territory
| State/territory | Average early childhood teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Tasmania | $91,603 |
| Queensland | $92,500 |
| South Australia | $95,000 |
| Northern Territory | $86,575 |
| Western Australia | $86,000 |
| Victoria | $88,000 |
| New South Wales | $84,450 |
| ACT | $87,500 |
Keep in mind, figures sourced from Seek rely on data from employer job postings and may not fully capture wider salary trends in the early childhood industry.
Early childhood teacher salaries vary significantly depending on the town, city or region, due to big differences in demand.
Even the type of organisation might make a difference. You can work in early childhood education and care centres, kindergartens, government and non-government primary schools, day care centres, special education facilities, community organisations and within large businesses.
Other roles in the early childhood industry
Working in early childhood also means opportunities to work in roles other than an educator. Many of these are high-paying jobs occupied by people who started their careers as early childhood teachers.
For example, salaries for early childhood centre directors in Australia range from $95,000 to $105,000.
Other roles in the industry include early childhood centre managers, childcare service coordinators, policy and compliance advisors, family day care coordinators and kindergarten cluster program managers.
You could even be self-employed and run your own business as the proprietor of an early childhood service.
Help improve childcare access in Australia
Research from Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute still shows there are big gaps in childcare accessibility across Australian states and territories.
These are represented by “childcare deserts” – areas where there were more than three children per childcare place in 2024.
Percentage of each state & territory considered childcare deserts
| State/territory | Per cent childcare deserts in 2024 |
|---|---|
| Tasmania | 57% |
| Queensland | 20% |
| South Australia | 21% |
| Northern Territory | 24% |
| Western Australia | 39% |
| Victoria | 14% |
| New South Wales | 28% |
| ACT | 14% |
VU’s research found that childcare deserts have dropped by 10% from 2020 to 2024. But there’s still plenty more to do. You can help close these gaps – become part of the solution to childcare access by becoming an early childhood teacher.
At VU, flexible study and pathway options in our early childhood courses mean you don’t have to put your life on hold to make a difference.
How to become an early childhood teacher
Build a rewarding career as an in-demand early childhood teacher by studying at VU. We offer a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in early childhood education to suit your unique path.
Bachelor of Early Childhood Education– Kickstart your early childhood career with a practical three-year (full time) course where you’ll get 80 days of supervised teaching experience along with international and remote placement opportunities.
Bachelor of Early Childhood Teaching – Finish your bachelor's degree sooner after studying a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care with this focused, two-year course. Study online while working in the industry.
Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Leadership – Give yourself advanced career opportunities with this four-year course focused on leadership. Set yourself up for senior roles and management positions in the early childhood industry.
Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education – Fast-track your career as an early childhood teacher with this one-year postgraduate degree for students with any undergraduate qualification.
Once you graduate, you can register as a teacher with Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) and the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL).
Pathways to our early childhood courses
Didn’t finish Year 12? Don't worry! There’s still a pathway for you to get accredited as an early childhood teacher.
Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care CHC30121 (one-year full time) – This free TAFE course* teaches you the fundamentals of early childhood teaching through hands-on learning and two practical work placements.
Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care CHC50121 (one-year full time) – Progress your knowledge and skills in early learning while getting guaranteed entry into the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education with one-year credit.
All up, this example pathway will take you four years to graduate with an industry-certified undergraduate degree in early childhood education – not bad!
Need more advice on which courses and pathways best suit your circumstances and career goals?
*student services and amenities fees still apply.
Start your career as an early childhood teacher at VU
Whether you’ve just graduated high school, looking to switch careers or are overseas and interested in studying in Australia, we have pathways for everyone at VU. So don’t hesitate to begin your career journey in early childhood education.
